restaurant review #104 – Lof is the restaurant in Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof, in the center of Ghent (about 10 min walk from Korenmarkt). We were here a couple of weeks ago with vegan friends.
I had seen this place mentioned a couple of times online, and also knew of a vegan friend who had been here before, that restaurant Lof serves a vegan menu. It is also advertised on Lof’s website.
I made an online reservation and specified that we all wanted a vegan menu. Before visiting, I telephoned to check whether the reservation was noted (vegan menu?) and it was said to be no problem!

The restaurant is situated in a lovely spacious dining room, nicely decorated. It feels trendy and hip, but stylish at the same time. Adjacent is a nice lounge bar. The restaurant is quite big though, and as more and more people came in, the accoustics were a bit ‘loud’. We were seated at a round table, with two of us having comfortable chairs, the other two sitting on a bench, which was somewhat hard.

We were asked whether we wanted a 4 or 5 course menu, and we went for the latter (56€ pp). I asked whether the bread that would be served was also vegan, and the waitress acknowledged that they had not thought of that (and later came back to say they have no vegan bread available). Pity! We also asked whether the butter on the table was vegan, but it was not.

As the appetizers and main courses were served, there were too many ingredients to remember, and as we were in company, I did not want to spend time taking notes. There was quinoa, celery, red beet, carrot, lots of apple, avocado and several mousses and cremes. So I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. The dishes were rather small portions, but for me at least the whole dinner was way more than enough!
An indication of some of the drinks prices: fresh orange juice (4,50€), beer (3,50€), tonic (4€), bottle of water (10€). Our friend asked for vegan wine and the waiter did present a white wine with vegan label: Charisma Lunaria (which is apparently unfiltered wine, 6,50€ for a glass).

We had a very nice vegan dinner. Dishes were a tasteful combination of ingredients and nicely presented. Service was very friendly and courses followed in a timely manner.
Except for the coffee and tea afterwards. We waited and waited … and eventually after more than half an hour of waiting, coffee and tea came. But unfortunately, the sweets on the side were not vegan and just as our friend was about to take a sip from his cappuccino it was said also not to be vegan. After another wait, they did serve us some fruit on the side, and a vegan cappuccino, but that was a real bummer, especially after that long wait. Staff did apologise and the coffee and tea were not charged (5€ pp).

Toilets were very clean, spacious and stylish (undoubtedly among the nicest I have encountered at a restaurant). Individual towels to dry one’s hands. It is a whole endeavour to get there though (downstairs and quite a long way from the restaurant room).

All in all we had a lovely dinner. Foodwise, I think 56€ for the 5 course dinner is a bit overpriced, but I guess the trendy location and service also determine this price. The lack of attention for things like vegan bread and butter, and vegan goodies with the coffee was disappointing though. Especially for a restaurant that profiles itself as being vegan friendly and offering a vegan menu. I hope restaurant Lof will pick up the suggestions and pay attention to these things in the future! Then we will definitely visit again!

Restaurant Lof, location
Hoogstraat 36
9000 Gent

website: http://www.lof-restaurant.com/

Update Fall 2018: new concept. No longer vegetarian menu standardly available. For vegan: make reservation.

See our lists of restaurants where vegans are welcome in the menu section of The Bruges vegan! List restaurants in Bruges and outside  Bruges.