If you want to eat at the best restaurants in Bruges, it’s worthwhile seeking out all the Michelin star establishments. To save you the legwork, this guide details 15 of the city’s top eateries.
It includes those boasting a Michelin star, a Bib Gourmand award or a recommendation in the Michelin Guide.
So what’s the difference, you may well ask. A Michelin-starred restaurant is a destination in itself, worth visiting for what could be one of the top gastronomic experiences of your life.
You can also expect culinary excellence at a Bib Gourmand awarded eatery, at good value prices.
If you cannot get a table at a restaurant boasting either of these awards, then a Michelin-recommended eatery is the next best thing.
Selected restaurants in this category are recommended by the Michelin Guide. Each is featured due to the high quality of its cuisine.
Whether you want classic French with a contemporary twist, Pan-Asian, Sicilian or an authentic taste of the Belgian countryside, you can find all the best restaurants in Bruges right here.
Just remember when you’re here that the local language is a West Flemish dialect based on Dutch. So you’re just as likely to get by as a visitor with English as French.
Here are the 15 best Michelin starred, Bib Gourmand awarded or Michelin recommended restaurants in Bruges.
2 Michelin-star restaurants in Bruges
Zet’Joe by Geert Van Hecke
Langestraat 11, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
Food served at Geert Van Hecke’s Bruges restaurant is described by the Michelin Guide as ‘creative French’. So diners can expect culinary classics with a contemporary twist.
Sauces are a particular highlight, and the depth of flavour impressive.
Menus at Zet’Joe are simple: there’s Le Plat Pays or Brugge Die Scone to choose between.
Each typically offers two to three picks per course, and both are based around the freshest available produce for each season.
Each course on the menu includes a meat-free option. This may be matched to the version containing fish or meat.
For example, diners may order asparagus served with salmon or with morels and peas, which is a great idea for those who wish to share a similar culinary experience.
Sans Cravate
Langestraat 159, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
Curvaceous white crockery ensures that the focus at Sans Cravate is firmly on the food. And, as you would expect, the presentation is incredibly photogenic.
Top-notch ingredients form the basis of the menus, which vary between weekdays and weekends.
The restaurant is located behind a shop and wine bar, giving the eatery a cosy ambience and the air of a well-concealed secret.
There is also a suite on-site for those who want to prolong the experience of dining at one of the top restaurants in Bruges.
Set menus are offered here, with six and seven course options available. All courses are innovative, well-balanced and a beauty to behold.
Lots of fresh seafood is generally a key feature, including house specialities like scallop with curry sauce and Dover sole with white truffle and brown shrimp.
4 Bib Gourmand restaurants in Bruges
Tou.Gou
Smedenstraat 47, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
If you appreciate a down-to-earth approach and food that’s packed with flavour, then Tou.Gou could be the pick of the Bruges restaurant bunch for you.
The menu has a countryside theme, featuring classic French favourites like partridge, snails and tripe.
Presentation is pretty but unfussy, and the service is superb. A sleek, pared-back decor combined with plain white crockery really makes the food sing.
Diners praise the food for its authenticity and deliciousness, while the ambience is relaxed and welcoming.
As well as rustic, meaty dishes there are lighter options, including courses where fresh seafood is the undisputed star of the show.
Before or after dinner you can also perch at the bar. It’s an ideal place to enjoy a drink in a laid-back yet chic environment.
Locàle by Kok au Vin
Ezelstraat 21, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
Another leading light on the Bruges country cooking scene is Locàle by Kok au Vin.
This Bib Gourmand eatery is more of a casual bistro than a formal restaurant. Dishes are delivered to the table on chunky crockery that calls to mind the European countryside.
It’s a theme that’s also reflected in the menu, which works in harmony with the seasons and the local environment to create various culinary delights.
The chef’s use of a Mibrasa charcoal oven also ensures each and every dish is imbibed with unique flavour.
The setting is also entirely unstuffy, with leather-clad banquettes, lots of natural wood and plenty of light.
Walk-ins are also accepted here subject to availability, though advance booking is recommended to avoid disappointment.
Assiette Blanche
Philipstockstraat 23, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
The wood-clad walls and soft leather booth seating at Assiette Blanche give this Bruges eatery something of an old-school air as well as a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere.
The food also combines the classic and the contemporary to create modern cuisine that is, of course, presented on slick white plates.
A special Bib Gourmand menu is offered, featuring three or four courses, and supplements are payable for some options.
All dishes are a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. They arrive beautifully presented with garnishes crafted from fresh herbs, edible flowers or delicate leaves.
