Although lobster is a classic delicacy for Belgian New Year celebrations, the best seafood restaurants in Brussels have been promoting the New Season lobster since 1999.

Produced in the cold, clear waters of Nova Scotia, this hardshell specialty is harvested at the beginning of spring when its white flesh is at its meatiest. And as Belgium is the biggest European consumer of live Canadian lobster, importing one million kilos a year, last year the Canadian authorities decided to initiate a nationwide feast to promote their number one seafood export.

This year the festival has expanded further into the Flemish region where diners will have the opportunity to enjoy the delicacy at one of 17 participating restaurants along the coast, six in Antwerp, 10 in the Ghent area, 10 in the Kortrijk/Roeselare region and eight in Limburg province.

The 27 restaurants in Brussels include nine in the former fish market area of Sint-Katelijn and Vismarkt.

Lobster is often enjoyed all summer, most frequently boiled up at home and served warm with melted butter, but many of the participating restaurants are headed by master chefs, so expect everything from glorious seafood platters to the most sophisticated and luxurious of lobster preparations.