"Elegant Seafood on the Belgian Coast One of the highlights of our visit to Oostende (Ostend in English) was a gastronomic seafood feast, à l’Ostendaise, at the acclaimed Bistro Mathilda. À l’Ostendaise is a restaurant venture running until the end of September 2014 (so you still have a whole year to try it out) in which local fishermen challenge the chefs of Oostende to use different seasonal seafood products each month. On certain days, there are even special ‘Fisherman’s Dinners’ where the fishermen join you for a meal and answer questions about their trade. Bistro Mathilda is an elegant and bustling restaurant beside the lovely Léopold Park. It is run by Luc Deklerck and his wife Gerda Maenhout who were friendly and professional while attending to each and every detail in their lively restaurant. The dishes were artfully presented and each of the featured ingredients shone. It was impossible to choose a favourite dish as each offered something unique and tasty. Pictured here is the second of our 5 courses: Gravlax with cockles, fennel, sea parsley, celery and cucumber. We were also impressed with the wine pairing choices and the final tea and coffee ending. For a full review and photos of all courses: http://cheeseweb.eu/2013/09/3-eat-restaurants-oostende-belgium/"
