The story
At Julia Fish & Oysterbar, the sea sets the rhythm. Located in Sint-Idesbald, this is a place where the day’s catch dictates the menu. The restaurant is paired with Mare Nostrum, its own fish shop selling fresh fish and delicatessen—a seamless connection from ocean to plate.
The kitchen focuses on seafood, served in a style that encourages sharing. Begin with an Oyster Academy (six oysters) or Fishermen’s Delight for at least two. A la carte options include Bruschetta Julia with rouget and sweet chilli, and Oester Belle Isle n°3 with ponzu and pickled chili.
Sharing dishes are the heart of the menu. Look for smoked salmon with horseradish and sour cream, North Sea crab with cauliflower and beurre noisette vinaigrette, or tuna tartare with wild garlic pesto and pommes pailles. Hand-peeled shrimp with white asparagus and poached egg, and crispy rouget with tomato chutney and coriander seed are other highlights. Scottish langoustines and Breton lobster are served simply with beurre noisette or herb butter.
For mains, there is cod with white asparagus and mousseline, skate wing Grenobloise, and steamed sea bass with beurre monté and caviar. A Catch of the Day is always available, priced by the day.
Julia’s house rules keep things simple: a choice of up to three main courses per table. Lunch is served for the full table only. Last call is 23:30 on Friday and Saturday, 22:30 other days, and 15:30 for lunch.
This straightforward, ingredient-led approach earned Julia Fish & Oysterbar a Michelin recommendation in 2026. Counter dining and outdoor seating are available, making it a welcoming stop on the Belgian coast for anyone serious about seafood.
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History
Julia, the great-grandmother and the restaurant’s namesake, was a businesswoman ahead of her time; Petje Moone, her father, a transplant from the neighboring town of De Panne; Angus, the current owner and fishing ace; and César, the son and chef running the kitchen… As men and women from the world of fish, the Wittevrongel family have been keeping Saint-Idesbald at high tide for five generations. However, Julia’s soul can be found in Émilie Marquet, a defector from Liège who speaks the local lingo with ease, and who breezily whips up tapas-style dishes and fish to share, made with love. Inside this chic seaside spot with creasless white tablecloths, take a seat at the bar or on the petrol blue banquettes, then kick off with some oysters – take your pick from the endless menu, from exclusive Irish Tia Maraa oysters to the knockout Gillardeau – before the dishes follow one after the next: homemade bruschetta with red mullet, fennel and sweet chili – a mainstay on the menu since 2016; crispy soft-shell crabs; extremely tender scallop carpaccio with brown butter; small sole meunières that fall into line; and shrimp croquettes in a league of their own. At Julia, the sea is all you need. // Kiko Zushi
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