Restaurant De Visscherie (The Fish Restaurant), Brugge

In June 2014, a meal at Restaurant De Visscherie (The Fish Restaurant), Brugge was one of the highlights in my culinary and culture tour.  The pre-eminent seafood restaurant is located in the Fish Market in Bruges, and it does not serve any other type of meat except seafood.

Grissini warm and crispy to start.  Chopped parsley was filled along the cracks of the breadstick.  The dip of tomatoes, anchovies and langoustine was heavenly.

Amuse bouche was fresh maatje (herrings) which luckily for me was available at that time of the fresh herring season.  Succulent and fresh, like sashimi if not better.

Winkels, grey prawns (specialty of Brugge) and topshell were lightly boiled and dressed in oil and salt.  Needed some work and experience to get the meat out, but well worth the effort.

One of my favourite courses.  Served cold, it is chopped fresh jack mackerel in roasted red pepper soup.  Squid ink sorbet topped with a prawn keropok added a touch of exotic to the dish.  The flavour and texture very well balanced.

 Turbot was extremely fresh, slightly pan fried with braised fennel.  Wonderful taste and freshness.

Main course of grilled baby lobster.  Can't ask for more.  Now understand why it is such a well loved item in still life paintings from that part of the world.





My friends and I did not have wine at dinner but with due respect to Belgium's great beer tradition, had a well recommended 2014 brew of Straffe Hemdrjk.

Aha tricked you!! Thought it was another dish?
A still life painting from the Rijks Museum, Amsterdam.

Dessert was simple yet great.  The cake was one of the best I've tasted. Moist with cherry bits, accompanied with more cherries and a raspberry sorbet.






Two words describe the entire experience.  Freshness and effort to bring out the best of the daily catch from the fish market.  Meal costs us EUR 88 including drinks per pax.  Pricier than most during the trip but certainly great value considering I cannot have it here at home for the same price.