5 favorite coffee spots in Ghent

21 March 2017

One thing I love about living in Ghent? Cute coffee bars everywhere! Since I wrote about the Belgian barista culture for my thesis, I've come to really appreciate a well-made cup of coffee and the story that surrounds it. Ghent has a lot to offer when it comes to specialty coffee and each shop is unique. Some focusing purely on coffee, others combining the product with a different concept such as a bookstore, a grocery store or even a hair salon.


Though I enjoy discovering new concepts, I do appreciate the more traditional approach where coffee is the centerpiece. Besides a great cuppa what I look for when entering a coffee bar is a warm and homey feeling. Of course whether a setting speaks to you or not is completely up to personal preferences, but in any case your coffee needs will surely be met at these 5 spots...

Take Five


A recent addition to Ghent's coffee scene is Take Five. The bar opened its doors to the coffee loving public in October and has since become my go-to place to grab breakfast before going to work. The upstairs sitting area is wonderfully cozy with low tables, colorful sofas and large windows ideal for some people watching. The jazzy music adds to the relaxed atmosphere.
VOLDERSSTRAAT 10 | take-five-expressobar.be
 

Peaberry


In the shadows of the Sint-Baafs Cathedral you'll find the cutest little coffee shop named Peaberry. Barista Laurence serves the best cappuccinos and matcha lattes in town and is pretty much my role model when it comes to following your dreams. Last summer she told her job in marketing goodbye to pursue her passion for coffee. On occasion she hosts Special Sundays featuring the work of local artists such as painters or musicians in her shop. 
LIMBURGSTRAAT 24 | peaberrycoffeebar.be
 

Café Labath


Café Labath is a well established coffee house nearby the Korenlei. Beautifully decorated with red accents and large hanging plants, it's the perfect stop for a lazy Sunday breakfast accompanied by an expertly brewed espresso drink. Nothing beats their iced soy latte on a warm summer day!
OUDE HOUTLEI 1 | cafelabath.be
 

Fleur de Lee

Fleur de Lee is all about pampering. The project of sisters-in-law Jamie-Lee and Anne-Fleur, it's a coffee bar and hair salon all in one. On the first floor of a charming 17th century building Anne-Fleur gives people a new 'do, while downstairs barista Jamie-Lee makes some delicious coffee. Her creations always come beautifully served on a tree trunk plate accompanied by some treats. Nice to know: the pumpkin spice latte has permanently been added to the menu which as a true autumn soul I can't applaud enough.
KALANDEBERG 2 | fleurdelee.be

Or Coffee


Specialty coffee pioneers in Belgium, Or's Katrien & Tom started their own roastery in 2001. Seven years later they opened their first espresso bar in Ghent and since then added three other locations - one more in Ghent and two in Brussels - to their name. Or's relaxed interior with warm wooden tones and window seating makes it a great working spot as well as a place to catch up with friends over coffee and cake. Also yes, the latte frappé is as good as it looks!
WALPOORTSTRAAT 26 | orcoffee.be

The chunky cardi

One of my favorite transitional pieces is the oversized knit cardigan. Not too warm but still cozy and easy to combine with a printed skater dress or a simple tee with jeans. I found the perfect cardi for me in this sweet baby blue version from Forever 21.


This little buddy joined me when we were shooting...




We took these photos in the Patershol area. With its cobblestone streets and small restaurants it is one of the most authentic and charming neighborhoods in Ghent. It's also a stone's throw away from the Castle of the Counts and several of my favorite brunch spots like Julie's House & Simon Says.

With spring slowly but surely arriving, I found it was time to pull out the flirty florals again. This skater dress is so comfy I could wear it all day everyday. I've also been loving this rattan bag by Mint&Berry - pretty much addicted to this label - and it combines so well with the rust tones in the dress.

What's your must-have piece of clothing for spring?


