A résumé like that sets the bar pretty high, but Altin Mero clears it with ease. In a Mediterranean-hued restaurant (terracotta walls, marble counters, a majestic olive tree), the half-Greek, half-Albanian globetrotting chef draws on his experience gained in Stockholm (Frantzén), Copenhagen (Jordnær, Noma) and here in Antwerp (Le Pristine), winning everyone over without relying on green oils, citrus flourishes or other fine-dining clichés. That evening’s seven-course menu featured: an onion tartlet just like mama Mero makes, with plum and purple shiso; hamachi crudo marinated in semi-dried tomato water, paired with pollen cream, pickled squash and fennel blossoms; chickpea flour rolls bakes over coals, inspired by his grandma’s recipe and glazed with beef fat; scallops glossed with an intense BBQ sauce-style reduction; wild duck glazed with honeyed ponzu, plus chopped chestnuts, caramelized celeriac purée and black garlic jus on the side; a Granny Smith granita paired with pickled celery and shiso; and finally, an almond milk pudding masquerading as a Milky Way, topped with mastika parfait and a hazelnut milk crisp. · Mina Perlemousse

Feeling thirsty? Sommelier George Kondylis (ex-Konstantin Filippou in Vienna) oversees a cellar that roams Europe’s finest terroirs, from VVV Premier Cru champagne from Matthieu Godmé-Guillaume (€23 a glass) to Rosso di Toscana from Podere Scopetone (€12). Skip the grapes altogether with a cocktail of white port, tonic water and a drizzle of olive oil (€16).

Price: Lunch menu €70 (four courses), dinner menu €110 (seven courses), starters €21-25, mains €28-42, dessert €15.