Down an unassuming street not far from the ignoble Dampoort train station, with not a single other restaurant or café in sight, De Avonden is an equally unassuming townhouse, its location given away only by the dozen or so bicycles parked out front. Upon pushing open the door, a blast of warm air and wonderful aromas confirmed that we were indeed in the right place.

Once upon a time, this was some family's living room and, well, it still feels that way, except the tiny space is now filled with seating for about 30. The wooden tables are decked with various tablecloths - some flowery, some checked - and candelabras provide most of the lighting. Not one plate is the same as the next, as if they come out of grandmother's cupboard, collected and passed down through the years. Surprisingly, bright pink walls add to the homey atmosphere. Our attention is drawn to the giant chalkboard in the middle of the room, revealing our menu choices for the evening.

The menu changes as quickly as Belgian weather, and there's good reason for that. Chef and owner Murielle Liekens is passionate about where she gets her ingredients - they have to be fresh, local, in season and, whenever possible, organic. She uses these to create traditional, but no less incredibly tasty, Belgian dishes.

My plate arrived adorned with big, juicy slices of duck breast, crispy on the outside and soft and rosy on the inside, resting on burgundy cubes of sweet marinated beets and cloaked in a tangy blackberry coulis. Next to this, a complementary light salad. And on the other side of the table was an over-generous portion of mash and goat cheese serving as a bed for the enormous piece of lamb that had been slow cooked in a slightly spicy saffron-cumin mixture. It was an unexpected twist on an old favourite.

Next to that, adorable little silver casseroles arrived, one holding white beans and the other little roasted potatoes in the skin that were so delicious I could have easily eaten another bowl — or three.

Although we hadn't left any room for it, one of the three listed desserts was particularly tempting: panna cotta with Greek yoghurt, peaches and prunes. Instead, we carried on sipping from our glasses of organic Cantillon Gueuze lambic, as good a dessert as any.

After an evening filled with this much cosiness, friendly service and amazing food you tend to cringe when it comes time to pull out your wallet. But because De Avonden is only open during the week and because it has already made a name for itself among locals, it is packed every single night. And this, thankfully, is what keeps it affordable, as evidenced by our painless €44 bill.

> www.deavondengent.be
> Ham 39, Ghent
> Mon-Fri from 18.30
> A place with so much soul it's like having dinner at an old friend's house

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