Garnaalkroketten is a signature dish of Belgium; we have verified places to eat it in Antwerp and Bruges. Crisp-fried shrimp croquettes built around Belgian grey shrimp from the North Sea, with a thick béchamel binding.
Garnaalkroketten · Antwerp
Crisp-fried shrimp croquettes built around Belgian grey shrimp from the North Sea, with a thick béchamel binding. Fried parsley and lemon to garnish.
The North Sea grey shrimp is Belgium's coastal signature, hand-peeled and folded into a thick velouté. Belgian kitchens serve them as a starter or pub plate; the canonical version uses fishermen's catch from Oostduinkerke and Zeebrugge. Antwerp riverside brasseries like RAS put them on the daily menu when shrimp is good; the dish appears on Michelin-starred plates with refined fillings and crispier shells.
Where to eat in Antwerp:
- RAS
- Mampoko
Where to eat Garnaalkroketten in Antwerp: the editor picks
Garnaalkroketten · Bruges
Croquettes with a thick, creamy béchamel and grey shrimp, served with lemon and fried parsley. Bruges menus list them as a starter or as a main with salad.
Garnaalkroketten are a traditional Belgian dish: a thick, creamy béchamel mixed with grey shrimp, served with a slice of lemon and fried parsley. The grey shrimp is fished mainly in the southern North Sea, and Oostduinkerke is the one place where shrimp fishing on horseback survives, with 17 fishers active in 2021. In Bruges, Breydel-De Coninck, De Stove, Cambrinus, 't Nieuw Walnutje and Rock-Fort all list shrimp croquettes on their own menus.
Where to eat in Bruges:
- Breydel-De Coninck
- De Stove
- Cambrinus
- 't Nieuw Walnutje
- Rock-Fort
Where to eat Garnaalkroketten in Bruges: the editor picks
