As I am just in my thirties I can assure you that the baby-boom period within my social network has officially started! Babies are being born all the time and the challenge for me is to come up with an original and fun present for each and every one of them.

Well, my quest has finally come to an end and I am glad to announce you the good news and the place to visit for cute baby stuff: the vintage clothes shop called Jacob. While entering the door you are overwhelmed by the beauty of little dresses, skirts, trousers and jackets for little boys and girls. I adore the seventies look myself and the good part is that the ladies can also enjoy the offer as they have a limited collection for adults in the shop.

The prices are quite high for secondhand clothes but the state of each piece is as good as new and unique so definitely worthwhile to visit!

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JACOB | Shopping | From € 20
Bij Sint-Jacobs 7
Wed – Thu 11:00 – 18:00, Fri 09:00 – 18:00, Sat 10:00 – 18:00

Kitsch, design, colorful gadgets, clothes, notepads, cool lamps, interior stuff and much more is what you can find in this shop. If you pass by, the shop window will definitely attract your attention and you will be unable to resist entering and leaving with a new purchase to color up your house interior. At least, that is what I catch myself doing at every single visit. Snooping around is part of this shop experience.

Even when not buying a new item, this place is great to get some inspiration to spice up your homes or to find the perfect Birthday gift! Polka dot cups, flower printed handbags, funny postcards, retro napkin holders..No doubt you will be able to find your taste at your price to spend.

Also for our little ones, you can find Petit Zsa Zsa across the street with more bright and colorful clothes and toys. A feast for the eye and a blow to the wallet!

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Zsa Zsa Rouge | Shopping | Postcards € 5
Serpentstraat 22 | +3292259363
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 18:00

You cannot overlook the shop window of Zoot Costumiers: you can find cute and colorful dresses, skirts and shirts combined in the most attractive way and with a clear wink to the fashion of the fifties. Not only retro clothing but also the matching accessories can be bought here: strawberry necklaces or cherry earrings, you name it!

The 2 girls who own the shop – Sofie Bos and Liv Muës – are also familiar with designing and offer an exclusive range of the collection fabricated under their own label. Other new and young designer stuff that you can score in this shop: the cool accessories of Tatty Devine, the nice skirts of Lovely Mariquita, the vintage bikini’s of Mama Maria Swimwear, the fifties dresses of Red Juliet…

Apart from new collections they have a small selection of secondhand shoes and clothing. All of the above to find at one spot, that means a very dangerous place for me to enter, but once in a while I allow myself to visit and have a look

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Zoot | Shopping | Dress € 80
Serpentstraat 8 | +3292337075
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 18:00

This bar/restaurant nearby the ‘Nieuwe Beestenmarkt’ just outside the city center can be considered an old fashioned café where you can have a good drink, a nice meal and even a great party afterwards. The décor is characterized by the retro wallpaper, the brown colors and the snake plants covering the walls.

In summertime you can enjoy your food and drinks outside on the terrace but I can appreciate the warm interior and their good functioning stoves more during the winter season.

The menu offers traditional dishes: pastas and salads but also some Grandma’s specials such as: meatballs in sauce Madeira, Rabbit with prunes…At lunch time you can enjoy a soup and main course at a very reasonable price and a wide range of beers is completing the offer.

As this restaurant is very popular I advise you to make your reservation beforehand! Good luck and see you there soon!

Note – this restaurant has recently been redecorated. You can now enjoy the new and improved interior of this place!

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Het Gouden Hoofd | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Traditional) | Meal € 12
Slachthuisstraat 104 | +32487206501
Cafe Mon – Sat from 11:30 | Kitchen Mon – Fri 11:30 – 14:00 & 17:30 – 22:00, Sat 17:30 – 22:00

I personally very much enjoy a Sunday morning going out of house for brunching. It gives me 100% guarantee to good coffee and a variety of healthy and a nutritious food to star the active – or in most cases -lazy day…

One nice place to have an enjoyable morning experience is Brooderie: not only does it offer you the chance to a biological breakfast; you can also crash here for a fresh made soup or a delicious slice of cake in between shopping or after a visit to the Design Museum just across the street.

The warm brown and yellow colors in the interior makes you feel at home in a split second! I am a fan of their large variety of quiches and their several brunch formulas. If you want the feeling to last longer, you can also buy their bread or even better: sleep over! Yes, they even exploit a Bed and Breakfast to spend a lovely weekend in Ghent City!

