Bretoentje

Bretoentje is a cheese shop in the covered James Ensorgalerij, the shopping arcade in the centre of Ostend, and the shop says it has been the town’s reference for authentic cheese for more than 40 years. The counter is stacked with soft and hard cheeses from Belgium and across Europe: France (including Normandy and the Cantal, partly through an importer that supplies the shop directly), Italy, Britain, Spain, Switzerland, Portugal and the Netherlands. Stock is topped up daily with artisanally ripened pieces.

Pick it for a picnic or a supper in your holiday apartment: alongside the cheese there is nut bread, raisin baguette and Italian bread, Le Fruitier jams and a small wine selection, and the staff are happy to advise on pairings. In winter it is the place for fondue and raclette cheese from Switzerland, France and Austria; the house tip is a moitié-moitié of Gruyère and Fribourgeois. The shop is currently highlighting Ancienne Belgique, an aged Gouda from Rumbeke in West Flanders that it says was named best cheese in the world at the Concours International de Lyon.

Cheese platters with nuts and fruit are made to order for two people or more, with a flag naming each cheese; order a day ahead. Bretoentje opens Tuesday to Saturday, 09:00 to 18:00; it is closed on Sunday and Monday.