Restaurant in Oostende, Belgium
North Sea seafood, no tasting-menu commitment needed.
Storm earns a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 and a 4.9 Google rating across 342 reviews — strong credentials for a €€€ special-occasion dinner in Oostende. Chef Michiel Rabaey builds inventive dishes around North Sea fish and seasonal polder produce, with combinations like brill with oxheart and hazelnut that go well beyond coastal comfort food. Book it for a date night or a considered celebratory meal.
Storm is one of the most credible fine-dining options in Oostende right now, and for a celebratory meal built around North Sea seafood and seasonal produce, it earns a clear recommendation. Chef Michiel Rabaey holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025, carries a near-perfect Google rating of 4.9 across 342 reviews, and operates at the €€€ price point — competitive for the quality on offer. If you are weighing a special-occasion dinner on the Belgian coast, Storm should be near the leading of your shortlist.
The cooking here centres on the North Sea in a way that feels deliberate rather than decorative. Rabaey draws from both well-known and less familiar local fish, pairing them with seasonal produce and fresh meat from the nearby polders. The results are technically refined and inventively constructed: sea bass with cauliflower, pickles and soy; brill with oxheart, hazelnut and vermouth. These are not safe combinations, which is part of the point. The flavour balance is described in Michelin's own recognition as a defining quality, and the back-to-back Plates in 2024 and 2025 confirm this is not a kitchen coasting on a single good year.
The address — Hendrik Baelskaai 21, in Oostende's harbour district , places Storm close to the working waterfront, and the atmosphere reflects that setting. The energy here is focused rather than loud, making it a better fit for a dinner where conversation matters than for a group looking for a high-energy room. For a date night or a business meal where you want the setting to do some work, the ambient tone suits the occasion. Solo diners who prefer a quieter, more composed room will find this more comfortable than a brasserie-style venue.
Specific details on Storm's wine list or cocktail program are not publicly documented in enough detail to report with confidence. What is clear from the cooking philosophy is that the kitchen works with local and seasonal sourcing as a guiding principle, which in Belgian fine-dining contexts tends to extend to thoughtful wine selection , particularly with food-driven pairings. For a Michelin Plate restaurant at the €€€ level in Belgium, you should expect a wine list capable of matching the food rather than a standalone bar destination. If drinks programming matters as much as the food to your decision, it is worth calling ahead or checking with the restaurant directly to understand the pairing options on offer. Storm is primarily a food-first booking; if you are looking for a venue where the cocktail or wine program is the headline draw, our full Oostende bars guide gives you more targeted options.
Within Oostende, Storm sits comfortably above the mid-market but does not operate at the level of full Michelin Star ambition. HAUT runs at €€€€ and is the more appropriate comparison if you want a longer tasting menu with greater ceremony. Frenchette offers French brasserie cooking with farm-to-table sourcing at the same €€€ tier , a solid alternative if you want a looser, more casual format. Bistro Mathilda is worth considering for a farm-to-table option at a similar price. For something less formal, Brasserie David at €€ drops the price point considerably. Eaust rounds out the local picture. In the wider Belgian context, Willem Hiele in Oudenburg and Boury in Roeselare represent the regional standard-bearers if you are planning a longer trip and want to compare Storm against the leading end of Flemish fine dining.
Booking difficulty at Storm is rated Easy. Given the Michelin Plate recognition and the strong Google score, it is still advisable to book ahead for weekend dinners and any key dates , particularly in summer, when Oostende draws significantly more visitors. Weekday dinners are likely more available at shorter notice. There is no online booking system listed publicly, so the most reliable route is to contact the restaurant directly. Hours are not published in available data, so confirm before travelling.
| Detail | Storm | HAUT | Frenchette | Brasserie David |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price tier | €€€ | €€€€ | €€€ | €€ |
| Cuisine | Modern French | Modern French | French Brasserie / Farm to table | Contemporary |
| Awards | Michelin Plate 2024 & 2025 | , | , | , |
| Google rating | 4.9 (342 reviews) | , | , | , |
| Booking difficulty | Easy | , | , | , |
| Leading for | Special occasions, date night | Splurge tasting menus | Relaxed French dining | Casual, value-driven |
Storm is the right call for a considered, food-first dinner in Oostende that does not require you to commit to a full tasting-menu format or a €€€€ spend. The Michelin Plate recognition is a meaningful signal at this price level, and the 4.9 Google score across a substantial number of reviews adds weight. It is not a destination for cocktail enthusiasts or those prioritising a lively bar scene, and it is not the place to go if you want the most ambitious tasting menu on the Flemish coast , for that, look at HAUT or consider a trip to Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem. But for a special-occasion dinner built around inventive North Sea cooking, Storm earns its place. Book it.
For broader planning, see our full Oostende restaurants guide, our Oostende hotels guide, and our Oostende experiences guide. If you are travelling further for fine dining comparison, Zilte in Antwerp, Bozar in Brussels, Sketch in London, and Schanz in Piesport give useful reference points for what Modern French cooking looks like at the upper end of the European spectrum. d'Eugénie à Emilie in Baudour is worth noting if you want a Belgian comparison outside the major cities.
