What to eat in Bruges – 9 Restaurants we recommend

No matter how much Artificial Intelligence there is, it will never be able to make good recommendations on topics such as, what to eat in bruges to best restaurants in Bruges.

And you can't just go and try them like we did, so what you're going to see in this article is the personal opinion of someone who has traveled to Bruges and tried several restaurants.

The first thing we have to say is that we obviously haven't tried all the places to eat in Bruges.

It would be crazy to try, but we have been to quite a few.

The ones you will see on this list are the ones we recommend, having tried them.

If there is a restaurant that we have tried and we did not like or we do not recommend it, it simply does not appear on this list.

We also include two near Bruges in case you are interested in making one of the top visits that can be made, such as the town of Damme or the castle of Loppem.

If you want to see all the recommendations we make of places to see, here is our summary article, I warn you that it is very complete, because it includes routes of several days.

• 28 must-see things to do in Bruges

What to eat in Bruges

If we talk about the food in Bruges, it is obvious that we cannot link it only to the city itself, but we must also talk about the Bruges and Flanders region in general.

Throughout Belgium there are several typical dishes and products common throughout the country such as:

• Chocolate
• waffles
• Mussels with chips

But as you can understand, Belgians cannot feed on just that.

These are the best known, but if you do a little research, you will see that there are many more typical dishes.

Here are some of the lesser-known dishes from the gastronomy of the Bruges region and Flanders in general, but worth trying.

• Stewed meat with beer (there are two variants, beef stew y Flemish stew)
• The snails
• North Sea Shrimp Croquettes
• Puff pastries with chicken and mushrooms with white sauce
• Rabbit with plums

Typical food from Bruges

Chocolate and Waffle Shops

If you are passionate about craft chocolates, this is going to interest you...

On your walk through its streets you will find more than 50 boutique chocolate shops with very attractive showcases where you will see a wide variety of bonbons and chocolates, which you surely won't be able to resist.

Chocolate is one of the gastronomic traditions of Belgium, and of course in Bruges you have the best samples, and here you have more information

• Where to buy Belgian chocolates or pralines.

The other great reference in Bruges and all of Belgium if we are talking about sweets, are waffles.

And it's funny, and I don't know if it happens to those of you who have already been to the city, but every time I travel to Bruges I get the feeling that many streets smell like waffles.

It is not surprising because there are many shops, especially in some areas of the city.

Mussels with French Fries

Another of the star products of Belgian cuisine are mussels. So far, this is normal, the problem is that here when you order mussels they always serve them with fries.

It seems like a crazy combination, or so it seemed to us when we first heard about it. But they are two flavours that fit together perfectly.

It must be because of the salt, which is common in both products.

Either way, we recommend that you try them.

Mussels are usually ordered in various ways: they are served plain, with beer or with white wine, but there are other even stranger combinations such as curry or Roquefort.

Restaurants to eat in Bruges (Our recommendation)

Brasserie Raymond

Without a doubt the most spectacular restaurant we have eaten at in Bruges, the Brasserie Raymond.

A quality restaurant, I warn you that it is not cheap, but where we were able to try some typical Flemish dishes far from the usual clichés such as French fries, waffles or chocolate that we tried in other places.

In this restaurant behind the Market Square (Grote Markt), we were able to try dishes such as beef stewed in beer, snails or lobster in butter.

Three dishes that were spectacular and that we had been wanting to try for a long time.

And of course, they also have mussels, but if you visit this restaurant, definitely order the stewed meat.

• Price: 60 Euros/pers

Halve Maan Brewery

As I mentioned, right in front is the De Halve Maan brewery, a symbol of the city.

This place has a terrace where you can try the beer, but inside there is also a restaurant with very good prices.

We tried the cheese board with cold cuts, a battered fish and a meat pie with mushrooms and everything was very good.

A good place to eat in Bruges at a reasonable price.

And since you are at the brewery, I recommend that you sign up for the guided tour of the factory, which is very interesting.

This way you can find out the story of their underground beer pipeline, which we have a reel of on our social media if you want to see it.

• Price: 35 Euros/pers

The New Walnut

If you are going to eat in Bruges and want to try mussels and fries, we loved this place.

