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BeerSecret’s favourite Ghent’s restaurant: Multatuli

One of my clients recently booked a beer tour with BeerSecret for the third time. Petros, a passionate beer enthusiast from Stuttgart, had previously joined us twice and wanted to introduce some friends to the Belgian beer industry. He knew that our tours were the best way to fulfill his wish.

Our tours often result in a genuine friendship, and Petros decided to take me to a restaurant after the tour. When he asked me which place I would recommend, I immediately suggested Multatuli. It is especially perfect for groups of six people, all keen on beers. 🍺

Multatuli Gent

On February 12th, at 4:30 pm, our beer tour started. I took Petros and his friends to three different places, including one that was new to him. I always want each client to discover at least one new place. Our Saturday tour was fully booked, so we had an additional six people on the tour. After a delayed beer tour of almost four hours, we left for the restaurant. On our way, we also took a solo traveler from the tour with us. It’s always a great opportunity to make new friends on our tours. 🍽️

When we arrived at Multatuli, we received a nice table in the corner with a setting that looks like my grandmother’s living room. We checked out their beer menu, which has more than 40 beers listed in different categories:

  • Suggestions from the tap
  • Thirst-quenching beers
  • Geuze/Fruit/Oud Vlaams (which are actually sour beers, but differently fermented)
  • Trappist
  • East Flemish local beers
  • Others (a general category for all other beers, except for four that have an alcoholic percentage below 8%)

Although 40 beers may not seem like a lot, their selection is well-picked. They have a great variety of beers, and you can discover the full range of Belgian beer styles.

For my first beer, I chose Vander Ghinste Oud Bruin, a low-alcoholic refreshing sour beer with fruity finishing. A special remark is that the correct beer style is actually red brown Flemish ale. I shared more info about those two beer styles in this Instagram post. The bartender arrived with amazing brews like Taras Boulba, Augustijn Grand Cru, my red-brown, and some others that I was unfortunately too late to take a picture of. We cheered, and Petros smiled for the camera. 😁

Now it was time to order our dish, as it was almost 9:30 pm. Choosing my main dish was not so hard as I always like to try the Waterzooi, which is a traditional Ghent dish! There is a chicken and a fish recipe for this dish, which is why I love to try it in different restaurants.

Now it was time to order our dish, as it was almost 9:30 pm. Choosing my main dish was not so hard as I always like to try the Waterzooi, which is a traditional Ghent dish! It’s a hearty and flavorful stew, cooked in a creamy broth along with aromatic herbs and vegetables like carrots, onions, green celery, leeks and potatoes. The name “waterzooi” comes from the Dutch words “water” (meaning water) and “zooi” (meaning mess or stew), indicating its nature as a one-pot dish. There is a chicken and a fish recipe for this dish. Here in Multatuli, they have chosen the right version ;)- It’s super delicious!

Another character of Multatuli is that they care about beer pairing! So for each dish, there are three beers suggested that match the beer as the best pairing. Here is an example of their fish dishes. 🐟

I chose A Gageleer for three reasons:
it had been a while since I last tried this beer, it’s brewed at the local brewery De Proefbrouwerij, and it’s organic! 🪴
PS: It reminds me that there is an incredible great non-alcoholic Gageleer beer on the market. Try it if you ever have the chance!

After some beer chats, we got to know each other better, and our food arrived. The Waterzooi dish was made of potatoes, vegetables, saffron sauce, and finished with chicken or fish, depending on the restaurant. The potatoes mixed with the sauce were already heavenly, but the flavor of the salmon was even better. It had a great smooth finish, thanks to the sauce. I’m also a big fan of leeks, which made me a huge fan of this Waterzooi!

As I was enjoying myself so much, I wasn’t really taking a lot of pictures. My apologies to the friends of Petros and Marina for not having any lovely pictures of you. But taking pictures all the time would have been like I was still working. 😉

Thank you, Multatuli, for serving delicious food, and thank you, Petros, for inviting me and Marina to this lovely evening! 🤩

If you’re interested in a few more places to eat in Ghent, Multatuli is still my number one, but here’s a short list of a couple of other suggestions:

Otomat: An original pizza concept with a Belgian twist. Toppings like vol-au-vent and pizza dough made with Duvel-yeast makes this place stand out.
‘t Klokhuys : Explore the authentic interior of this restaurant, located in the picturesque Patershol neighborhood. Pork lover? Pick their Flemish stew. Chicken lover? Spoil yourself with a Waterzooi: a real Ghent’s dish. 
Keizershof: Large, family-run brasserie where you can enjoy good Belgian food. Cozy vibes and fun guaranteed whether you’re seated inside or outside.
Maison Elza: This is beer guide Dries’ favourite dinner place in Ghent! Reach out to him if you’re interested in stories of a local. 😁 The interior was inspired by Elza, the owner’s grandmother. It is the perfect place for a romantic breakfast, a quick cup of coffee, a fun afternoon tea with scones, cake and sandwiches, or an extensive dinner.

Interested in discovering more stories of Belgian beers?

Or

(and tell us if you will eat at Multatuli too, we may join you ;))

Cheers,

Liselot Caura
Passionate beer nerd & proud founder of BeerSecret