The best restaurants Flandres belges

If you're looking for a safe bet in Ostend, this is it! It's a family-run business that's been going strong for almost 30 years, delighting Ostend residents and visitors in search of authenticity and quality. The menu features classic dishes and specialties, such as the excellent homemade shrimp croquettes, bouillabaisse or the fish platter of the day. The menu also includes seasonal suggestions, oysters and vegetarian options. Note that everything here is homemade, even the ice creams.

A handful of à la carte options, and that's it! The cuisine is highly inventive, sophisticated and flexitarian (with vegetarian options), featuring light emulsions, vegetables full of freshness, color, rare scents and tastes and, a house specialty, decorative flowers. For starters, the mi-cuit of organic beef, beet, micro-herb salad, almonds, aged goat's cheese and balsamic vinaigrette was divine, as was the peach of the day (lemon verbena sauce) and its mashed potatoes and organic celeriac.

This gourmet restaurant occupies the majestic dining room of the Héritage Relais & Châteaux hotel in the heart of Bruges. White tablecloths, a fireplace and princely decor combine with impeccable service and top-notch dishes. Chef Raoul de Koning uses top-quality seasonal and local produce. Noble yet classic ingredients are magnified by exotic touches, such as lamb curry with fried asparagus or veal fillet in a wine sauce with marrow. A very fine address!

As with all trendy restaurants, chef Kim Devisschere operates on emotion and season: the menu is unique, changing every lunchtime and evening, like an invitation to culinary discovery. For a lunch menu, you can try lacquered veal cheeks, followed by brandade de morue au cognac, roasted carrots and chickpeas, and conclude with a nectarine cheesecake. In the evening, prices are higher but the menu is just as creative and spectacular. Vegetarian options are also available. Reservations are essential, as places are scarce.

If the sign sets the tone for possible dissatisfaction, it's full and happy that we leave here. You'll marvel at the fine Spanish-influenced tapas, which are more convivial when shared. But above all, the small plates are very creative, not hesitating to marry savory and sweet, like these roasted sweet potatoes with fresh goat's cheese and tomato chutney. Or the grilled octopus with hazelnut sauce, the dish's secret weapon. Rolling on the floor. Reservations are highly recommended, as this is one of the best addresses in town.

Lof offers an elegant, designer and refined decor. Chef Hannes Vandebotermet executes a gastrobar concept in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef Ron Blaauw. The menu is of the highest quality and changes regularly as it follows the seasons. Lobster, duck, horse mackerel, cod, caviar... you'll be delighted by noble products worked with precision. Big plus: the menu is available in a vegan version, with Asian touches such as miso, seitan and soya. The beautiful plates are veritable works of art. A visual as well as a gustatory delight.

In this former medieval butcher's shop of the 15th century, you can taste the products of Eastern Flanders in the form of tapas at affordable prices, that you pick with your glass, unless you opt for the dish of the day. The building is impressive. A glazed and heated prefabricated structure was built inside to eat in warmth in winter. In the summer, the tables are spread out under the roof. All products are bought directly from the producers and sold in the adjacent store: cold cuts, cheeses, mustard, juniper...

In a contemporary, sober and welcoming interior, opening onto a busy city street, Gerda and Luc Deklerck have been welcoming loyal customers since 1995. Here, homemade food takes pride of place, right down to the preparation of the smallest cake. The menu evolves with the seasons, offering classic dishes such as sole, skate, shrimp croquettes, veal kidneys, mashed potatoes with beaten milk, shrimp and poached egg. The speciality? Steak tartare prepared in front of you. Sophisticated wine list.