Komkommertijd

After being slightly disappointed at Le Botaniste in the city centre, I was eager to try this place.

It's not entirely clear how it works when you get there, since everything is in Dutch, but the staff are happy to explain. However we did notice that the place filled up really fast after the 6pm evening opening, so the serving staff can get a little overwhelmed.

If you're not getting takeaway, you pay €16 for an all you can eat buffet. This includes hot dishes, salad selections, soup, and dessert. You order drinks separately from the wait staff.

Once you have a table, grab your plate and fill it at the buffet. There is a Dutch menu card describing the buffet options, but honestly, you can't really go wrong with anything. It was all amazing, and there is the temptation to get absolutely stuffed with the selection. It may be a good idea to choose a small but varied plate first, then go back and get more of your preference.

This is my favorite place to eat in Ghent. There is always a wide variety of dishes, warm and cold. It has a great price for what you get. Plus if you take away it is a huge portion for almost half the price you pay compared to if you eat there.

I finally went and boy am i glad i did. I found a new favorite restaurant in Ghent, every city should have an all vegan buffet. The food was SO GOOD they had this chickpea curry that was just delicious, also the best veganaise i've ever tasted. And the deserts 😍 make sure to bring cash tho, no cards accepted.

Last time I visited Komkommertijd I was just as amazed as the first time. I usually have trouble with portions because I find the best restaurants tend to serve for taste rather than 'having eaten' a good amount. Komkommertijd takes away these worries and gets you the best of two worlds. For the children who don't like to eat their vegetables, there's was a steady stream of loempia's coming in. For those who dared venture into the unknown, everyone was content. This is a good way to get introduced to a variety of unknown dishes as you can take as little as you like.
Highly recommended, suitable for big groups if you plan ahead.

I loved this place! The food is very good, healthy and jummy! I couldn't stop getting more and more food. Until I felt like a cow. I could eat here every day if I would live in gent. I also like the ambiance. It's very cozy with a big chimney and nice background music. You have to come here with an empty stomach. Highly recommended.

Visited in October 2016.

As mentioned in other reviews, Komkommertijd is a buffet restaurant, which means that you can fill your plates again and again. By the way, drinks are not included in the buffet.

In peak times they may be a time limit for each party (1 hour or so); however, it's more than enough for you to get stuffed with yummy vegan food.
Thus, I'd recommend you to reserve a table just to be sure.
Oh, and also bring cash, as they don't seem to accept credit cards.

The dishes were a mix of indian curries, salads, soups, deep fried vegetables and grains, so there was a good variety I must say. I noticed that as some dishes finished, new ones would arrive.

Some of the dishes were a bit spicy for my taste; but it was still enjoyable.
One thing they could improve would be the offer of desserts. On the day we visited they had some coconut pound cake which was ok, but they could've had something else.

In summary, it's a great value (€16!), so if you are in Ghent, I'd recommend you to try it.

Updated from previous review on 2016-10-04

We were there two years ago (I opened a happycow account just now). It was very good. Lovely place, and the food was not what you usually find in a restaurant, but rather healthy and very tasty food, in a buffet style.

I ate two very well filled plates of awesome food, and only regretted it because I could't try the amazing looking desserts.

I went to Komkommertijd with my non-vegan family and we all loved the food. There was a lot of variety and you could go as many times as you want. It's really nice that this place offers traditional vegan food like rice, stews, curry and pasta, the only thing I can remark on the food is that they used quite a lot of oil, so it was not really as healthy as I hoped. Overall the food was really delicious and I liked every dish, especially the spring rolls, lentil curry and chocolate cake!

What really surprised me was that our dog was not welcome inside while this was not mentioned on the website. The staff wasn't friendly and understanding about it and this is something I would not expect in a vegan place.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be one of the best food experiences in Ghent. The place is smart with a relaxed warm atmosphere, the food is very tasty and plentiful. And the service is attentive. I had one of the best slices of cakes I have ever had, it was very simple, but just the right combination of Apple, chocolate and cinnamom.

When I think of a buffet, the words 'nauseous, fluorescent lighting and cheap seating arrangement comes to mind. Well, Komkommertijd is nothing like that! The place has a good vibe, the staff is friendly, your plate and cutlery doesn't look cheap and I sure as hell haven't had a stomach ache afterwards. The food was really good. The kitchen kept it coming, so there was plenty for everybody. 16 euros per person - all you can eat. You need to reserve a table because it was all sold out (saturday evening) - even if you're on your own.

Delicious buffet with 8 warm options, a soup, salads and desserts for a reasonable price (16 euros in the evenings and weekends).
The options were varied: vegetables, starchy food, legumes, tofu, etc.
The staff was very nice. I have only been there once so I don't know how often the dishes vary.

Went to this lovely all you can eat buffet with my meat eating dad and sister and we all loved it! Great range of food from spring rolls, pasta, salad, stews and soup. All finished off with lovely chocolate cake and fruit. You can go up as many times as you like and the food is always being topped up! It was so busy in the late evening so we had to eat outside but it was a lovely courtyard and the waiter was really friendly and offered us a seat indoors when it was less busy. Highly recommended!

We had a take away meal from komkommertijd about a month ago. I really enjoyed it! I tried to put everything in the foodcontainer, so i could try all of the food.
We paid 2 euro's to much, but we were to exited to care about that.
The women behind the bar was unfriendly and not customer-oriented..
Updated from previous review on Friday October 16, 2015

I have been with my husband and our 2 dogs. Pets are only allowed in the veranda. The choice of food was excellent, warm and cold selection and some dessert too. Everything was delicious, very simple and fresh. Recommended

dinner with my husband at nighttime, super delicious buffet, they fill it up regularly, so you can taste it all. the place is a bit cramped tho, and obviously its a popular place, so there's always filled up, only downside to it. service is good :)

I've been there 2 months ago with my husband.
We both found their buffet really good: simple and really tasty vegan food! Everything prepared with good taste and with just the right amount of oil. The drinks choice is very nice, too.

I went to Komkommertijd twice over Easter weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the food. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet, and you pay when you're leaving. The dishes were all vegetable based and there's soup, hot dishes, a cold salad bar and dessert (one cake, plus fruit). Everything was fresh and delicious, with the exception of the soup which was a little bland.

Our only complaints were that we couldn't reserve via email, only by phone (which is pricey from the UK), and it was absolutely packed both times we went, so booking really is necessary. And we asked for tap water, but were told we could only have a glass if we ordered another drink first. I've never encountered that policy before and thought it was very poor.