He had recommended it to us, but they even did it again in the same hotel.

And we have to admit that it did not disappoint us.

The New Walnut is located on Walplein square, directly opposite the De Halve Maan brewery.

Prices for a one kilo portion cost around 3 euros, depending on how they are cooked, but I warn you that it is better to share them because a kilo of mussels is too much for just one person. And I can tell you this from experience.

There are more dishes on the menu, but if you go to this restaurant, include the mussels, you won't regret it.

• Price: 45 Euros/pers

Vlissinghe, the oldest bar in Bruges

I really liked this place, and this is the oldest bar in all of Bruges.

It turned 500 years old in 2015, as this bar has been open since 1515.

Don't expect a big bar, quite the opposite. It's a small but very nice place with a lot of history, so much so that the bar has its own house beer and that's not just anyone who says it.

Where, by the way, if you fancy it, it is also a good place to eat in Bruges.

In addition to the main hall, it has a very pleasant terrace, a concept that is used a lot in the city.

On this terrace, don't be surprised to find people playing pétanque. Yes, I said pétanque, but it's actually a mix of Spanish pétanque and curling, in which the ball is replaced by a hard, circular object like a cheese.

• Price: 35 euros/pers

Laurence Take Away

If you want to try waffles, there are many places, even some that play with the shape of the waffles.

It's very difficult to tell you a particular place to try them, but we really like the ones they make at Laurence Take Away on Walstraat 4.

You can eat them inside or take them away to eat wherever you want.

When you order it you can choose a bunch of toppings to put on it, choose whatever you want but what they should always have is chocolate.

They also have a window that looks out onto the street where you can see how they make them, where they highlight the good rating they have on Tripadvisor.

• Price: EUR 5

Potato House

Just like waffles, you'll find French fries shops on almost every street.

But if I have to recommend a place to eat French fries in Bruges, it would definitely be Casa Patata, right in front of the Rosario bridge.

An emblematic place in the city, and perhaps that is why it is always full.

It's not just fries, you can add almost anything you want to combine it with, cheese, bacon, pulled pork, even vegan ones with lettuce and onion.

It is a good option if you want to eat something quick and cheap without wasting a lot of time.

Price: EUR 10

O-Bistro (Loppem)

If you come to Loppem to see its castle, which is one of the visits we always recommend making if you travel to Bruges, I recommend that you stop to eat at this restaurant before or after the visit.

It is a village restaurant but with a very careful style.

They have a small menu that includes a set menu in case you want to let them guide you.

We tried both options and everything was really good. We would definitely repeat.

• Price per person: Menu 29 euros

Mount (Damme)

It's funny because Damme is a tiny village, but there are plenty of restaurants. A clear sign that it's a must-see if you visit Bruges, even though it's 7 kilometres away.

But you are in the land of bicycles for a reason, as you can get there very quickly via a beautiful ride, which by the way can also be done on a steamboat.

But as far as gastronomy is concerned, we really liked the Mount restaurant.

A very pleasant family-run place with spectacular food.

Most people usually order the daily menu, and you can also watch it being prepared because it is an open kitchen.

2 or 3 dishes depending on your preference and a dessert.

They also have some dishes off the menu if you want to share them. The menu changes, but to give you an idea, when we went they offered us barbecued sardines.

The menu is very good, which is the option we chose.

A delicious shrimp ceviche as a starter and especially the second course, which was meat with a sweet potato puree and broccoli as a side dish.

• Price per person: 3-course menu 40 euros 

Bristro Dampierre (Damme)

Also in Damme, but not in the town but in the district, is this other restaurant that we loved.

We found out about it by chance because we went to sleep in a castle near Bruges and it was the best restaurant around.

A lovely couple runs this small but charming restaurant. And I say small because there were no more than 7 tables.

That's why you could see the detail with which all the dishes were made.

We let ourselves be guided and so we tried a couple of very good dishes.

The starter was a kind of toast but the base was like a crepe, with cooked ham, cream cheese, pickles and arugula (we could have had a second one because it was so good) and the second was a round with vegetables.

• Price per person: 45 euros