Ask any local: September is the best month in Bruges. The summer crowds have gone, the weather is still mild, and the mussels are at their peak.

Mosselen-friet (mussels and fries) is practically a national ritual. A kilo of mussels — steamed in white wine with celery, onion, and a bay leaf — served in a black pot with a mountain of fries on the side. You use an empty shell as tweezers to pull each mussel from its shell. It's messy, social, and deeply satisfying.

The mussels come from Zeeland, just across the Dutch border. September and October are when they're fattest and most flavourful. Earlier in the summer they're smaller and can be slightly sandy.

For the best mosselen in Bruges, avoid the Markt restaurants. Den Dyver on the Dijver does excellent mussels cooked in Belgian beer. De Stove on Kleine Sint-Amandsstraat is a tiny restaurant — eight tables — that does a seasonal menu where mussels feature prominently in autumn.

Some restaurants offer moules à volonté (all-you-can-eat mussels) in season. It sounds excessive, but a kilo of mussels is actually less food than it looks — the shells make up most of the weight.

Pair with a dry white beer or, if you want to go local, a Brugse Zot blond. The citrus notes cut through the richness of the mussels perfectly.