Brasserie Pakhuis is one of those great restaurants that I feel privileged to have discovered. Pakhuis has style and atmosphere in abundance and its spectacular design is sure to impress.
Down a narrow lane in the Old Town of Ghent, Pakhuis feels like a secret that only those ‘in the know’ could find. This isn’t exactly the case however, as Pakhuis is one of Ghent’s most talked-about restaurants, but it does still feel special.
The restaurant
Housed in a large 19th century warehouse, Pakhuis was designed by Portuguese architect Antoine Pinto, who is also responsible for nearby hip restaurant-bar-club, Belga Queen.
Pakhuis serves a contemporary French-Italian menu with New World wines and was recognised with a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide 2011.
Together with two restaurants in Antwerp and Brussels, Pakhuis owns a farm called Le Devant, in the Bresse region of France. High quality meat, seasonal vegetables and fresh herbs go from the farm to the table and the restaurant’s signature dish is Bresse chicken.
The terrace
On a balmy summer’s evening, the terrace is the place to be, with its attractive white canopy. As we were a large group of European writers, we occupied a whole side of the terrace and ate from the Pakhuis set menu.
The group starter was smoked eel and mussels, but instead I chose a simple yet delicious Celeriac Soup with fresh herbs (my seafood palate has yet to appreciate eel).
Dishes
The soup was light and peppery with tiny pieces of celeriac and topped with fresh herbs – a good start to the meal.
I particularly enjoyed the main course of Roast Duck with blueberries, cabbage and Bintje potatoes. The duck was cooked medium rare, so was especially tender and the skin was golden and nicely scorched.
To finish, we had a slice of caramelised apple tart with a delicious biscuity crust, topped with crème fraiche. I washed it all down with a fresh mint tea, which they do really well in Ghent, served in an elaborate glass tea pot.
Brasserie Pakhuis is an absolute ‘must’ when visiting Ghent, whether you’re soaking up the bustling brasserie atmosphere inside or lounging elegantly on the terrace with cocktails. It really brings a new meaning to the words ‘warehouse chic’.
Chérie City was a guest of Brasserie Pakhuis.
All photos by Chérie City.