Album

Joris Gielen (ex-Veranda) and Toon Craen (ex-Broer Bretel) successfully managed to transition their eatery from a breakfast spot to a punchy neo-bistro for dinner! But the minimalist Album (hardwood floors, whitewashed bricks, various bars, a mezzanine section) is anything but one of southern Antwerp’s fancy and pretentious restaurants. We indulged in all of the following during our last visit there: sea bream sashimi with a tangy tamarind smoked dashi; swinging steak tartare wrapped up in radicchio, with fermented rhubarb and pink peppercorns; sea bass drunk on a passion fruit cream, sweet Cévennes onions and intensely flavorful lovage; followed by Barbary duck breast with maitake mushroom tortellini, those Japanese “dancing mushrooms,” and Timut pepper. And for the final blow? A fennel, lemon and dill ice cream. // Kiko Zushi

FEELING THIRSTY? For your apéro, there’s Antidote, a non-alcoholic Muscat d’Alexandrie (€8) or a glass of Drappier Champagne (€16), plus La Petite Robe, a Savoie skin-contact white from Jean-Yves Péron (€55 a bottle) or a Côtes-du-Jura from Sylvain Jacquot (Poulsard, €79).
PRICE: Menus €45-62 (lunch) and €72 (dinner).