After spending one family trip after another eating their way around Italy, former photographer Emilia Joye and her brother Basiel developed a taste for the frozen stuff – and decided Ghent deserved a lick of the action too. Since opening their shop in 2023, they’ve been melting hearts from behind the stainless-steel counter or out on the terrace of their gelateria fatto fresco. Around a dozen or so flavors are churned using organic milk from the local De Zwaluw farm: deeply flavored Madagascar vanilla; addictive pecan, caramel and peanut; zingy basil and lemon; and comforting tiramisu or caramel flan. There’s Vandekerckhove coffee to go with it all, or even a glass of natural wine from Volatile. Don’t expect to keep your cool! · Basil Hic

The hidden gem: A tub of Bronte pistachio ice cream, made for demolishing on the couch (€12 for a half-liter).