For gastronomy lovers, the Flemish coast is rich in great addresses and is home to many restaurants listed in the Gault&Millau guide. During our stay in Ostend in Flanders, we took the opportunity to try out a few very good Belgian tables.
It was specifically to discover Markt XI that we took the coastal tram to the small town of Le Coq (De Haan in Flemish), which boasts an exceptional heritage, particularly its beautiful Belle Epoque villas.
This gourmet restaurant, which is referenced in the Michelin guide and Gault&Millau, is worth a visit to the lovely resort of Le Coq / De Haan all on its own. The young chef Benny Van Torre and his hostess Katrijn Blondé welcome you into their home in a very intimate space that makes you feel like you are having lunch with friends.
On the plate, you find fresh and light yet resolutely contemporary cuisine with superb work done on fresh, local products. Even the bread served as an accompaniment is a delight (and I am very picky when it comes to that)!
To taste:
- 3 small amuse-bouches to start this lunch.
- Example of 2 different starters.
- Example of 3 different main courses.
- Desserts and the mignardises served with coffee.
The tasting menu consists of 4 courses (€75) or 6 courses (€99), and an option is also available to choose a menu with wine pairings for each course.
As a bonus, this address was perfect for making you a new quick 1-minute restaurant review video for the blog’s YouTube channel.
My advice: if you really want to enjoy this moment, I suggest allowing at least 3 hours to savor your meal…
My tip: if you go for lunch, you can enjoy the market menu, which consists of 3 courses for €55 (€79 with wine pairings).
Thanks to Westtoer and Visit Flanders for this wonderful discovery.
Markt XI Open for lunch from 12:00 to 14:00 and dinner from 19:00 to 21:00 Closed Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesday lunch Reservations required Driftweg 11, 8420 De Haan
Find all my articles on Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia) below:
⇒ All my articles on Belgium
⇒ All my articles on Flanders
GENERAL INFORMATION ON BELGIUM
⇒ Brussels, the capital
⇒ Belgian gastronomy
⇒ Bed & Breakfast in Belgium
MY ARTICLES ON FLANDERS
⇒ Bruges
⇒ Ghent
⇒ Louvain / Leuven
⇒ The Belgian Coast and Ostend
MY ARTICLES ON WALLONIA
⇒ Gaume Province
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
