Where to get it?

You will be able to find Flemish stew on the menu of most Belgian restaurants in Ghent. But here's my personal suggestions:

• Mémé Gusta is situated about 100m from the Gravensteen castle. It's a bit more hip and trendy, and they serve classic Belgian cuisine, but always with a modern twist. Besides Stoverij (they also have a vegan version!) they also serve a great Vol-au-Vent, North sea shrimp croquettes, and other Belgian classics.
  Update January 2026: I went again and I have to reconfirm that this is the best stew in town! Make sure to make a reservation in advance.

• De Rechters is located on the square in front of the Saint-Bavo's Cathedral. Even though they are just next to the tourist hotspot of Gent, they serve a great classic Flemish stew. Well flavoured beer sauce and I suspect they even use some chocolate to make their stew sweet and tasty. Besides the classic stew, they also serve a variant with pork cheeks.  

• Abajour is another option if you go to Oudburg. Loved by many locals, they some classic Belgian dishes combined with a good beer menu!

But going to a restaurant is only one option. The other: going to the Frituur. A frituur is basically a snackbar specialized in fries. They're loved and praised in Belgian culture and a true Belgian goes to a Frituur about once a week. And the best thing is: they also sell Flemish stew. 

• Frituur Hooiaard has a great stew. A snack bar right in the middle of the historical center. Want to spice things up? Try out the student speciality: Julientje (fries with stew sauce, a fried sausage, onions, mayo and spices).

• Frituur Filip is one of the most authentic and popular spots in the city center. After 40 years of baking fries, Filip has retired and now his work continues in the hands of Hendrik. Although this place may look a bit shad, he sells a great stew at a very affordable price. Warning: skip this one if you're a vegan, because he bakes his fries in animal fat. Old school! 

• Frituur Tartaar is a modern frituur close by the Belfry. It has a trendy interior and they use vegetable oil for baking their fries, so it's safe for vegans. They also have a vegetarian version.

Where can I find vegetarian Flemish stew?

Ghent is a very young and hip city, so you can easily find vegetarian restaurants all over the city. You can find vegetarian stew in these businesses:

• Mémé Gusta (restaurant): they have a vegan version and also a gluten-free Flemish stew.

• De Stokerij (restaurant)

• Frituur Tartaar

• De Frietketel (frituur)

• Chasse Patat (frituur)

So I hope you will love our most beloved dish just as much as the Ghentians. Want to try local food and drinks together with me as your guide? Take a look at my Food & Beer tasting tour.

How to prepare Flemish stew yourself?

The cool thing about Flemish stew is that every family has its own recipe. You can also go pretty wild with the ingredients that you add. Some even add some chocolate to eat. 

The most important part however, is selecting a good beer. But with more than 2 500 Belgian beers to choose from, it can really make your stew totally different. In general, most people use a dark brown beer such as the St. Bernardus 12. The older generations often use Piedboeuf, a low-alcohol sweet table beer. But you can even go for one of the sour beer. Or if you don't want to choose, mix different beers together! 

There's many different recipes, here's my own family recipe:

Ingredients for 4 persons:

• 2 Onions

• 1kg of pork cheeks (or beef)

• 2 bottles of brown beer (such as the Sint-Bernardus Abt 12)

• Sharp (Tierentyn) Mustard

• A slice of (brown) bread

• Butter

• Vinegar

• Herbs: laurel, thyme, clove

Instructions:

1. Peel the onions and chop them into pieces

2. Heat a large pot and melt a knob of butter in it. Stew the onions on medium heat. Do not let the onions brown.

3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt a piece of butter. 

4. Sear the pieces of meat in the skillet until it’s golden brown. While roasting, season the meat with some pepper and salt.

5. Put the pieces of meat in the casserole with onions. Keep the skillet with the casserole and pour in the beer. Stir all the caking from the meat while the beer is brought to a boil (deglaze it). 

6. Once it boils, pour it into the stew. Add the herbs laurel and thyme to the pot.

7. Spread the bread generously with the mustard. Place it in the pot, on top of the stew, mustard side down.

8. Let the stew simmer for 1,5h to 3h over low heat. You don’t have to put the lid on the pot. The cooking time depends on the meat. Stir the stew from time to time and check if the meat is sufficiently cooked.

9. Once the sauce is thick enough, place a lid on the pot.

10. Taste and add more pepper, salt or vinegar if needed.

Combine this meal with some fries and a salad, and enjoy this typical Ghent dish! 

Eet smakelijk - and don't forget to add your big spoon of mayonaise!