La Malcontenta Ghent – Tapas with a twist

Despite the name, there’s nothing to make you la malcontenta (the unhappy one) about this tiny tapas bar in Ghent’s historic district. It’s so small I think I’ve been walking straight past it for years, but now I know it’s there, it’s one of my favourite picks for aperitif, dinner, or just a glass of wine at the stools by the bar or on the small (yet flowery) terrace out the back.

The menu has some of the classics I’d expect like padron peppers, chorizo sausage and manchego cheese, but they also have some quirky options like lime-soaked mushroom ceviche. When I last visited, I tried something from the specials’ board: hummus topped with minced beef, coriander and pomegranate seeds - delicious! They also make their own bread with fennel seeds, and this comes for free whatever you order.

Two brothers took over La Malcontenta in 2012 from their parents who come from the Canarian island of La Palma. They bring a totally fresh and modern way to enjoy tapas without all the usual cliches. And in case you were wondering, the name doesn’t come from Spanish; rather Italian. This small building in Patershol has been named La Malcontenta since the 1980s, and it refers to the nickname of the Villa Foscari in Italy where an adulterous wife was locked up, and apparently not very happy about it...