Food · Bruges · Belgium
What to eat in Bruges
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Bruges, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Moules-frites, Frites and Flemish stew. Small beer cafés in the centre stock hundreds of Belgian beers; ask staff to guide you from a light blonde through Trappist ales to a sour Flanders red. Restaurants on the Markt charge for the setting; eat a street or two away for better value.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Moules-frites
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Service is included in Belgian restaurant prices.
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Dish
1.Moules-frites
A black pot of mussels steamed with celery, onion and white wine, served with frites; mussels from Zeeland are the classic choice and are traditionally best from late summer through winter.
Where: Brasseries around the Markt and the Burg; restaurants a street or two away usually offer better value.
Street food
2.Frites
Twice-fried Belgian chips served in a paper cone with mayonnaise or other sauces, often eaten standing in the square.
Where: The two frites stalls at the foot of the Belfry on the Markt, and neighbourhood frituurs away from the centre.
Dish
3.Flemish stew (Stoofvlees / Stoverij)
Beef braised for hours in brown or sour-red Flemish beer with onions, mustard and spiced bread until it falls apart; served with frites.
Where: Traditional Flemish restaurants and brasseries across the old town.
Dish
4.Waterzooi
A creamy Flemish stew of chicken or fish with leeks, carrots and potatoes in an egg-and-cream broth.
Where: Flemish restaurants in the centre, especially in the colder months.
Dish
5.Eel in green sauce (Paling in 't groen)
Pieces of eel cooked in a vivid green sauce of sorrel, parsley, chervil and other herbs, a traditional Flemish riverside dish.
Where: Traditional Flemish restaurants in Bruges and the surrounding villages, including Damme.
Dessert · Vegetarian
6.Pralines and chocolate
Bruges has dozens of chocolate shops, from traditional praline makers to experimental chocolatiers using spices, flowers and even savoury flavours.
Where: Independent chocolatiers on Katelijnestraat, Wollestraat and around Simon Stevinplein; compare a few before you buy.
Snack · Vegetarian
7.Kletskoppen
Paper-thin, lacy biscuits of butter, sugar and almonds, baked until crisp and caramelised. Bruges is known for its version.
Where: Bakeries and biscuit shops in the old town; they are sold in tins as gifts.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Waffles (Wafels)
Crisp rectangular Brussels waffles dusted with sugar or dense, caramelised Liège waffles made with pearl sugar, sold from stands and tea rooms.
Where: Tea rooms around the Markt and stands along Katelijnestraat and Steenstraat.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Bruges beers
De Halve Maan brews the blonde Brugse Zot and the strong Straffe Hendrik in the city centre, and Bourgogne des Flandres, a sweet-sour red-brown ale, is also brewed in Bruges.
Where: De Halve Maan's brewery café on the Walplein and beer cafés across the old town.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Jenever
The juniper-flavoured spirit that preceded gin, served chilled in a small tulip glass, either young (jonge) or aged (oude), sometimes flavoured with fruit.
Where: Traditional cafés and specialist jenever bars in the old town.
Food experiences
Beer café tasting
Small beer cafés in the centre stock hundreds of Belgian beers; ask staff to guide you from a light blonde through Trappist ales to a sour Flanders red.
Brewery tour at De Halve Maan
Climb through the family brewery's historic rooms to its rooftop, then taste Brugse Zot in the courtyard where it is brewed.
Chocolate shop crawl
Compare pralines from traditional makers and adventurous chocolatiers along Katelijnestraat, Wollestraat and the streets around Simon Stevinplein.
Wednesday market on the Markt
The weekly market brings cheese, bread, fruit, flowers and rotisserie chickens to the main square, an easy picnic stop.
Quick bites and street food
- Frites — The two frites stalls at the foot of the Belfry on the Markt, and neighbourhood frituurs away from the centre.
- Kletskoppen — Bakeries and biscuit shops in the old town; they are sold in tins as gifts.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Pralines and chocolate, Kletskoppen, Waffles, Bruges beers and Jenever. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Restaurants on the Markt charge for the setting; eat a street or two away for better value.
- Many restaurants close one or two days a week and between lunch and dinner, so check before walking across town.
- Book dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings, when overnight visitors fill the best restaurants.
- Tap water is safe, but restaurants usually serve bottled water unless you ask for tap.
- Belgian beers are often 8% or stronger; order a smaller glass if you plan to try several.
Tipping
Service is included in Belgian restaurant prices. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated but optional, and tipping in cafés and bars is not expected.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Goeiedag | Hello / good day |
| Dank u wel | Thank you very much |
| Alstublieft | Please / here you are |
| De rekening, alstublieft | The bill, please |
| Schol! | Cheers! |
| Tot ziens | Goodbye |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Bruges famous for?
Moules-frites, Frites, Flemish stew and Waterzooi. A black pot of mussels steamed with celery, onion and white wine, served with frites; mussels from Zeeland are the classic choice and are traditionally best from late summer through winter.
+Is Bruges good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Pralines and chocolate, Kletskoppen and Waffles.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Bruges?
Service is included in Belgian restaurant prices. Rounding up or leaving a few euros for good service is appreciated but optional, and tipping in cafés and bars is not expected.