OUTFIT DETAILS
| Dress & cardigan: Forever 21 - Bag: Mint&Berry

Chocolate chip madeleines

Drawing inspiration from our visit to Paris where we saw some beautiful patisserie and cakes, including the most amazing looking freshly baked madeleines, I tried a new variation to my classic recipe. Because let's face it, chocolate chips make everything just a little better. Madeleines are a fairly easy bake with simple ingredients. All you need is a scallop shell pan and you're ready to go.


Ingredients

  • 150g pastry flour
  • 100g sugar
  • 10g vanilla sugar
  • 5g baking powder
  • 10g cacao powder
  • 125g butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 100g chocolate chips


 

Preparing the batter:

  1. Beat the eggs and sugar until light and foamy.
  2. Add the flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder and cocoa powder and mix until smooth.
  3. Melt the butter and add it to the mixture.
  4. Add the chocolate chips & a tablespoon of honey.
  5. Leave the batter in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

 

Baking the madeleines: 

  1. While the batter is refrigerating, butter and flour your madeleine pan.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
  3. Fill each well in the pan with one tablespoon of batter.
  4. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown and a little puffed up in the middle.
  5. Allow the madeleines to cool on a wire rack.


This recipe will give you 18-20 madeleines depending on the pan you use. Personally I like them best when they're still a bit warm with some milk or a cup of tea. But you can save them for a day or two in an airtight box. Happy baking & be sure to let me know if you give them a try!

A weekend in Paris

For our seven year anniversary Rens and I decided to escape to Paris for a short weekend. After all this time traveling together we'd never been to the City of Love so this felt like the perfect occasion to do so! I remember all my former trips to Paris being mostly wind and drizzle but this time we got lucky. Looking back now, I'll remember sitting on the steps of the Sacré Coeur eating eclairs on the most beautiful summer day... in February?!
 

On our first day we explored les 3e et 4e arrondissements including Centre Pompidou, the Notre-Dame and the Pont Neuf, then continued onto the Pont des Arts and the Louvre. Sadly the Pont des Arts doesn't look the way it used to without its characteristic love locks and is now simply a bridge leading to the Louvre Palace.  


The Notre-Dame was also smaller than I remembered - or maybe it was me who was smaller last time - but it's still a beautiful piece of architecture and a must-see if you're a Disney fan. It was quite striking how many cafes and restaurants in the area were called 'The Hunchback' or 'Esmeralda'. We ended up having dinner at Mersea, a French style fish & chips restaurant nearby our hotel. A lucky find which I definitely recommend!

 
The next day we had a lovely breakfast at Coquelicot (the French word for 'poppy'), a traditional French bakery in Montmartre. I find Montmartre to be one of the most charming neighborhoods in Paris with its many talented artists and stunning hilltop views. Before heading to the Sacré Coeur we stopped by one of the numerous l'Eclair de Génie shops. I'd been wanting to try one of their eclairs for so long and - though a tad expensive - they definitely didn't disappoint!  


Afterwards we went to see the Arc de Triomphe and, a nutella crêpe in hand, walked down the Champs Elysées to the Place de la Concorde. We completed our trip with a view of the city's most famous feature, la tour Eiffel, which was at its most beautiful when it was all lit up at night. It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend.


Bisous bisous!

The start of something new

Spring marks the beginning of new things and so I decided to start afresh with a new blog layout and name... Say goodbye to Fox & Fabric and hello to Toujours Maxime! After three years, I felt I'd kind of outgrown the name and look of my blog so I transformed it to a brand new spot. On Toujours Maxime I'll continue posting my favorite outfits, recipes, DIY ideas and hopefully many travel adventures!


For those of you who have been following along, here's a little life update. I've recently graduated in journalism and in anticipation of finding my dream job I'm working as a sales advisor at H&M in Ghent. I've been living here with my boyfriend Rens since mid October - has it really been that long? It's crazy how my life has changed in the past couple of months and now that everything's finally settled, I'm excited to get blogging again. Here's to new beginnings!