#3) De Karmeliet, Langestraat 19, Brugge

Geert Van Hecke runs a gastronomical wonderland here. Many consider this to be the best restaurant in Belgium and they do own 3 Michelin stars. I will admit that the French cuisine here is outstanding and they also have a beer degustation menu, but although the food is to die for; this is a French restaurant and is a bit pretentious. You will not leave this place without knowing that you have just received the absolute best service that you will ever receive in any restaurant anywhere, and taste some of the best gastronomic creations you will ever eat. All the servers whirling around me made me a bit tired though.

#4) Belga Queen, rue Fossé aux Loups 32, Brussels

Some might find Belga Queen a bit pretentious, but its fun none the less and highly recommended for any visit to Brussels. It is 4 blocks from the Grand Place near the Opera House. Antoine Pinto, once named one of the ‘Best 100 Chefs in Europe’ dazzles visitors with his culinary creations and his flair for beautiful decor. This former bank has been totally renovated to include the restaurant, an oyster bar, a beer bar and a cigar lounge; each fantastic in their own right. At Belga Queen, all products used in the creation of the stunning dishes are of the highest quality and come exclusively from Belgian sources. Pinto swears by Belgian ingredients, Belgian dishes, Belgian beers and, maybe more surprisingly, Belgian wines. In Belga Queen, several beers such as Palm, Rodenbach, Brugse Tripel and Gueuze Boon are both served as an aperitif and used in the food preparation. One will find a whole series of surprising dishes in which beer is a main ingredient.

#5) In't Spinnekopke, 1 Place Jardin Aux Fleurs, Brussels

In ‘t Spinnekopke (In the Spider Web) is a great little restaurant serving Belgian style cuisine with many of the specialties cooked with regional beers. It is about a five minute walk from the Grand Place but worth it. They offer an extensive menu and a wide variety of Mussels in different sauces as well as beef, veal, chicken, pork and fish dishes. Make sure to save room for dessert; the dessert menu has over 20 selections.

#6) Erasmus, Wollestraat 35, Brugge

Owner Tom Allewaert greets all customers at some point during the meal. Tom is an expert in Belgian beers and will be very pleased to help choose beers to pair with your dinner selections. Once again, many of the items on the menu have been prepared with Belgian beer and you don’t need to worry about stuffiness here; it is a very relaxed atmosphere. There are 10 beers ‘en vat’ as well as a large assortment of bottled beers. There is also a hotel attached to Erasmus that has some rooms overlooking one of the beautiful canals of Brugge. Tom recently completed a renovation to both the restaurant and the hotel to ensure his guests the utmost in comfort.

#7 ‘T Pakhuis, Vlaamse Kaai 76, Antwerp

‘T Pakhuis is owned by the Sterkens family, a Belgian brewing family and is a microbrewery with a great menu. Many of the selections are prepared with one of the 3 house beers. They are a Blond, a Bruin and a special beer known as Nen Bangelijke (A Frightening One), a dark amber strong ale. There are meat, fish and vegetarian selections to suit any desire and the staff are very attentive. Open for lunch and dinner, another must for the beer visitor to Antwerp. It is about a 25 minute walk from the center, so I highly recommend a cab, especially for the trip back. You will be quite full and content.

#8) Chez Leon, Rue De Bouchers 18, Brussels

This is another regular stop for me while in Brussels. Chez Leon has been around for more that 110 years serving some of the freshest seafood and other cuisine in the country. Their specialty is moulles (mussels) and they serve them 14 different ways including steamed in the special Chez Leon beer, a nice crisp Blonde ale that goes well with all the dishes here. For those not familiar with this part of Brussels, BEWARE! As you enter the Rue De Bouchers from the St. Hubert mall area, you will be attacked by hawkers who stop short of pulling you into their restaurants. I recommend you look forward with a knowing and determined look on your face until you reach the first ‘intersection’. Chez Leon will be on your right.

After dining at this wonderful place, take a right turn out of the front door and go one more block and turn right. You will be at the famous Delirium Café for an after meal beer or 2000.

#9) Restobiers, Rue de Renards 32, Brussels

This is a very interesting and unique restaurant serving a great selection of Belgian cuisine. Many of the recipes are prepared with Belgian beers and ales with a leaning towards Trappist preparations. Owner-chef Alain Fayt is an artist in the kitchen and will leave an indelible stamp on your memory with this meal. They also offer Beer and wine degustation menus. The theme here is very eccentric with numerous coffee grinders, cheese graters, cookie and chocolate tins featuring pictures of royalty as well as a nice collection of beer memorabilia. They have a beer list of over 150 beers and are very happy to recommend a beer to go with your dish. Open Thursday through Sunday only. Make sure to make a reservation as this is a small restaurant.

#10) 3 Fonteinen, Herman Teirlinckplein 3, Beersel

This is the restaurant run by Armand and Guido Debelder. Armand is also one of the few remaining traditional Gueuze and Lambic makers left in Belgium. The restaurant serves the traditional 3 Fonteinen Gueuze, Lambic and Kriek. They offer several Belgian specialties prepared with their beers and offer a take away service as well. They are open for lunch and dinner. While there ask if you can have a tour of the brewery in the cellar and don’t forget to visit the little beer shop for those take home treats.