We stopped into Porta Alta because they had both stew and pasta…read more Sadly, the stew here wasn't good. It was extremely salty and vinegary and I could barely eat the few mouthfuls I had. It should not have been attempted without a full glass of water. My mojito was a net neutral, but the fries also weren't great - a mix of poor quality and tastelessness. While checking out the bartender asked me how it was and I let him know it wasn't to my taste and he said several people told him it was the best stew they'd ever had. I held my tongue but it was easily the worst stew I've had in Belgium, especially after having some amazing Flemish strew down the street and in Bruges. All in all, Porta Alta wasn't as bad as Neptune, but I definitely would not return.

Stopped by to try the Flemish stew, but was a bit disappointed. The stew was cold when we were…read moreserved it and the beef was very dry. The fried potatoes served with it did taste good. We also got a cheese croque, which was pretty good. The outside seating is a very cute vibe, perfect for taking a date night. Outside is a small courtyard with a little bit of foot traffic. The service was good and fast.

The back patio was priceless on a sunny day…read more Kids got desserts that they loved. We got a sampler that included: * Flemish shrimp-stuffed tomato * Seafood quiche * The best Shrimp Croquette we've ever had. I got a Spijker in the bottle - local blonde ale. Services was typically Flemish - gruff but professional.

Tough competition in this area of the city, for which I'll give 3 stars. Service was friendly and…read moreoutdoor seating at any restaurant in this neighborhood is spectacular. The stew had great flavor but the meat was more sinewy and tough than other places I've eaten it nearby. The fries were good, but not the best as they were rather bland. Overall a decent meal, but there are SO many great restaurants within a short walk that while I might be back and had no issues, it probably won't be soon.

Overall ok service. The shrimp pasta dish had NO taste. I requested Parmesan cheese, but did not…read morehelp. Given, it was dry requested more sauce, nothing helped. I would not recommend. The appetizer calamari was good.

Du Progres was another restaurant that was listed in our hotel's recommended book, but in this case…read moreit didn't live up to the hype. Although they were incredibly busy we were able to get a table for two on their comfortable and covered (if not rain proof) patio. The flow for the waitstaff seemed bad, with the food coming out through the same door patrons lined up to be seated at, but the service was prompt if not a bit hands off. We ordered the asparagus (with eggs) which was quite tasty, but the stew I ordered was vinegary even if the meat was of a nice quality. The fries were delicious (most of the stews automatically come with fries in Belgium) and the stew wasn't too bad when dipped into, but it plain didn't work as a soup. All in all, it might have been an off day, but it was more of a 3.8 for me and I don't think I would get the stew again.

Delicious food and top notch service!…read more We had a dinner with friends at Du Progres in August 2023. All the food we ordered was delicious and the service was precise, friendly, and prompt. Food ordered: Fish Fingers with Tartar Sauce Burrata with Tomato Carpaccio and Pine Nuts Cote à l'os Belgian Whiteblue 1,2 kg Chateaubriand Belgian Whiteblue 600 gr T-bone steak Belgian Whiteblue 300 gr Kids Steak All steaks were perfectly cooked and were great overall. However, Cote à l'os Belgian Whiteblue was the best and most flavorful. 600g and 1.2kg steaks first arrived uncut, they cut a two pieces in front of us to show the cook level, and then cut them all in rightly sized manageable pieces. It was very convenient and resulted in a great presentation as seen on the pics. Thank you Du Progres for the great dinner and evening! We highly recommend Du Progres restaurant as a great dining option in Old Gent area!

Eating here was truly an amazing experience. Off the beaten path where the locals go is where…read moreeveryone should go as well. The food was to die for and very unique. Old school Flemish fare with dishes I've never heard of but will be craving for the rest of my life! The ribs were unique and succulent. The fish special was truly special. Creamy mashed potatoes, crispy hot shrimp and cheese croquettes, mushroom toast and all the desserts were amazing as well! It's a mom and pop operation and they are the only staff. Everything is made in house. They sat with us and we enjoyed a drink together at the end of our meal. They are such nice people. What a great experience!

