Restaurants in Flanders
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De Gekroonde Hoofden
Spare ribs (in honey, natural, and the house version, sweet and sour) are the speciality of this large, airy restaurant situated footsteps from Ghent's castle. You can fill up on them à la carte (from around €15) or as part of all-you-can-eat menus (around €24.20 to around €37.70), finished off with chocolate mousse. Staff are welcoming and genuine.
reviewed
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A
Lombardia
A legendary health-food shop and café located at the heart of the pedestrianised Quartier Latin shopping district. It's run by a hip crew, the décor's way out and the food's all bio (organic). Sells a bit of everything, has English-language newspapers, snappy service and a few tables for diners (plus a huge summer terrace under a shady tree). Bio milkshakes (either beastie or vegan), fresh juices, and there's a range of salads, vegetable pies and sandwiches.
The sign above the counter asks that customers 'Do not spit' - now that's health conscious.
reviewed
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B
Dansing Chocola
Things get loose at this old-fashioned café, with staff grooving behind the bar or vaulting Tarzan-like up to the wrought-iron mezzanine railing to take orders from upper-level tables, while busking violinists serenade diners. Dishes - Belgian and a few international options like spicy Thai soup - are simple and incredibly filling (go for the 'small' portions unless you're ravenous), and there are sensational fries (around €3 for a bowlful). The kitchen closes at 22:00.
reviewed
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Den Dyver
Not only are the seasonal dishes at this elegant restaurant individually paired with beers, they're also cooked in Belgium's favourite nectar (such as hare, turnip and cranberry ravioli in Oude Gueuze, served with a Petrus Winterbier). Three-, four- and five-course menus can be ordered with a beer accompanying each course. There's also the option of pairing with wines, but that would be missing the point.
reviewed
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D
El Pintxo's
Antwerp's first pintxo (the Basque version of tapas) bar has a cool, sober interior lorded over by a big red bull. The pintxos variados dinner menu includes five cold and four warm servings - great for satisfying those who want to test the lot.
reviewed
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E
De Foyer
Convivial brasserie on the 1st floor of the Publiekstheater, near the tourist office. Overlooking St Baafskathedraal, dine on an array of Flemish meals and snacks including wicked pancakes. The three-course lunch menu (Monday to Friday only) is great value.
reviewed
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F
Belga Queen
A couple of years old but still wearing the crown around town. This big brasserie/restaurant occupies a 13th-century warehouse with a prized canal-side position. Seafood lovers, vegetarians and carnivores are all copiously catered for.
reviewed
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Marco Polo Trattoria
Part of the Italian 'slow food' drive, combining organic produce and candlelit surroundings. Both the atmosphere and the well-priced meals are highly recommended.
reviewed
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Frituur No 1
Makes the city's finest frites (fries). Close to the Grote Markt.
reviewed
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Gin Fish
Didier Garnich knew it was risky closing his seafood restaurant De Matelote and relinquishing its Michelin star. But he longed for the pre-Michelin days, when an open kitchen allowed him to laugh with the people whose meals he was preparing, and there was no mandate to slavishly follow classic formulas. So he took the gamble and opened Gin Fish. Same address, same attention to quality, same devotion to fish… only this time he's doing it his way.
There's no exhaustive seafood menu, as out-of-season fish is not an option. Instead, only the freshest catch is cooked, and only one menu-of-the-day is offered: two entrées, a main and dessert. Each evening has three sittings - …
reviewed
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Kaffee Pergola
Follow the fairy lights to this most romantic of outdoor addresses, hidden among greenery beside a quiet and very picturesque stretch of canal right in the centre of Bruges. Book one of the four tables perched along the canal, and settle back to the sound of birdsong and the glow of fading light as evening mellows. A limited range of delicious Belgian specialities is offered, and the service is attentive.
This place is owned and operated by the discreet top-end Hotel Die Swaene, located across the canal, and though relatively new is highly popular.
reviewed
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Het Pomphuis
Monumental restaurant-brasserie-bar that occupies an old pump house located on a spit way to the north of the old city centre in the surreal world of Antwerp's mammoth harbour. Inside it's one big glassy space, overseen by eclectic architectural features, including Art Nouveau elements. Enter and come face-to-face with a 7m deep pit where the pumps once turned. The restaurant does Belgian and world cuisine, and the service is friendly and attentive. If you're without a car, a taxi's a must.
reviewed
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De Kleine Zavel
De Kleine Zavel Gezellig (cosy, convivial atmosphere) bistro-style décor and an informal atmosphere belie this restaurant's standing as one of the most sought-after and reliable eateries in the whole country. Fusion cooking with an accent on fish and Mediterranean flavours are the go. For wine lovers there's an extensive world list, and those into beer will find old wooden crates incorporated into the rustic décor. Parking is handy on the nearby quays.
