't Klokhuys

't Klokhuys is in the Patershol quarter, a few streets from the Castle of the Counts. The brasserie opened in 1995 and keeps a setting of wood, mirrors, Art Deco lamps and small marble tables. Its decoration does not stand in for cooking: the menu states a commitment to Flemish and Belgian dishes, from beef stew to chicken waterzooi. Leaving the fortress for these narrow lanes and sitting here helps show that central Ghent is still a lived-in neighbourhood, not merely a medieval backdrop.

The official menu includes Vlaamse stoverij with chips, farm-chicken waterzooi, cheese and shrimp croquettes and seasonal specials on a chalkboard. Its website asks guests to give advance notice of allergies or special needs; a dish on the menu is no guarantee of adaptation without asking. The address is 65 Corduwaniersstraat and the number +32 9 223 42 41. The hours in the website footer are more precise than a general sentence elsewhere on the page: the restaurant closes Monday and does not normally serve lunch Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, apart from arranged groups.

Diners praise the tenderness of the stew, the waterzooi and the staff, but there are less enthusiastic accounts of price, service pace or warmth inside on hot days. This is a table for someone wanting classic brasserie dishes after the castle and able to match the visit to actual service hours. For a more contemporary take on family recipes with a stated vegetarian alternative, Mémé Gusta offers another comparison on Burgstraat.