Dinner on the night of our arrival. Chef special of a fish stew had obviously been sitting around a…read morefew days. We didn't see any other dining options on this rainy, cold night, so attempted to eat it anyway. I gave up after the 4th bone. Not some little bones but bones several inches long. I would have taken a photo to show this, but was too disgusted... The miserable, rude waitress woman barked at me that: Fish have bones! She then proceeded to try and rush us out of the place saying we could take our overpriced bottle of wine to go. Ummmm?? Perhaps our expectations were too high after 5 nights in Paris, but I don't think so. Even the fries were soggy. Thankfully I didn't get food poisoning.

I recently ate at Petit Patron, on the recommendation of several locals in Bruges. Petit Patron…read morehas a reputation for great fondue, so I was eager to try this restaurant. The restaurant is conveniently located near tourist areas, and has a cozy, traditional atmosphere. There was a crackling fire in the fireplace, and lots of traditional woodwork. It was decorated for Christmas, which was nice. The staff was efficient and friendly. We ordered a bottle of white wine to go along with our traditional cheese fondue and were a little disappointed in receiving an old bottle of white wine that tasted off. After the server had the bar tender try the wine, they agreed it was old and provided us with a new/fresh bottle. The cheese fondue was served at the table (as you'd expect) with fresh bread and other accompaniments. The cheese fondue was good (what's not to love about cheese fondue, right?) but to be honest, I've had better. Typically one can taste a few different cheeses (emmenthaler, gruyere). This fondue, while fine, seemed a bit basic/standard for a restaurant that specializes in fondue. Overall a good experience, and I'd certainly recommend the place to others. Perhaps the other types of fondue offer a bit more complexity than the one we ordered.

I ate here with my parents and my husband, and my baby (then 3 months old) in February of this…read moreyear. We made reservations a day before and got the very last table for the next night, so I'd advise to make reservations. We sat upstairs and the food was brought up in a food elevator. The atmosphere and decor are nice and cozy, it looks just like the pictures on their website. We ordered the mixed meat fondue for all of us, with added lamb. It comes with fries and salad and if you run out they'll bring you more, free of charge. We ordered the house red which was a wonderful wine at a great price. The staff was very attentive. Parking is very close to the restaurant, but we didn't have to park as we stayed at a hotel across the street. I would have given them 5 stars if they had done a fondue for dessert, there's no better dessert at a fondue restaurant than a chocolate fondue!

All you can eat Chinese, Wok & Teppanyaki, with starter and dessert all for €22, €33 if you include…read moredrinks for the evening. Tasteful and extensive menu. Although it's usually quite calm, you can have a very noisy experience when there's alot of people and a possible party going on. Best to make a reservation on busy nights (like friday/saturday evening) The food is ok, so is the service, nothing to special.

This place reminded me of any other American styled Chinese buffet. Most items on the buffet looked…read morelike they were left out a little too long. The staff was friendly. The atmosphere was very loud. The big down side: the price. My wife and I each got the buffet and a soda. We spent €52. The only two things it really had going for it (and the price) were the 'to order' wok and grill. You make a plate of raw meat/veggies to be boiled then cooked in a wok. The grill also made very tasty steak cutlets. They were seared on the outside, but very juicy on the inside (medium-rare) and were seasoned well. The down side to the grill is the portion size, but for a buffet, I expected some way to control the portions. If you do what we did, by sticking to the 'to order' options, you won't have a bad meal. ...but I wouldn't recommend this place to a friend.

Brasserie Paradijs was my favorite restaurant of our entire trip…read more While they do have indoor seating, the bulk of their plentiful seating is outdoors on small cafe tables with chairs and everything we ordered was amazing, but most especially the Flemish stew. This was the first time I'd had it and it was heavenly. Hearty but not heavy the flavors were so well balanced the the portion size was perfect. The service was helpful and prompt and I also loved the side of applesauce and my mojito mocktail, both of which were just divine. It was such a well made mocktail it became the gold standard for my expectations during our Ghent stay. We had found Brasserie Paradijs because it was listed in our hotel's booklet as a top recommended spot and we're so glad they did because they were just fantastic! Definitely a must-eat if you're visiting Ghent.