5 excellent coffee roasting shops in Ghent

Hidden down a narrow lane, this is a warm, dark place filled with the smell of slow roast coffee. Set up by a young Italian in 1937, it’s now run by a friendly, energetic team. The interior is decorated with red walls, small round tables and a red neon sign. You can sit with a perfect La Marzocco espresso or pick up a bag of Mysore beans to take home.

The smell of fresh coffee hits you the moment you enter São Paulo. They have been roasting coffee here since the Ghent World Fair in 1913. The coffee is stored in a row of gleaming brass dispensers behind the counter. The shop also stocks 200 different types of tea.

Louis Vandekerckhove’s family has been involved in the coffee business since 1854. The roasting is done in the basement of the shop using beans shipped from Brazil and Kenya. They sell about 30 different varieties including several unique blends.

This stunning coffee bar and roastery is located in the Dok Noord district. Head roaster Charlene De Buysere has won several awards for her roasting skills. You can try her barista coffee and a vegan pastry in a lofty dockland space with white concrete walls, metal lamps and long wooden tables.

This coffee bar and roastery occupies a building near the city library. The spacious interior is a blend of white tiles, vintage armchairs and potted house plants. The friendly baristas who work here are skilled in the art of coffee making. There is a second branch called Full Circle Astrid near Sint-Pieters station.