No, this isn’t a cupcake shop or a tearoom, it’s actually the perfect spot for a rather tipsy dinner! A stone’s throw from the Belfry of Bruges, the fare at Maxinne Lingier’s neo-bistro (located inside the former Quatre Mains) and its bottles curated by Olivier Dekoninck quickly obscure the very cutesy decor of this ground floor space (powdery walls, tea time chairs, dainty plates). So, what’s the final score? Plates to share, yes, but which are adapted to the size of the table! For ours that afternoon: silky langoustine and veal tartare, flirting with Oud Brugge cheese and black olives; crispy toast topped with soft goat’s cheese, pastrami and anchovies; seasonal baby vegetables (parsnips, carrots, butternut squash) duly grilled, then tickled with beurre blanc sauce and hazelnuts; before fried soft crab (a little bland) with cabbage, spicy mayo and cashew nuts. // Sam Oops

FEELING THIRSTY? Natural labels from faraway lands: Pépin, an Alsatian white blend from the Domaine Achillée (€10 a glass), an Italian white skin-contact from Le Coste (€58 a bottle), Bois Sans Soif, a Loire Chenin from Olivier Lemasson (€44), a spicy Syrah from Laurent Saillard in the Gard (also €44).

PRICE: Menus €27-36 (lunch) and €45-63.