September 24, 2011
Nothing special, decent food and a extensive list of Belgian Macrobrews, and widely available specialties. Medium service. Typicall coastal restaurant.

September 13, 2011
On a damp bank holiday Monday in June, as a roundabout way of getting back to Calais, we decided to drive the length of the Belgian coast (only 66km) and stop off at a few places on the way. Where there aren’t sand dunes, much of the coast is dominated by a seemingly endless succession of holiday apartment blocks and seafront cafés, especially at the eastern end. Fortunately we had Tim Webb’s Good Beer Guide to Belgium to hand and started in Knokke-Heist with lunch at Schildia, where, amazingly, we found the only parking space in a long drag available right outside! We sat in the outdoor “room” on decking under three big square umbrellas, right on the beach, looking out onto the beige sand, beach huts and steel grey sea with Zeebrugge docks in the middle distance. The patio is separated from the main restaurant by a promenade populated by wind-tanned holidaymakers and children of all ages pedalling along on four wheeled cycles. Inside, there’s an area with a wrap-round window to the left where there are bare tables with comfy chairs upholstered in velour and to the right there’s a more formal dining area – tables set with cloths, napkins and glasses – decorated with a seashell motif. There are about five taps and 190 bottles, listed by region. They serve nibbles with drinks and a good choice of meals, with an emphasis on steaks and fish, together with snacks such as cheese, sausage, omelettes, pancakes and ices. The service was efficient, if unsmiling, until it was time to pay and then the waiter disappeared as so often seems to be the case. The Michelin green guides rate places as "worth a trip", "worth a detour" and "interesting". I wouldn’t say that Schildia is worth a special trip but if you happen to be in the area it’s certainly worth a visit. (Visited 13 June 2011).