Mechelen has a serious food scene for its size, helped by being close enough to both Brussels and Antwerp to draw chefs and customers from each. The local dish to look for is Mechelse koekoek — a heritage breed of chicken, slow-grown and full-flavoured, which appears on most decent menus.
The compact centre means most of the best places are within a short walk of the Grote Markt. The Vismarkt and Haverwerf are the main café-restaurant zones; for fine dining the streets around the Botermarkt are a better bet.