5 Best Chocolate Shops in Ghent, Belgium: My Favourite Finds

Looking for the best chocolate shops in Ghent, Belgium? Here’s my guide to five Ghent chocolate shops I’d save for your trip—from classic Belgian pralines and family chocolatiers to bean-to-bar chocolate, design-led boxes and proper chocolate gifts—from someone who had plenty of chocolate on her Ghent trip!

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If your Ghent trip involves walking between St Michael’s Bridge, Graslei and Korenlei, St Bavo’s Cathedral and the Ghent Belfry, then you may need a foodie respite—and that respite should definitely include chocolate.

Ghent might not shout as loudly as Bruges or Brussels when it comes to Belgian chocolate, but after visiting Ghent twice (and eating a very respectable amount of chocolate along the way) I do think the city deserves more credit as a chocolate stop.

Within the historic centre you’ll find family praline shops, polished chocolate gift boxes and a bean-to-bar chocolate maker on Graffiti Street, elegant patisserie-chocolaterie boxes and plenty of stops worth popping into for an edible investment…

With that said, here’s all the Ghent chocolate shops to make time for on your trip.

Shall we?

About the Author

Hi, I’m Candace — a London-based travel writer and content creator who traded the East Coast of the US for the charm of the UK back in 2016. London’s been my home ever since.

On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of thoughtfully crafted London, UK, Europe and Worldwide travel guides alongside lots of insider London tips, honest hotel and restaurant reviews and advice for content creators.

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🗞️📺 As featured on the BBC, USA Today & Recipe.TV.

Quick Overview: Best Chocolate Shops in Ghent

5 Best Chocolate Shops in Ghent, Belgium: My Favourite Finds

Chocolate shop	Best for	Area	What to know
Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke	Classic Belgian pralines	Sint-Baafsplein	A family-run Ghent chocolate shop right by the big sights
Daskalidès	Historic Ghent chocolate and gift boxes	Near the historic centre	A Belgian chocolate name with Ghent roots dating back to 1931
The Chocolate Maker	Bean-to-bar chocolate and something more modern	Graffiti Street	Good for sustainable chocolate in Ghent
Joost Arijs	Beautiful pralines, patisserie and gifts	Vlaanderenstraat	Polished and elegant Belgian chocolates & a patisserie
THEO	A one-stop Belgian chocolate stop	Sint-Baafsplein	Great for gifts + lots of different Belgian chocolates

Book Your Ghent Trip

Where I recommend staying: For your trip, I’d stay at the stylish and central NH Collection Gent (Ghent), right next to the historic centre. You can also compare more hotels in Ghent here.

Getting to Ghent: Compare train times and prices for Brussels to Ghent, Bruges to Ghent and Antwerp to Ghent, plus Eurostar and onward train connections from London, Paris and Amsterdam.

The tour I’d book for a first trip: I’d choose this 50-minute guided boat trip. It’s scenic, packed with history and short enough that you’ll still have most of the day to explore on foot.

Visiting from Brussels and want to see Bruges too? I’d choose this full-day Bruges and Ghent tour, which includes a guided walk and free time in both cities, plus the option of a canal cruise in Ghent. It’s a packed day, but a useful one when your Belgium itinerary is tight and you’d rather leave the transport, timings and city introductions to someone else.

For food lovers: I’d book this 2.5-hour Ghent food tour. It pairs five local tastings at independent food stops with a walk through the city, so you’ll get plenty of Ghent history along the way too.

Stay connected: Set up your Europe eSIM before your trip. It takes less than five minutes, and you’ll have mobile data ready to use when you arrive.

For extra peace of mind: Take a look at SafetyWing’s travel medical insurance before your trip (it’s the one I personally use and recommend).

How I’d Plan a Self-Guided Ghent Chocolate Tour

For an easy self-guided Ghent chocolate tour, I’d begin around Sint-Baafsplein, then pop into Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke and THEO. They’re both in the city centre and near Ghent’s top sights like St Bavo’s Cathedral and the Ghent Belfry.

From there, wander towards Graffiti Street for The Chocolate Maker. Then save Daskalidès and Joost Arijs for whichever side of the city you’re exploring next.

Adding a cheeky chocolate route works especially well with my one-day Ghent itinerary or my best things to do in Ghent guide too!

P.S. – This isn’t a chocolate-specific tour, but if you’d rather make food part of your wider Ghent sightseeing day, this 2.5-hour Ghent food tour is a lovely add-on after you’ve saved a few chocolate shops from this list.

1. Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke: Best Classic Ghent Chocolate Shop

Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke

Best for: classic Belgian chocolate, pralines and a very easy stop beside Ghent’s main sights.

If you want a classic chocolate shop in Ghent without having to detour far from the historic centre, I’d start with Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke.

It sits on Sint-Baafsplein, which means you can go from St Bavo’s Cathedral, the Ghent Belfry or lunch at De Rechters straight into a box of pralines.

P.S. – In Belgium, ‘pralines’ refers to any chocolate with filling inside.

The shop is family-run, with a focus on Belgian chocolate and fresh ingredients, so it’s best for seeing (and tasting) the more traditional side of Ghent chocolate: in other words, pralines, ballotins, tablets and Belgian gifts.

Amazing for a chocolate stop on your first trip to Ghent!

2. Daskalidès: Best for Historic Ghent Chocolate

Daskalidès

Best for: Belgian chocolate history, elegant chocolate boxes and an easy gift stop.

Daskalidès’s story begins in Ghent, which means a chocolate stop here is basically obligatory.

The polished chocolate brand dates back to 1931, well known for its classic Belgian pralines and pralinés, ganache, marzipan, caramel, truffles, and liqueur chocolates.

Personally, I’d save Daskalidès for gifts or a Belgian chocolate box rather than a quick sugar stop between sights.

Or if you’re visiting Ghent as part of a wider Belgium itinerary with Bruges and Ghent, it’s worth saving some room in your suitcase for it at the end…

3. The Chocolate Maker: Best for Bean-to-Bar Chocolate in Ghent

The Chocolate Maker

Best for: bean-to-bar chocolate, specialty coffee and a more modern chocolate stop.

For something that feels a bit different from your classic Belgian praline shop, go to The Chocolate Maker.

The shop was founded by Jannes Deduytschaever and Karen Van Lysebeth, with a bean-to-bar concept that puts more focus on the whole story of the chocolate—from the cocoa bean and origin to the bar, the flavour, the transparency behind the chocolate supply chain and sustainability.

It also sits on Graffiti Street, which already makes it one of the more interesting chocolate shops in Ghent by location alone.

Instead of sitting beside a cathedral, it’s tucked in between street art!

Candace Abroad walking on graffiti street Ghent

Overall, I’d choose The Chocolate Maker if you want chocolate that feels less like a souvenir and more like you’re supporting the better bits of the chocolate industry whilst you’re in Ghent.

P.S. – It also works nicely with my unusual things to do in Ghent guide, and of course, you can pair it with a visit to Graffiti Street, Giftshop Gent or a Ghent café nearby.

4. Joost Arijs: Best for Elegant Chocolate and a Patisserie in Ghent

Joost Arijs

Best for: refined pralines, patisserie, macarons and gifts that look as good as they taste.

Joost Arijs is where I’d go if you want a more polished (and design-led) cocoa stop.

It’s a patisserie and chocolaterie specialising in using the very best pure ingredients for its array of pralines.

It’s also a good option if your sweet tooth extends beyond chocolate. Alongside pralines here, you’ll find patisserie and macarons too, so I’d put Joost Arijs on your list if you want something closer to a polished dessert stop than a traditional chocolate souvenir shop.

If you’re spending 2 days in Ghent, this is a good one to save for the second day once you’ve walked beyond the typical Ghent loop.

5. THEO: Best for a Big Belgian Chocolate Shop Experience

THEO

Best for: choice, lots of Belgian chocolate brands and an easy stop near Ghent’s main sights.

THEO is a lovely chocolate stop for when you want to try a little bit of everything.

It’s the self-proclaimed largest Belgian chocolate shop in Ghent, and feels more like a chocolate shopping experience than a single-chocolatier visit.

Think lots of shelves and choice, known Belgian chocolate brands and plenty of room to browse when you’re not quite sure what you want yet.

The location is also extremely useful. THEO is on Emile Braunplein, close to Sint-Baafsplein, St Nicholas’ Church, the Ghent Belfry and St Bavo’s Cathedral, so you can add it to almost any first-time Ghent route.

I’d choose this one if you want to discover several Belgian chocolate flavours and brands in one place, especially if you’re buying for multiple people and everyone has a different definition of “the best chocolate”.

Other Ghent Chocolate Shops Worth Knowing About

Five shops is enough for a first trip, but Ghent has more chocolate names worth knowing if you’re building your own little chocolate crawl in the city.

Yuzu by Nicolas Vanaise & C. for more unusual flavours, including yuzu, tonka, truffle, salt and pepper combinations.
Chocolaterie Vandenbouhede for creative chocolates and chocolate works of art on Mageleinstraat.
Chocolatier Deduytschaever for pralines, bars and an open-atelier shop in the historic heart of Ghent.