reviewed
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Walrus
Modern atmospheric eetcafé (eating café) at the southern end of 't Zuid, in an area ripe to take off. Its out-of-the-way location means few tourists come here - this is local central. Sit on the terrace to see the sails of the controversial new Justitiepaleis, or dine inside on dishes any Belgian Mum would be proud to serve. Very kid friendly, too. To get here take tram 12 (direction Bolivarplaats) from Gemeentestraat near Koningin Astridplein.
reviewed
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Etablissement Max
This elegant, pale-pistachio-and-gold brasserie serving refined fare is run by Yves Van Maldeghem whose entrepreneurial family started out with a grand mobile fair stall. Yves bakes waffles using his family's 120-year-old waffle irons, and also makes pancakes and sizzling apple fritters. To bake them yourself, pick up Jan Gheysens' book Belgian Waffles and other treats (2006) here, which contains Yves' family recipes.
reviewed
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Het Groot Vleeshuis
Only products from the surrounding province are sold at this medieval butchers' hall, which has been converted into a shop selling artisan products (with free counter tastings of cheeses and meats). That means you won't find Coke on the menu in the attached glassed-in restaurant overlooking the old covered market's ceilings strung with hams, but you will find local brews, apple wine and, naturally, meat galore.
reviewed
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Bar Choc
Hidden away in the Zilverpand shopping courtyard, this streamlined, contemporary café is chocoholic heaven, serving chocolate fondue, chocolate pancakes, rabbit in beer-and-chocolate sauce, as well as 44 different kinds of hot and cold chocolate drinks (made from real chocolate, of course). The ginger hot choc - with bobbing pieces of handmade gingerbread - is wonderfully warming in winter.
reviewed
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Grand Café Horta
Encased in glass with views from the basement bar up to street level, this café-restaurant has outsized iron girders - relics salvaged from Victor Horta's much-mourned Art Nouveau masterpiece, Maison du Peuple. Stop for a drink, snack, or a full meal, with Mediterranean-inspired choices like asparagus risotto or ravioli with polenta, or that brasserie classic steak-and-chips.
reviewed
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De Karmeliet
Chef Geert Van Hecke's intricate compositions such as Zeeland oysters, poached quail eggs, caviar and potato mousseline have earned him a trio of Michelin stars. The setting is slightly austere, but gourmands will be too busy swooning to notice. Lunch menus are a good deal, and Van Hecke is also in the process of opening a cheaper bistro. Book well ahead, especially for weekends.
reviewed
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De 3 Biggetjes
Situated on 'sow street' in the tangle of lanes making up Patershol 'the three piglets' is a gastronomic gem, with incredible fusion dishes and good-value fixed-price, multichoice menus (around €16 for lunch, and around €29 for a three-course dinner, or around €39 for a four-course evening meal including champagne) in an intimate, white-tableclothed setting.
reviewed
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Pakhuis
Soaring iron girders, interior balconies and a vaulted glass ceiling make this former warehouse a sublime setting for a Bloody Mary and/or a meal. Pakhuis excels in seafood (sea bass with puréed artichokes and vermouth sauce, say, or grilled Scottish salmon); wide-ranging seasonal choices might include lamb stew in Barbera wine, or organic pasta with black truffles.
reviewed
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Mosquito Coast
Dine on world dishes - from tapas to kangaroo steaks to stir-fries - in mosaic-tiled velour booths on the mezzanine, or in the bamboo-shaded courtyard or roof terrace at this large, airy 'travel and adventure café'. Stop by any time for a house mojito and a browse through the guidebooks in the bar filled with licence plates, road signs, currencies, maps and globes.
reviewed
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Simon Says
Inside one of Ghent's only Art Nouveau buildings, this creative little newcomer has gold futuristic flying objects hand-drawn on its turquoise walls by celebrated contemporary Antwerp artist, Panamarenko. Great for light organic lunches and snacks and Fair Trade coffee. Simon also runs a state-of-the-art two-room B&B upstairs. Located just north of Vrijdagmarkt.
reviewed
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Berlin
Spacious brasserie underneath the police tower in St Andries, with bold design features and black and tan décor. Attracts an eclectic crowd from jeans-minded teens to the old lady who lives round the corner. Simple honest bistro fare is served, including homemade shrimp croquettes. Great place to drop in at any time for a drink, snack or meal.
reviewed
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Vismarkt
At the colonnaded Vismarkt, fishmongers have been selling their North Sea produce for centuries. These days only a few vendors set up on the cold stone slabs, but it's still worth a wander. Join locals buying snacks such as maatjes (herring fillets). On weekends, the Vismarkt and nearby Dijver are taken over by antique and bric-a-brac stalls.
reviewed
