Management’s loss is Ghent’s gain. After swapping boardrooms for the kitchen, Kim Oosterlinck honed her budding talents at Karel de Stoute (Ghent) and Paulette (Oudenaarde) before opening a place to call her own. Named after her grandmother, this light-filled bistro pairs Formica tables, school chairs and a sun-drenched terrace with effortlessly inviting fare: delicately crisp bitterballen with a rich ragout filling and a punchy dollop of Tierenteyn mustard; a bouillabaisse-inspired seafood stew brimming with mussels, scallops, haddock, salmon and fennel; and grilled octopus glistening in spicy brown butter, served alongside dense sourdough brioche. Dessert? Vanilla ice cream drenched in salted caramel, with two madeleines for company. · Offalia

Feeling thirsty? A short, sharp wine list covering all bases, running from classic (an Armenian red from Tushpa, €10 a glass) to natural, including a sparkling trebbiano d’abruzzo from Francesco Cirelli (€42 a bottle) and Pulp Fiction Green, an Austrian white from Weingut Machherndl (€44). For those going no-low, there’s Levuur kombucha (€4.50 for 120 ml).

Price: Snacks €6-17, mains €24-32, desserts €9-11.