For anyone with a serious sweet tooth!

How to Choose the Right Ghent Chocolate Shop for Your Trip

Daskalidès

If you only want one classic Belgian chocolate shop in Ghent, choose Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke.

If you want history and a proper gift box, choose Daskalidès.

If you want something more modern and bean-to-bar, choose The Chocolate Maker.

If you care about presentation, patisserie and refined flavours, choose Joost Arijs.

If you want the broadest Belgian chocolate shopping stop in the centre with lots of choice, choose THEO.

And if chocolate shopping is more a ‘pop-in, pop-out’ situation, then I’d just pair one of these with my best restaurants in Ghent guide or my Ghent cafés guide for your trip.

Where to Stay Near Ghent’s Chocolate Shops

For the easiest chocolate-shopping trip, I’d stay in the historic centre.

My top pick is NH Collection Gent, because it keeps you close to Sint-Baafsplein, Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke, THEO, the main sights and plenty of places to eat.

Check NH Collection Gent prices & availability

P.S. – For more options, read my full where to stay in Ghent guide.

Final Thoughts on Ghent Chocolate Shops

If you have a sweet tooth, Ghent is a very easy city to trust…

Go to Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke for classic Belgian pralines, Daskalidès for a historic Ghent chocolate name, The Chocolate Maker for bean-to-bar chocolate, Joost Arijs for elegant patisserie-chocolaterie gifts and THEO when you want a bigger Belgian chocolate shop with plenty to browse.

Will your bags be heavier by the end of the day? Probably.

Will that be the worst travel decision you make in Belgium? Absolutely not.

Have the best trip to Ghent!

Happy travels,

Candace x

FAQ: Ghent Chocolate Shops

5 Best Chocolate Shops in Ghent, Belgium (1) (1)

Does Ghent Have Chocolate Shops?

Yes, Ghent has plenty of chocolate shops, from classic Belgian praline shops like Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke and Daskalidès to more modern stops like The Chocolate Maker and polished patisserie-chocolaterie options like Joost Arijs.

Where Can You Find the Best Belgian Chocolate in Ghent?

For classic Belgian chocolate in Ghent, I’d start with Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke, Daskalidès and THEO. For something more modern, add The Chocolate Maker or Joost Arijs.

What Is the Best Chocolate Shop in Ghent for Gifts?

For gifts, I’d choose Daskalidès for classic Belgian chocolate boxes, Joost Arijs for more polished patisserie-chocolaterie gifts, or THEO if you want lots of Belgian chocolate options in one place.

Is There a Ghent Chocolate Museum?

Ghent is better for chocolate shops than a single major chocolate museum. If you want more of a chocolate experience, I’d build a self-guided Ghent chocolate tour through Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke, The Chocolate Maker, Daskalidès and THEO. And if you want a broader food-focused Ghent experience, you could add this Ghent food tour, but I’d treat it as an add-on rather than a replacement for chocolate shopping.

Can You Do a Ghent Chocolate Tour Yourself?

Yes. Ghent is compact enough for a self-guided chocolate tour. Start near Sint-Baafsplein with Chocolaterie Van Hoorebeke and THEO, then add The Chocolate Maker near Graffiti Street.

What Chocolate Should You Buy in Ghent?

I’d buy pralines or a ballotin box if you want classic Belgian chocolate, a bean-to-bar chocolate bar from The Chocolate Maker if you want something more modern, or a polished box from Joost Arijs if you want something that feels especially giftable.

Where Can You Get Hot Chocolate in Ghent?

For hot chocolate in Ghent, I’d look at chocolate-led stops like The Chocolate Maker, or use it as an excuse to build a sweet stop into a wider café day with my Ghent cafés guide.

Is Ghent Worth Visiting for Food and Chocolate?

Yes. Ghent is absolutely worth visiting for food and chocolate, especially because the city centre is compact enough to combine sights, restaurants, cafés, chocolate shops and a good drink in one easy day. Read my full guide on whether Ghent is worth visiting for all my pros and cons on the city.

Can You Buy Chocolate in Ghent on a Day Trip?

Yes. If you’re doing Brussels to Ghent by train, you can easily buy chocolate during a day trip. I’d shop near the end of the day so you’re not carrying all those delicate (and delicious) boxes around while sightseeing.

Plan the rest of your Ghent trip

Still planning? Here’s more of my Ghent guides to help you decide where to stay, what to book and how to make the most of your trip.