Restaurants are not always cheap or wonderful; sad to say that Belgian cuisine is a long way behind French in terms of variety, although mussels and frites or fricadellen, frites with mayonnaise are outstanding here. Stay away from the central market place ("Grote Markt") and the Burg Square (e.g. the Tom Pouce Restaurant) when eating. Tourists are easy victims here. One tactic used by tourist traps is to present items (e.g. bread) as if they were free with your meal, then charge you exorbitantly for them.
You will, however, find great food if you wander off the beaten track. Find a street with more locals than tourists and ask somebody. The locals will be glad to help.
A lot of places do not open until 1800hrs.
Brasserie Forestière, Academiestraat. Nice and calm restaurant, good food, not too expensive. Good menu for vegetarians. Meal of the day (soup, main dish, dessert or coffee/tea) costs € 11 although this is the cheapest menu it has little choice. �
De Drie Zintuigen, Westmeers 29, ☎ 050-34-09-94. Off the beaten track but not far from all the bars, this lovely restaurant does more than moules et frites. Prices are about €30 a head and the atmosphere is nice too. �
L'estaminet, at the Astrid Park. Good food, nice terrace, cool bartender. Try the renowned spaghetti for €8 or the delicious croque monsieur. �
La Romagna, Braambergstraat 8. Excellent family-run Italian restaurant and pizzeria. Inexpensive. Good menu for vegetarians. �
In't Nieuw Museum, Hooistraat 42, ☎ 050331280, . Belgian grill restaurant, well off the tourist track. Excellent steaks, reasonable prices. �
De Bottelier, Ezelstraat (close to Sint-Jacobsstraat). I live in Bruges and it has always been my favorite restaurant. Very reasonable prices and excellent food. Closed Sunday and Monday nights. �
Tom's Diner, West Gistelhof 23. Fantastic upscale take on satisfying, home cooked food. Prices are reasonable, as well. �
Kok au Vin, Ezelstraat 19/21. The Kok au Vin was memorable (both the entre AND the restaurant); the prices are reasonable for the high quality. Family owned and run. Reservations recommended. �
Restaurant Aneth, . With only 7 tables, we like to keep it small and cosy, with a personal touch. �
Brasserie Medard, Sint-Amandsstraat 18. Huge deal for low budget just near the centre: a mountain of (tasty) spaghetti with tomato sauce, cheese, and mushrooms for 3 EUR. Two options on the menu: vegetarian, non-vegetarian - both at the same price. Double its size for just 2 EUR extra. Unbeatable. Very cheap beer too (kriek at 1,50 EUR). Most tables order the spaghetti. Tourists aren't welcome until they sit - be sure to sit down and impose your presence to be served. Be warned that if you wait to be seated, you are likely to be sent away for no reason. Bring your own musical instruments. �
De Karmeliet. �
t' Gulden Vlies, Mallebergplaats 17, ☎ 050-334709. 7PM-3AM. An excellent night restaurant. Small romantic restaurant east of the Burg with excellent food and reasonable prices.Menus from 16 €. �
Cambrinus, Philipstockstraat 19 (near the market place), ☎ +32 50 332-328, . 11:00-23:00 daily. This is a very popular place, and for a reason. They have some of the best selection of Belgian beers, more than 440 in total. Some beers have really odd names like Satan, Lucifer, Nostradamus, or the Brunette. It's primarily a restaurant though, as all their hearty food are prepared with a special kind of beer. It's really delicious. Mains go for €17-19, but they also have the €26 prix fixe "Menu van de Brouwer", which features several Trappist beers. Make a reservation in advance, as else they might not have any seats available.€25-30. �
Le Pain Quotidien, 21 Philipstockstraat. A sandwich chain founded in Brussels but now found in the U.S., France and a number of other countries. Most of the food is organic, and the sandwiches (in particular the Tartine Bouef Basilic) are delicious. Somewhat expensive. �
Maximiliaan van Oostenrijk, Wijngaardplein 16-17, ☎ +32 0(50) 33 47 23, . Midrange restaurant offering plenty to eat including oysters and meat cooked several ways, plus of course frites. There is not much for vegetarians. �
Grand Cafe Passage, Dweersstraat 26, ☎ +32 (0)50 340232, . Attached to the Passage hotel/hostel (see below) is the atmospheric Grand Cafe, serving traditional Belgian cuisine and beers. Prices are slightly lower than the tourist traps and well worth it. Try the beef stew (very tender) or the ribs. �
Trattoria Trium, Academiestraat 27, ☎ 050333060, . This is a great spot to have a nice dish of pasta or pizza and is fully Italian. They also sell olive oil, pasta sauces and other authentic products. The decor has a warm home feeling. Try out their antipasto and the excellent house wine. € 15 - € 20. �
Bittersweet, St Amandstraat 27 (close to the Grote Markt and Belfry), ☎ 050 34 87 69. Tue-Sat 9-6:30. 'Cosy and Delicious' just like it says. Great for breakfast and indulgent afternoon teas. Reasonable prices, better quality and friendlier service than the tourist traps on the Markt, it's well worth the short walk down this quaint side street. Also serves the best coffee in the city! �
Den Gouden Harynck, Groeninge 25, ☎ 050337637, . Gastronomic restaurant which offers three course meals at very reasonable prices. �
Laurenzino, Noordzandstraat 1, ☎ +32 50 333-213, . Su-Th 11:00-20:00, F 11:00-22:00, Sa 10:00-22:00. This is a good place to try out freshly baked Belgian waffles. They have them with chocolate, caramel, whipped cream or basically anything you want on top of it. They also have traditionally prepared ice cream available. It's easy to find, as you can smell the flavour of the waffles around the shop.€2. �
Chocolaterie Spegelaere, Ezelstraat 92, ☎ 050/336052. Bruges Best Kept Secret, I place for chocolate-lovers. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Bruges
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Bruges - updated May 2024
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