4 Best Restaurants in Antwerp and the Northeast, Belgium

For those who fancy dining in epic surrounds, this restaurant occupies a former trading hall of the neo-Gothic stock exchange building, which dates from 1872. In contrast to the historic setting, the pan-global dishes are ultramodern works of art on a plate---prepared in the open kitchen on one side of the hall, their names derive from their geographical inspiration: a riff on a ceviche, for example, might be called "Lima," while a pasta-based dish might be titled "Florence."

The iron framework of the 19th-century Maison du Peuple, a building designed by famed Art Nouveau architect Victor Horta, supports this brasserie. It siphons a hip crowd from trendy Hopland Street and keeps a sunny feel with large mustard-yellow industrial beams and windows all around. The kitchen sends out brasserie favorites like Aberdeen Angus rib steak and frites, as well as tempting contemporary dishes with lighter wraps, bagels, and salad options for lunch.

The name translates to the Pump House, and in its heyday it drained the neighboring dry dock to allow for ship maintenance. It still looks the part; a vast interior boasts an impressive 23-foot pit with iron parapets and round Art Nouveau--style windows with their original metal rods. The bistro-style menu includes bubbling bouillabaisse, succulent sweetbreads as well as great slabs of tenderloin drizzled in béarnaise sauce. Make a trip to the washroom to view the heavy steel pump doors.

Simplicity is the buzzword---both in the contemporary Belgian cooking, and in the decor---in this elegant but cozy parquet-floored bistro with minimal decorations on the walls to distract you from the food. Lunch is à la carte, but the three- to five-course prix-fixe dinner menus are also pared down and kept simple, with no more than two or sometimes three choices per course---but simplicity doesn't prevent each dish being a masterpiece.