Toope

At Toope, run by Ayke Declercq, the shrimp croquette takes pride of place on the menu. ‘We make it according to a fifty-year-old recipe given to me by my marraintje (grandmother in West Flemish). Except for the breading, we have never changed a thing.’ You could say Toope is like the Coca-Cola of shrimp croquettes, as the restaurant’s customers have been making it a sport to guess that one secret ingredient for many years now. ‘I think I’ve heard it all by now, but nobody has ever been able to guess what makes our croquettes so special. All I can say is this: buy only fresh shrimp, roll up your sleeves and be patient.’