After being blown away last year by the beauty of Bruges at Christmas, the fairytale Northern Belgian town of just 117,000 people topped the to-do list when my mum and I were deciding where to go on a Christmas market slash birthday weekend city break.
Thankfully, my mum seemed to love the lights and festive atmosphere of the UNESCO World Heritage Site city just as much as I did.
Top 3 Places to Eat & Drink in Bruges
And as it was my mum’s birthday, we really wanted every meal to be special. Luckily, we chanced upon some of the most idyllic restaurants, cafés and bars – all of which I hope to return to one day and can only hope that you will give them a try too!
Where to Eat in Bruges
1. Blackbird
Starting your day in the city with a white chocolate and pecan infused coffee at the Blackbird Café will instantly immerse you in the charming elegance of Bruges.
Chairs embellished with soft wool blankets and twinkling lights coming from the fireside Christmas tree and hanging bird-cage lampshades give the Blackbird a calm and fun atmosphere that I hope is for life and not just for Christmas!
Open from 9:00am – 17:00pm (Tuesday – Saturday; from 10:00am – 13:00pm on Sundays) the Blackbird offers individual menus for breakfast, lunch, and tea-time but thankfully their coffee is available at all times of the day.
Address: Jan van Eyckplein 7, 8000 Brugge
Opening hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 9:00am – 17:00pm; Sunday: 10:00am – 13:00pm
2. ‘t Lammetje
Unassuming from the outside, bistro restaurant ‘t Lammetje turned out to be a cosy, family run restaurant with a fantastic menu.
As our one big restaurant meal in Bruges, my mum and I paid €22.00 each for mussels and white wine with fries (prices for natural moules et frites begins at €19) and €7 per glass of Prosecco.
The mussels were delicious, and the service provided by the restaurant’s owner was so kind and gentle that we were sad to say goodbye to him and his friends sat a few tables over! So whilst the meal was a little pricier than I would like, the atmosphere and staff were well worth it.
Address: Huidenvettersplein 1, 8000 Brugge
Opening Hours: Not specified
Where to Drink in Bruges
3. ‘t Poatersgat
As we walked from the north of Bruges towards Markt Square on our first morning, a tiny little door on the left of Vlamingstraat caught our eye. Nestled in to the facade of an old monastery at foot level was a half moon door with no identification on it.
Thinking it was cute, but soon forgetting about it as the day began, we were shocked when we passed by the small cellar door again that evening to find it open to 80s music and fluorescent lights.
At first we were hesitant to see what lay below the steps. The words ‘smaak café’ were written at the entrance which instantly draws to mind the coffee shops of Amsterdam just across the border.
As it turns out, ‘smaak café’ actually means ‘tasting bar’ in Dutch and refers to the 120 Belgian beers offered in the converted Monastery cellar below! The owner was working behind the bar, and when he wasn’t incredibly helpful in helping two women who know nothing about beer choose a drink for the evening he was telling us the story of how the cellar of the monastery became his bar.
Address: Vlamingstraat 82, 8000 Brugge
Opening hours: 17:00 – late
So there you have my top three suggestions which will hopefully help you treat yourself to the best breakfast, dinner and evening out on your next trip to Bruges!
And if you want to see what else we got up to, make sure to click below on my Bruges Travel Vlog below…
Do you have a favourite place to eat or drink in Bruges? Let us know in the comments!
Lots of love,
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