Why North Sea prawns are worth a visit - and where to eat them
With its salty-sweet taste, the North Sea shrimp is the most culinary delicacy of all. What makes it so unique? And where best to enjoy this true caviar of the sea?
Publirédactionnel
Published on 9/24/25 at 3:33 PM
Sandy soil and expertise
abroad, the "Crangon crangon" remains little-known. But there are two reasons why our North Sea shrimp is so exceptional. Firstly, it thrives in the sandy bottom of the North Sea, where it feeds on small crabs and snails - a diet that directly influences the subtlety of its flavor.
Secondly, the expertise of Flemish fishermen guarantees unrivalled freshness and a unique preparation, handed down from generation to generation.
Freshness above all
It's no surprise that freshness enhances taste. But for North Sea shrimp, it's much more than just an asset: it's what shapes all their aromatic subtlety and deliciously crunchy texture.
Fished just three miles offshore, they have long been easy to find ultra-fresh in Flanders. Today, however, the tradition is weakening: only four fishing families still take to the sea each day.
In the afternoons, depending on the weather, the boats leave the port and don't return until dawn to unload their nets at the Vistrap and the Ostend auction. on board, the shrimp are immediately cooked in seawater. Each fisherman has his own method, so fine palates can recognize the nuances from one to the next. And, with a bit of luck, you can still bite into a warm shrimp, just brought up from the depths.
World heritage
There's also a spectacular way to catch North Sea shrimp: on horseback. Today, only a handful of fishermen still perpetuate this ancestral skill, practiced for over five centuries and now listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage site.
Why not try it yourself? Grab a net, head out into the shallow waters and harvest your own shrimp. Nothing beats the pleasure of tasting what you've just caught with your own hands.
The magic of rarity
Shrimp are not available all year round: their season runs from August to December.
4 discovery ideas
To fully understand what makes North Sea shrimp so unique, there's nothing like catching them yourself... or meeting the people who make them their trade.
1. Find the best shrimp at Ostend's Vistrap
At dawn, head for the Vistrap, a 19ᵉ century open-air fish market - the only one in Belgium where you still buy direct from the fishermen. It couldn't be fresher! On their stalls, the catch of the day: fish of all kinds and gray shrimp, caught less than twelve hours earlier off our coast, without the slightest preservative. Vistrap Oostende, Visserskaai 35, 8400 Oostende
2. Horseback fishing in Coxyde
A true journey back in time, this traditional shrimp fishing has been going on for over five centuries. Perched on powerful Brabant draught horses, fishermen drag their nets through the waves to catch the precious grey shrimp. A rare and fascinating spectacle, part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage.
Coxyde-Oostduinkerke beach. April 1 to October 31.
Put on a yellow raincoat or a pair of fishing pants and set off for a 2.5-hour introduction to "kruien": fishing on foot with a net, at low tide. Shrimp big enough to keep will end up in your basket... ready to be cooked at home.
Horizon Educatief vzw, Fortstraat 128, 8400 Oostende. From April 1st to October 31st.
Nothing beats the pleasure of tasting shrimp. The coastline is full of places where you can savor it in all its splendor, whether in golden croquettes or in tomato-crevette, two great classics. Here are a few must-try restaurants:
Shrimp croquettes
t Werftje, Zeebrugge This iconic fishermen's café, founded in 1905, has changed its location but not its recipes. We come here for our artisanal shrimp croquettes and some of the most generous seafood platters on the coast.
De Peerdevisscher, Oostduinkerke This inn adjoining the fishing museum is run by Johan and Corinne Casier, traditional shrimp fishermen on horseback. On the menu: shrimp croquettes, classic or revisited, to be enjoyed with a Rodenbach on the barrel.
Ten Doele, Blankenberge An elegant brasserie that revisits the great classics. Shrimp croquettes with polder potatoes and mousseline sauce, snails and garlic frogs' legs.
North, Ostend Four-time winner of the Festival of Shrimp Croquettes, North owes its reputation to Jan Liebrechts, who perpetuates the family recipe based on homemade bisque, with a modern twist: Japanese panko breading for incomparable crispness.
Julia, Coxyde The restaurant of the iconic Mare Nostrum fishmonger's, founded by the daughter of a fisherman. Here, the sole is impeccably fresh... and the shrimp croquettes have nothing to envy.
And for the undecided: every year, the Festival de la Croquette de Crevettes (Shrimp Croquette Festival) brings together several Ostend restaurants to celebrate their speciality.
De Peerdevisscher, Oostduinkerke In addition to its croquettes, this restaurant offers an equally generous shrimp-tomato dish, where the salty-sweet flesh of the shrimp is combined with a sun-drenched tomato.
Kruier, Knokke The Callant brothers celebrate shrimp in all its forms: croquette, tomato, or 'smeus' with ribot milk. All overlooking a historic mill and magnificent garden.
Friture René, Brussels An almost century-old institution serving neither kebabs nor snacks, but rather parked mussels, carbonnades, and above all a legendary tomate-crevette, accompanied by homemade fries.
Gault&Millau: 12/20
Les Brasseries Georges, Brussels Parisian ambience and classic French cuisine for this long-established value, prized for its seafood and carefully prepared tomate-crevette.
