Ostend is one of the best places in Belgium to eat fish and shellfish. The grey shrimp croquette — a creamy bechamel full of fresh shrimps, in a crisp breadcrumb casing — is the Flemish coast's great contribution to world cuisine, and in Ostend they make them properly. Moules-frites appear everywhere, the mussels arriving from the Zeeland beds across the Dutch border. For something more ambitious, the port's direct access to fresh North Sea fish means restaurants here get better product than anywhere inland.
't Matroezenhuys on Visserskaai — the fishermen's quay side — is a reliable, unpretentious option for fish and chips-style fried fish plates at honest prices. For the croquettes, Brasserie du Parc near Leopold Park serves them in a comfortable traditional setting.