3 Best Restaurants in Bruges and the Coast, Belgium

Set above a quiet canal, with white swans gliding below, this charming restaurant in a step-gabled town house is purely romantic---for the best views, request a window seat next to the water. And yet, while the surroundings drip with history, the food is anything but old-fashioned: cutting-edge head chef Bruno Timperman uses impeccably fresh seasonal ingredients to create beautifully presented plates of food that paint a spectacular picture, both for the eyes and for the palate.

Attached to Hotel Heritage, the elegant dining room at Le Mystique dates from 1869, and its high ceilings, chandeliers, and linen tablecloths create a refined atmosphere, perfect for quiet conversation. Here, chef Raoul de Koning creates a blend of modern French/Flemish cuisine using the freshest seasonal and local ingredients, served in fixed-price menus of three or four courses.

Astute readers may spot the tiny hint in the restaurant's name about what to expect from this centrally located and long-standing seafood-obsessed institution, directly opposite the casino and Kursaal. The excellent fruits de mer platters and lobster mains certainly don't come cheap, but if you are looking for something more affordable that is still a mouthwatering treat, go for the three-course prix-fixe menu.