Order around the North Sea fish. Rabaey's kitchen is most distinctive when working with local seafood , documented dishes include sea bass with cauliflower, pickles and soy, and brill with oxheart, hazelnut and vermouth. These combinations are more inventive than standard coastal restaurant fare, and they represent the clearest expression of what makes Storm worth the trip. Ask the front-of-house for the current seasonal focus when you arrive.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, but that does not mean you can leave it to the day. For weekend dinners, especially in July and August when Oostende is at its busiest, book at least one to two weeks out. Weekday tables are likely available with shorter notice. Given the Michelin recognition and strong ratings, last-minute availability on popular nights is not guaranteed.
No dress code is listed publicly. At the €€€ price point with Michelin Plate recognition, smart casual is the safe baseline , think well-put-together but not black-tie. Overly casual beachwear would feel out of place; a dinner-ready outfit is appropriate.
Yes. The focused, quieter atmosphere suits solo diners better than a loud brasserie would. At €€€, a solo meal represents a genuine spend, but the quality of cooking justifies it for a solo traveller who wants a serious dinner rather than a quick meal. Whether bar seating is available is not confirmed , contact the restaurant to check.
Bar seating is not confirmed in available data. Contact Storm directly before visiting if eating at the bar is your preference. If bar-first dining is the priority, our Oostende bars guide has more relevant options.
Group capacity is not published. Given the restaurant's positioning as a refined, special-occasion venue, it is likely better suited to smaller parties , tables of two to four. For larger groups, contact Storm directly to ask about availability and whether a private arrangement is possible.
No specific dietary policy is listed publicly. Given that the kitchen works with seasonal and local produce and has Michelin Plate recognition, the team is likely capable of adapting dishes with advance notice. Contact Storm directly when booking to flag any requirements , do not assume flexibility on arrival.
For a step up in price and formality, HAUT at €€€€ is the most direct comparison. For a more relaxed French meal at the same price tier, Frenchette is worth considering. Bistro Mathilda gives you farm-to-table cooking at €€€. If budget is the primary concern, Brasserie David at €€ drops the price significantly. For the most ambitious dining in the region, Willem Hiele in Oudenburg is a short distance away and operates at a higher level of ambition.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storm | Modern French | With known and lesser known fish from the North Sea, seasonal products and fresh meat from the nearby polders, Michiel Rabaey puts his dishes together. He does this tremendously inventive and refined with balanced flavours. Examples are sea bass with cauliflower, pickles and soy and also brill with oxheart, hazelnut, and vermouth.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Frenchette | French - Brasserie, Farm to table | Unknown | — | |
| HAUT | Modern French | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Bistro Mathilda | Farm to table | Unknown | — | |
| Brasserie David | Contemporary | Unknown | — | |
| Eaust | Unknown | — |
How Storm stacks up against the competition.
Storm's menu is built around North Sea fish and seasonal produce from the nearby polders, so pescatarians are well served by default. The kitchen's creative approach suggests flexibility is possible, but contact them directly before booking if you have specific requirements — the restaurant has no publicly listed phone or website, so approach via reservation platform. Guests with red-meat-only restrictions may find the menu limited, as the fish focus is central to what Storm does.
Solo dining at Storm is viable at €€€ — the price point is commitment enough without feeling excessive for one person. Michelin Plate recognition at this level typically means counter or small-table seating that works well for solos. If you want company with your meal, the cooking at Storm is focused and detailed enough to hold your attention without a dining companion.
Storm sits in the fine-dining tier at €€€, which typically means a smaller room and limited capacity for large parties. Groups of four or fewer are the safest bet. For larger gatherings of six or more, contact the restaurant well in advance — fine-dining venues at this level rarely have the floor space to seat big groups without prior arrangement.
HAUT runs at €€€€ and operates at a higher ambition level if you want full tasting-menu format. Bistro Mathilda and Brasserie David are lower-commitment options at a friendlier price point. Eaust is worth considering if you want something more casual. Storm sits in the middle — more considered than a bistro, less formal than a full Michelin Star restaurant.
Bar dining details are not documented for Storm. Given its fine-dining positioning and Michelin Plate status, the likely format is table service rather than a bar-dining program. Book a table rather than planning a walk-in bar experience.
Storm holds a Michelin Plate at €€€, which in Belgium typically calls for smart-casual at minimum — think neat trousers and a collared shirt rather than jeans and trainers. It is not a black-tie room, but showing up in beach wear from the Oostende seafront would be out of place. When in doubt, dress one step above what you would wear to a mid-range bistro.
Booking difficulty at Storm is rated Easy, but that does not mean walk-ins are reliable. For weekend dinners or special occasions, book at least one to two weeks ahead. Michelin Plate recognition draws a consistent crowd, and Oostende has limited alternatives at this quality level, so last-minute availability is less certain on busy coastal weekends.
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