Keizershof

Description:

• Convivial and trendy, this retiring yet far-from-shy place on the garish market square has an attractively informal ambience and a positive price/quality ratio. Behind its narrow, hard-to-spot 17th-century facade, even a capacity crowd of 150 diners can seem sparsely dispersed at the plain wood tables on multiple floors around a central stairwell. The decor beneath the timber ceiling beams is spare, tastefully tattered, and speckled with paintings by local artists. Service for office workers doing lunch is fast but not furious; in the evenings you're expected to linger. In summertime you can dine alfresco in a garden courtyard at the back. Despite being modern in tone and to an extent in cuisine, offering plenty of salads and other light fare, Keizershof is too smart to let you miss out on traditional Belgian standbys like Gentse stoverij (Ghent stew) and mosselen (mussels).

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010