Flemish creamy stew of chicken or fish poached in a vegetable-laden broth thickened with cream and egg yolks. Originally a Ghent classic, adopted in Antwerp.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
Waterzooi originated in medieval Ghent as a fish stew using Schelde and Leie river catch. The chicken version became dominant in the 20th century. The dish reaches Antwerp through Flemish brasserie traditions. Antwerp brasseries serve the chicken version in winter; the fish version turns up on fine-dining tasting menus.
Common allergens: Dairy, Egg, Celery
Tip from the editors. The Antwerp variant sometimes substitutes white fish (turbot, sole) for chicken; reduce simmering to 8 minutes and use a fish stock base.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Bistrot du Nord in Antwerp keeps one Michelin star for hearty classical bistro cooking. Michaël Rewers leans on meat and tripe in a tiled vintage room.
Signature: Beef cheek, Tripe, Classical meat preparations
Order: Anything off the meat menu; tripe and braised cheek are the chef's signatures.
Tip: Closed Saturday and Sunday. Lunch is the better-value entry, around 50 euro for three courses.
Elfde Gebod sits in a 16th-century building beside the cathedral, walls covered in religious statues. Belgian classics with beer sauces and a list of more than a hundred brews.
Signature: Rabbit stew in beer sauce, Mussels in white wine, Flemish carbonade
Order: The rabbit stew in beer sauce or the Flemish carbonade, both built around Belgian abbey ales from the bottle list.
Tip: Open daily noon to ten. The Suikerrui sister-room on the Scheldt is the same kitchen with a different view if Torfbrug is full.
Marolus in Antwerp on Hendrik Conscienceplein runs an under-15-euro lunch plate of the day. The square between cathedral and Carolus Borromeus seats the terrace.
Try: Lunch dish of the day
Tip: Lunch only, no dinner. The square's tree-lined terrace is the better seat in summer.
More cities are in research. Want waterzooi covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.