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Brooderie | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Quiche € 10
Jan Breydelstraat 8 | +3292250623
Tue – Sun 08:00 – 18:00

One of my favorite activities is spending weekends wandering around antique markets. In Ghent we have many of them and the weekly venue for secondhand lovers is the square at Saint-Jacobs. A small market you can visit each Sunday morning surrounded by some nice vintage shops and coffee shops.

My personal hotspot is the mobile coffee bar: La dolce Barista. The owner of this great invention has combined her 2 passions: flea markets and coffee. She has been doing this for years now and with great success!

Apart from the large variety of coffee, macchiato and cappuccino you are being seduced by her homemade cake and chocolate buns. Yummy! Quite the high-calorie breakfast, but what the hell! In order to find some warmth and love during cold winter days, this is the place to be. Cu there soon!

You can visit the mobile bar on each day of the week on a different market: flower market, antique market…

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La Dolce Barista | Coffee & tea | Coffee € 2.00
Several markets – Mobile bar
08:00 – 14:00 daily

I always believed I didn’t like lobster very much until I had a complete lobster menu at the restaurant ‘The House of Elliot’. The restaurant is quite famous for its good fish dishes and only by looking through the window, you can’t wait to explore this place and enjoy the atmosphere.

The House of Elliot owners have a great taste for interior decoration. By collecting a lot of antiques they managed to give the place a strong appeal of the 20ies. The hats, the chandeliers, the furniture, everything is perfect and tuned to the lifestyle of that time. So, for a start, the restaurant itself can entertain you as well as the charming hosts.

When making your choice I can recommend the lobster menu: 3 courses of lobster prepared in different ways, a fresh sorbet in between and a delicious chocolate dessert to end. If I cannot convince you to eat this menu, no worries, there is plenty of more to choose from. This restaurant has a good quality of food to offer in a marvelous décor.

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The House of Elliot | Restaurants (Fish&Meat) | Meal from € 25
Jan Breydelstraat 36 | +3292252128
Thu – Mon 12:00 – 14:00 & 18:00 – …

In the middle of the city center you’ll find more than traditional cafés. Apart from the brown and old fashioned bars, you have the Grand Café Godot. The interior is modern and clean with the main colors in black and white. Godot has created a trendy feeling.

While eating you can even admire the work of artists that is being displayed. You can enjoy this place outside in summer or even on a beautiful autumn day while watching people strolling around – I love doing that, it is one of my favorite activities!

Inside, you can nestle yourselves in the cozy white seats while drinking a whiskey in front of a fire. And last but not least, you can have a good meal or brunch. Included in the brunch menu is a wide range of filling: from honey and cheese to salmon and a bunch of green herbs to accompany the dish. Fusion food in a lounge interior is what Godot is all about.

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Godot Grand Café | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Fusion) | Meal from € 15
Hooiaard 8 | +323298208
11:00 – 01:00 daily

This bar is actually linked to the ‘Geus van Gent’, a liberal centre where a lot of organizations have their homebase and from which a series of activities is set up. Their meeting point ‘Het Geuzenhuis’ has become a nice bar for everyone to enjoy.

Het Geuzenhuis is near the movie complex so mostly after a cinema visit, I like to come here for a drink and discuss the film we’ve just seen. Sometimes you have to be lucky to find an available spot as this is a popular place, especially during the week when a lot of students find their way to this bar.

When you enter, it feels like you are entering your own personal living room with the wooden tables, red covered couches, book shelves and retro cinema chairs. There are several separate and cozy corners where you can make yourselves comfortable with a hot tea or coco.

Not only is this a great place to lay back and relax, you can find some action as well: playing a game of pool or listening to the weekly organized jam sessions with some fabulous jazz musicians!

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Het Geuzenhuis | Art & culture, Bars, Music | Beer € 2.00
Kantienberg 9 | +3292207825
Daily

This simple yet cozy decorated place is one of the established bistros in the city. It has been a while since I came here last time. While entering on the music of Massive Attack I was overwhelmed with a feeling of sentiment. The café is straightforward, simple and rough materials are been used. It is all what a bar should be but then with an extra good and quite elaborated menu.

You can crash here for an evening of drinks, or grab a quick bite. The steak with fresh French fries is a must. Fixed on the menu are the pasta’s and salads but apart from that you have some daily specials offering fish and veggie dishes: tuna steak, codfish, falafel…you name it.

And the best part of the story: your meal is not at all expensive which leaves you some extra to try out one of the typical Belgian beers, yes! And an extra: they have some seats outside to enjoy the sun these days!

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Fabula Rasa | Restaurants (Traditional) | Meal € 15
Ferdinand Lousbergkaai 134 | +3292256330
Mon from 16:00, Tue – Sun from 11:00