Mekka Van De Kaas

While Het Mekka Van De Kaas (literally “The Mecca of Cheese”) has existed since the dawn of time, in 2020, Cédrine Van Lancker and Bart Van Puymbroeck took over this cheesemongers located on the ground floor of a medieval-style, red-brick building complete with a burgundy front door. Here, you’ll find – wait for it – a selection of more than 450 cheeses from different regions, ranging from the classics to some unusual finds, all carefully selected, tried and tested by the couple themselves. On top of that, there are some German and Italian wines unearthed by monsieur, plus jams, dried fruits, fresh eggs, butter or homemade cheese croquettes that wouldn’t go amiss. Basically, a one-stop shop for all your apéro hour needs! // Kiko Zushi

THE HIDDEN GEM: The raw milk Montgomery cheddar, handmade in England and aged for 24 months wrapped in cheese cloth on wooden shelves (€59.81 per kilo).