Oostende, Belgium
Oostende is a perfect getaway destination for a day trip or a weekend.
Endless beaches, fresh air and delicious food.
What more could we ask for?
Poseidon
Open from Thursday to Monday for lunch and dinner.
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
My stays at the seaside are never complete without a stop at Poseidon. The food is simply delicious! In my opinion, they have the best shrimp croquettes in Oostende. Jammed packed with the little grey shrimp we all love, served with the classic fried parsley. And as a main, they make a Cabillaud à l’Ostendaise / Kabeljauw op Oostendse wijze (cod Ostend’s style) to die for! Perfectly cooked cod, a few mossels, some grey shrimp and a beurre blanc that if no one is watching, i can eat with a spoon!
They also serve meat, which i haven’t tried yet. But i wouldn’t hesitate. I was glad to see on my last visit that they had wild meats during hunting season. I ordered take away from here during lockdown and tried their famous bouillabaisse, it’s also a thing of beauty!
Do not miss this wonderful restaurant. Situated on Hertstraat, a parallel street of the boardwalk, just a few steps from the Casino. This family owned business is just what you need after a long walk on the beach.
Eetkaffee Poseidon
Hertstraat 11A
8400 Oostende
CALL 059439069
Open Monday and Thursday till Sunday
Lunch and dinner
Café Mosselhuis
Open Thursday to Sunday for lunch and dinner
Monday for lunch
***Mosselhuis has sadly closed this year. It is now for sale and we hope that new owners will keep the spirit of this restaurant alive***
Opened 60 years ago by Marie-Rose and taken over 5 years ago by Sofie and chef Luke. Marie-Rose still makes her appearance in the kitchen twice a week at 82 years young! Her family owns a fishing boat and sell at the Vistrap fish market, you can’t get any better than that! Nothing has been changed in this little gem. The recipes and décor have remained as they were, because… why change a winning team?
An incredible lunch, with perfect solettes, ray cheeks in mustard sauce and freshly hand cut fries. A small portion of shared mini shrimp croquettes to start and that was all we needed.
A reservation is necessary here, as it’s a small establishment and they don’t take walk-ins.
Cafe Mosselhuis
Nieuwstraat 14
8400 Oostende
Frituur Marleen
Open from Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner
Meet Marleen, owner of Frituur Marleen. The kind of restaurant owner that lives and breaths her trade. With 50 years of restaurant experience, she’s what we call in the business “a warrior”. Her chef, who started as a fisherman, serves simply delicious fish dishes.
A favorite with the locals, this is the kind of place where you can blend in and feel like you’ve always lived here.
Very comfortable seating and a clean interior. The walls are covered in old black and white fishing related images. I thought they were random, but Marleen’s grand-parents and her chef as an young fisherman are featured there, just to name a few.
A special thanks to my good friend Valerie De Ketelaere from Bazaar Trottoir for the tip!
Frituur Marleen
Dwarsstraat 11
8400 Oostende
CALL 0476 71 20 82
Open from Tuesday to Saturday
Lunch and dinner
Boucherie Mazure
Open from Monday to Sunday from 8:30 to 18:30
***Boucherie Mazure is currently undergowing renovations. It is planned to reopen the end of 2024***
A staple of Oostende, opened since 1955, they have hands down the best americain préparé at the seaside. This isn’t a restaurant, but a butcher shop. They make sandwiches with their salads and cold cuts, which are perfect for a beach picnic or a lunch at home.
Boucherie Mazure
Kapellestraat 4
8400 Oostende
CALL 059703369
Open 7/7 from 8:30 to 18:30
Passe Vite
Open from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 to 15:30
I was introduced to this lovely little gem by my friends Silke and Antoine last summer. Specializing in inventive salads and pasta. I’m not one who usually goes for salads, but this one is my exception!
Colin and Sofie, joint owners of Passe Vite, are very welcoming and you can tell the locals like it here. Lots of happy faces all around!
My favorite is their white sausage and caramelized apples salad. It’s warm (the sausage and apples are freshly baked), crunchy and full of flavors. I also had a pumpkin and coconut milk soup that was very welcome on the cold windy day I visited. They open early and offer breakfast from 9:00 to 11:00.
A very clean and trendy interior and a small interior terrace. A nice alternative to all the fish restaurants in the area. Lots of vegetarian and vegan choices, daily suggestions and yummy cakes.
Passe-Vite
Nieuwstraat 10
8400 Oostende
CALL 059 51 39 13
Open 7/7 from 9:00 to 17:00
Koekoek
Open 7/7 10:00 to 23:15
Koekoek has been serving delicious roasted chickens since 1971. It’s a great place for a low cost meal at any moment of the day, any day of the week! The prices stay low by cutting out any frills. At Koekoek, you don’t get cutlery, so make sure to be ready to get dirty and eat with your hands! Also, they one of the only proper restaurants open late in Oostende.
Koekoek
Langestraat 38/40
8400 Oostende
CALL 059708970
Open 7/7 from 10:00 to 23:15
