Mokabon in the Donkersteeg is the mother of coffee bars and existed long before the concept of 'coffee bar' became a hype. At Mokabon they still roast their beans themselves today, although this happens in Assenede. The business has hardly changed over the course of its 86-year existence. A bit dark, not too many tables, a lot of noise and everyone who can just sit at someone else's table. The Gault&Millau inspectors were blown away by the charm of this quintessential Ghent coffee spot and therefore put it in their top ten, as the only Ghent case by the way.
“With roots in the 1930s and as the brainchild of an Italian migrant, Mokabon is and remains a special place of rest,” they write. “The cinematic, sleek decor seems to automatically connect all people immediately. With coffees made from single origin green coffee beans, roasted in small batches according to the slow roast method, grown by small coffee farmers. Unparalleled in freshness and served in a sublime, distinctive atmosphere.”
The conclusion was: “To characterize this coffee bar or better coffee house in Ghent's Donkersteeg as cozy is a major understatement.”
