-
Off to Bruges this weekend on Eurostar via Brussels, first visit for both of us, grateful for any cafe/restaurant/bar recommendations please! In terms of local delicacies to try, I’m very keen on chocolate and OH is very keen on beer, so this should be a winning destination for us. Any additional sightseeing/general tips most welcome.
Dumon for the chocolate
Cafe vlissinghe for the pub/beer/local food
Mozart steakhouse for great steak/ribs etc. and more beer and atmosphereYou’ll struggle to go wrong with beer in Bruges.
‘t Brugs Beertje has a massive range, and I have a soft spot for Cambrinus (albeit a bit touristy).
You’ll struggle to go wrong with beer in Bruges.
You’ll struggle to go wrong with chocolate too.
Although I have to say my recent day trip to Metz surprised me with the amount and quality of patisseries and chocolate shops.
Bruge free walking tour was worth it, and worth the tip
We were there a couple of weeks ago for the day getting off a Virgin Cruise. Its a very walkable city which is full of Chocolate shops in the main.
We did stop for some lunch , I went for the mussels as did many around me and it did not disappoint. https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g188671-d741827-Reviews-T_Schrijverke-Bruges_West_Flanders_Province.html But there are plenty of other options , you can’t really go wrong.
And do the canal boat tour….
For dinner, Gran Kaffee De Passage a classic Flemish local institution, at lunchtime outdoors, the Duc de Bourgogne. As above, definitely a canal tour, climb the bell tower (need to book tickets, even in October) visit the nearby Church of the Holy Blood. Lots of other interesting places to visit as you wander around. While all the big chocolate names like Marcolini, Leonidas etc. are there you can get those in London, we liked Verheecke.
If you’ve not tried it before get a Kwak beer. There’s a bit if theatre around drinking it with the glass being held in a wooden frame.
If you’ve not tried it before get a Kwak beer. There’s a bit if theatre around drinking it with the glass being held in a wooden frame.
One of least favourite in terms of taste though unfortunately
Thanks all, really helpful. I had a couple of places suggested already on my list (Dumon, ‘t Brugs Beertje) but lots of new entries here. I’ve spent some time this morning researching and have been sufficiently inspired to spontaneously add an extra day to our trip to make the most of it!
@JDB While you can get Marcolini in London, they also sell many different products than in London, especially the freshly made cakes which they don’t do in London.
@JDB While you can get Marcolini in London, they also sell many different products than in London, especially the freshly made cakes which they don’t do in London.
Thank you, that’s useful to know. They also send directly from Belgium, next day. My wife is currently into Läderach chocolates though!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/FM68f87VUaZqKw2m7 was a lovely and charming place to have breakfast but it is small so might get full quickly.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JXkSSH8Hzef85XA1A is a nice place for lunch, with a fixed price set menu at the time I went in January.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/dwf21dWcJeM6KBZn8 is a cafe within a hair salon, and they serve excellent coffee.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/dzTKoAakjSCuBR4s7 was my favourite place to drink beer, with particularly strong recommendation for Fourchette. The bar closes very early though so make sure to check the hours before you go.
I have no idea what this place was called but on one of the small streets off the main square we found a sign that said the best hot chocolate you will ever try- we followed this up a flight of stairs, ended up in a cozy little tearoom type place, and it genuinely was one of the best hot chocolates I have ever had! So if you do come across that sign it is worth following it!
@JDB While you can get Marcolini in London, they also sell many different products than in London, especially the freshly made cakes which they don’t do in London.
Thank you, that’s useful to know. They also send directly from Belgium, next day. My wife is currently into Läderach chocolates though!
Qatar gave out a box with 2 Läderach chocs on landing at JNB but didn’t at DOH.
In late December we ate in “Mozart more than just ribs” or something… delicious and plentiful but do reserve in advance as many people were being turned away on the night.
Canal tour was great and per the above, do go up the belfry but reserve before. Even if you show up early, get yourself a ticket for later in the day (if they have availability in any case). You can get tickets at the machines underneath the actual belfry.
I’m not sure if it’s still the case in Belgium, but unlike France (and here?), they are still able to charge for still water as an option – ie not law to serve (free) tap water just yet.
Enjoy!
Several weeks on from returning from a lovely weekend in Bruges and grateful for all the recommendations here, I wanted to share some highlights.
OH and I travelled from London to Bruges on the Eurostar via Brussels, we’d booked seats in the last “£39 each way” sale with the “plus any Belgian station” add on ticket. It was our first time using the iProov app and we breezed through security at St Pancras, which was rammed as it was Friday night. We then enjoyed a cocktail and the extensive array of reading material in the lounge, courtesy of our Amex Plats. When we alighted at Brussels, it was a short walk to change platforms for the Bruges train, which was a double decker (still a novelty even having lived in Germany) and we had a whole upstairs of the carriage to ourselves. Note that there are two trains that go to Bruges, make sure you get the fast one via Ghent and not the 2hr 16 one.
The train to Bruges was just under an hour and arrived shortly before midnight, at which point we were very glad of the three minute walk from the station to the Radisson Blu. For what was needed (clean and comfortable base that we wouldn’t return to during the day), the Radisson ticked all the boxes, although the breakfast was a little bit underwhelming. The discounted app price for 3 nights in a standard room was 406EUR and was further discounted as we made use of the “spend £250 get £50 back” Amex cashback offer. It is less than a 20 minute walk into the city centre, and whilst on the map the hotel does look a little out on a limb, once you cross over the ring road you’re straight into the pretty cobbled streets of Bruges so it’s an enjoyable stroll.
Undoubtedly the cheapest way to see all the cultural highlights of Bruges is to buy the Musea Brugge Card https://www.museabrugge.be/en/museabruggecard. For 33EUR per adult (25Eur for 18-25, 17EUR for 13-17 and free for U12 except the Belfort), the card is valid for 72 hours at 9 of Bruges’ museums, including the Belfort, Groeningemuseum and Stadhuis. As an example, an individual adult ticket just for the Belfort is 15EUR so it’s a no brainer if you want to visit 3 or more sites. For the most popular sites (definitely Belfort) it’s worth making a free timeslot reservation on the Musea Brugge website once you’ve bought the card. We used this handy guide from the Telegraph’s travel section to visit the various sites in a logical order and picked up a couple of eating/drinking suggestions too: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/belgium/bruges/articles/bruges-travel-guide/
We had excellent local fare for lunch at Lion Belge (walk ins only, go early to get a table as it’s quite small) and my OH was in his element with the variety of beer on offer in ‘t Brugs Beertje and Huis De Cluuse. Dinner at Gran kaffee de Passage was top notch and an atmospheric setting with candles and stags heads on the walls. I was glad we booked in advance as they were turning people away. Other favourite spots were: De Proeverie tearoom, where we sat outside people watching and drinking the most delicious hot chocolate I’ve ever had in my life; Cafe Vlissinghe (oldest pub in Bruges) and Groot Vlaendere, a smart but cosy cocktail bar that serves a delicious “Belgian 75”.
It was refreshing to not take any form of transport other than walking (and a boat trip down the canal!) for our whole stay, and we found all the hospitality staff and tour guides etc that we encountered to be very friendly and helpful. We bought plenty of beer and chocolate (Dumon) to bring home. Already itching to go back, yesterday I booked tickets in the Eurostar 30% off sale. The plan is to stay in Ghent this time, and the London – Brussels return for the two of us in Eurostar Plus was £254 total, happy with that!
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
