3 international restaurants worth the trip across Belgium, editor-ranked. All cuisines in Belgium.
OAK ★ 4.8 · Ghent
patershol · Burgstraat 16, 9000 Gent
One Michelin star and 24 seats in a Ghent medieval lane: Marcelo Ballardin fuses Italian-Brazilian roots with North Sea ingredients and Asian technique.
Tip: Lunch Tuesday to Friday offers a four-course format at a gentler price, and the room is equally relaxed.
Sans Cravate ★ 4.6 · Bruges
langestraat · Langestraat 159, 8000 Brugge
Sans Cravate in Bruges holds one Michelin star on Langestraat, where Henk Van Oudenhove cooks known dishes in a contemporary register from an open kitchen.
Tip: Open Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday only; closed Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Lunch is the better-value entry point.
Bistro Estelle ★ 4.3 · Antwerp
borgerhout · Laar 10, 2140 Borgerhout
Bistro Estelle in Borgerhout is an intimate fusion kitchen on Laar. The room is small, the menu is fusion, the wine list runs natural and organic.
Tip: Borgerhout sits east of the ring road. The 1, 7 and 24 trams stop two blocks away.