What’s left to dream up after ten years in the game? Everything, if you ask Kim Devisschere (in the kitchen) and Nele Victoor (front of house), who have dismantled their fine-dining restaurant Roots in Ghent’s old town to make way for Klaar, a retro-style pub that welcomes you with open plates. French-Belgian classics with a bold new twist land on the large wooden bar and glossy bistro tables, alongside a line-up of natural wines and some surprisingly inventive alcohol-free options – proof, if any were needed, that the couple have got bottle. Old-school charm, new-school flavors. · Elvis Parsley

Ate: Podgy Keiemtaler cheese croquettes with kimchi mayo; a deviled egg topped with trout mousse and chicken-skin chips; tender veal tongue with chicory and grey shrimp; and gnocchi doused in a creamy Pas de rouge sauce with cavolo spigariello (Italian leafy broccoli).

Price: Lunch set menu €37 (starter-main), snacks €4-10, starters €15-18, mains €20-25, cheeses from Het Mekka van de Kaas €18, desserts €9-14.