You can’t visit Ghent without sampling some of Belgium’s best chocolate.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth and find yourself wandering the cobbled streets of Ghent, Belgium, you’re in for a treat…literally. Ghent may not be as famous as Brussels or Bruges for its chocolate, but this vibrant city has a rich cocoa culture that’s impossible to ignore.
Belgium’s love affair with chocolate dates back to the 17th century, and Ghent quickly became a hub for artisan chocolatiers. Today, the city boasts over 50 chocolate shops, from the iconic Van Hoorebeke to the innovative Yuzu, blending traditional techniques with bold flavors. Ghent’s chocolatiers are renowned for their bean-to-bar craftsmanship, often sourcing ethical, high-quality cocoa beans, and you can taste that commitment to quality in every delicious bite.
Whether you’re sampling pralines, sipping hot chocolate, or marveling at edible art, Ghent offers a decadent chocolate adventure around every corner. And luckily, you don’t have to splurge to enjoy these riches. Instead, opt for a self-guided Ghent chocolate tour, where you can try the treats that pique yoru interest and even take home a few saccarine souviners.
Ready to indulge? Let’s dive in!
Your Roadmap to a Self-Guided Ghent Chocolate Tour
Treating yourself to a chocolate tour of Ghent is easier than you might think. Historic Old Town (where you’ll likely spend most of your time) is very dense and extremely walkable, which makes sweeet treat gathering an easy side quest while sightseeing. As noted by the map above, some of Ghent’s best chocolate shops are embedded between top sights like Saint Bavvos Cathedral and Gravensteen Castle. The easiest way to take a self-guided chocolate tour is to simply pop into any shop along your sightseeing itinerary, but this map provides a suggested route if seeking out chocolate is your main motive.
How to Try Ghent’s Best Chocolate
While each chocolate shop follows its own business model, most offer pre-packaged boxes of their top sellers for a fixed price. If you want to expand your horizons (and your palate), I’d recommend a slightly more unorthodox approach. Most shops sell individual bonbons for fixed price per piece or by weight, so you can mix and match whichever sweets catch your eye. You can typically pick up between 3 and 5 pieces for around €5 to €8 — significantly cheaper than an organized tour and with more flexibility.
Ghent Chocolate Tour: Top Stops
While you can (and should) absolutely stop into any chocolate shop that catches your eye, the businesses included on this self-guided tour are very well known — not to mention that they’ve all been tried and tested by yours truly.
Marijn Coertjens
Tucked under a distinct purple marquee, Marjin Coertjens is a little off the beaten path but well worth a stop on your self-guided Ghent chocolate tour. The bakery/shop is the home base of award-winning Belgian chocolatier Marjin Coertjens, whose delicately flavored bonbons and pralines are nothing short of striking. The perfectly tempered chocolates shine in the display case like jewels, some touting Asian-inspired flavors like Chinese five-spice, yuzu, and chai, while others are imbued with salted caramel, tart black current, or simply just pure, rich chocolate.
Sophie’s Sweets & Chocolates
Now with two locations in Ghent’s Old Town district, Sophie’s Sweets & Chocolates offers a more homestyle approach to Belgian confectionary culture. The cozy shop is known for its super-traditional sweets like cuberdons (conical gummy candies) and handcrafted pralines in comforting flavors like speculoos, raspberry dark chocolate, or rich chocolate truffle. Looking for a sweet souviner? Sophie’s sells chocolates in Ghent-specific shapes, like the city’s dragon crest or the golden lamb from the famous Ghent Altarpiece. Bonus: The chocolate shop also offers vegan treats and lactose-free chocolates.
Chocolatier Deduytschaever
A relative newcomer on the Ghent chocolate scene, Chocolatier Deduytschaever has been churning out delicous works of art since 2020. Helmed by award-winning Flemish chocolatier Jannes Deduytschaever and his wife/business partner Karen, the sleek shop takes sourcing seriously, using only single origin cocoa beans from specific farms in Madagascar and Vietnam, hazelnuts from Italy, and fresh fruit grown by local farmers. The results are undeniably delicious. Grab a single-origin bar to try the chocolate in its purist form, or grab a couple of bonbons in flavors like sesame praline, mango-cinnamon, or rose-lychee for a twist on tradition.
Chocolaterie Vandenbouhede
With its gallery-like interiors and works of chocolate art on display, Chocolaterie Vandenbouhede is a must-visit on your Ghent chocolate tour. Run by the skilled and friendly Vandenbouhede family, this shop has been perfecting chocolate for decades. The attention to detail is unmatched, with standout flavors like saffron-infused ganache, almond marzipan, and rich dark chocolate with beetroot. This one proved to be one of our favorite stops thanks to the striking display cases and cheekily shaped-chocolates (thibnk a golden skull and a mini statue of the Virgin Mary spattered with red dye) that taste as good as they look.
Daskalidès
Truffle lovers will want to make a beeline for this quaint shop in the shadow of St Bavo’s Cathedral. A staple in Ghent’s chocolate scene, Daskalidès has been delighting locals and visitors alike since 1931 with its rich, velvety creations. Founded by Greek immigrant Vassilis Daskalidès, this family-run shop blends Belgian tradition with Mediterranean influences. The pralines are legendary — don’t miss the pistachio marzipan, rum-infused ganache, or silky passion fruit truffle.
Joost Arijs
Joost Arijs’ chocolate shop is a must-visit in Ghent, where sleek design meets exquisite flavors. A former pastry chef at Michelin-starred Hof van Cleve, Joost brings precision and creativity to every praline and ganache. His minimalist boutique lets the chocolate shine — try the passion fruit praline, Earl Grey-infused ganache, or the divine hazelnut crunch. If you’re feeling extra fancy, pick up a piece of perfect patisserie to enjoy in the Ghent sunshine.
Yuzu by Nicolas Vanaise & C.
Photos courtesy of Yuzu by Nicolas Vanaise & C.
Yuzu by Nicolas Vanaise & C. is a chocolate lover’s dream, blending Belgian tradition with global inspiration. Nicolas, an archaeologist-turned-chocolatier, crafts unique flavors influenced by Japanese and Middle Eastern ingredients. His shop feels like an art gallery, with delicately designed pralines that surprise the palate. Try the matcha ganache, saffron-infused dark chocolate, or the signature yuzu praline. With its daring combinations and Nicolas’ storytelling passion, Yuzu is an unforgettable stop on any Ghent chocolate tour.