Rock Fort

Right down to their logo of a fish seemingly in motion, a North Sea breeze is a-blowing at Rock-Fort. Here, the proximity to the coastline is more than geographic: Eline Snijkers (in the dining room) and Laurent Law (in the kitchen) first delighted customers at Zeebrugge, before heading back to dry land and taking over Rock-Fort in late 2023 – a tiny space that feels bigger than it is thanks to the mirrors lining the walls. Their plates elicit sighs of pleasure from the crowd, like the Irish Mór oysters served plain or with a sesame and soy barbecue sauce; the house’s signature grilled langoustines bobbing around in a dashi and lemon verbena emulsion; shellfish and wild garlic ravioli; veal sweetbreads with truffle sauce and celeriac; before the cheeses sourced from Van Tricht, and a revisited homemade Snickers bar for dessert. // Mireille Flocon

FEELING THIRSTY? Inventive cocktails (Yuzulicious made with gin, yuzu and green tea, €14), mocktails (Bittersweet, combining bitters, shiso leaf and raspberries, €8), and a contemporary wine list – Pépin, an extra-dry crémant d’Alsace made by the Famille Dietrich; Vîs Tchapias, a Walloon chardonnay from the Domaine Beekborne (€12 a glass); or a Moreau-Naudet petit-chablis (€74 a bottle).

PRICE: Set menus €36-42 (lunch) and €85-97 (lunch and dinner), à la carte €80-100 (lunch and Saturday dinner).