Refter
Molenmeers 2, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
Looks can be deceiving – the slightly tatty Turkish carpet combined with industrial-style shelving and lighting at Refter could perhaps give the impression that this Bruges restaurant might not deliver on flavour.
The food, however, is flawless, and the main dining room has a more upmarket, refined feel.
For those seeking a fuss-free culinary experience that’s all about top quality ingredients, palate-pleasing flavours and great value for money.
7 Michelin recommended restaurants in Bruges
L.E.S.S.
‘t Zand 21, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
The name of this former Michelin star restaurant in Bruges is an acronym. So what does it stand for? Love, Eat, Share and Smile.
A simple ethos embraced by this eatery that exists to make the finest gourmet food accessible to all.
L.E.S.S. is most certainly more when it comes to sharing delicious dishes that pull together influences from around the globe, including the culinary traditions of the far east.
Dining is informal, and often centred on the counter.
The menu at L.E.S.S. includes gluten-free and vegan options. Plus, there is a focus on creating a gastronomic experience that nourishes the body as well as the soul.
Typical dishes featured on the menu include deconstructed sushi, glazed eel with sorrel and black sesame ice cream with butterscotch.
Le Mystique
N. Desparsstraat 11, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
The grandest of dining rooms resplendent with red velvet, ornate cornicing, twinkling chandeliers and parquet flooring promise a special dining experience at Le Mystique. The reality does not disappoint.
Cuisine served here is creative and uses ingredients from all over the globe, while the setting screams special occasion.
Order a bottle of French champagne and live it up while the team wow your senses with a delectable and very photogenic range of dishes.
Four, five or six course menus are offered and these can be accompanied by wine pairings. There is even the option of ‘a driver’s sip’ for motorists who don’t want to miss out.
Goesepitte 43
Goezeputstraat 43, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
Goesepitte 43 introduces something of a tropical ambience to central Bruges.
The decor is awash with bold, colourful prints and potted plants while the outdoor garden features parasols topping each table.
As at Big Gourmand awarded Locàle by Kok au Vin, a charcoal Mibrasa oven is used here to infuse every baked dish with a unique flavour.
Dishes also centre around vegetables, with inspiration coming from market-fresh produce as well as contemporary French cuisine.
This doesn’t mean that meat and fish are absent, however: far from it. This small, 20 cover restaurant showcases ingredients like cockles, suckling pig, veal and the catch of the day to sample.
All before trying Michelin’s must: the Crêpe Normande served with homemade ice cream.
Den Gouden Harynck
Groeninge 25, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
Den Gouden Harynck is another former Michelin star restaurant in Bruges.
Despite no longer carrying this accolade, it offers the chance of sampling an unforgettable culinary feast served in the elegant dining room.
The decor here is monochrome enhanced by pops of subtle colour.
Two Market Menus are offered at Den Gouden Harynck. These comprise three or four courses available on differing days of the week.
Dishes include restaurant favourites and new culinary concoctions, giving every individual diner a rounded flavour of what’s on offer.
Seasonal dishes served here include ingredients such as scallops, lobster, hare and lamb, and vegetarian options are also offered.
Service is attentive yet relaxed and the restaurant is located centrally, close to the cathedral.
Komteuveu
Gentpoortstraat 51, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
While perhaps not for the pickiest of diners, Komteuveu offers a unique and creative culinary experience to those who don’t mind choosing between a couple of options for each course.
Menus are available as three, four or five course dinners. The two longer options are reserved for Saturday evenings only.
Matching wines can be bought by the glass to pair with each course, and diners can expect options made with fresh ingredients like langoustines, mackerel, corn-fed chicken or the catch of the day.
The menu is switched each season to reflect the rhythm of the farming calendar.
The flickering fireplace and cosy interior add a touch of romance to Konteuveu that makes it well worth reserving for a special night out.
Ventura
Koningin Elisabethlaan 48, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
If you feel like sampling some Italian cuisine while in West Flanders, then Ventura is the number one place to come.
This welcoming eatery is run by an Italian couple devoted to sharing the dishes of their homeland. This authentic experience is nothing like what you’d find at your local trattoria or pizzeria.
The four course menu offers antipasti such as rib-eye carpaccio or veal with tuna sauce. While for your primi course you can pick between a range of mouthwatering, freshly-prepared pasta dishes.
Moving onto secondi you may enjoy sampling the likes of beef tagliata or an oven-baked risotto. Don’t miss the chance to try proper tiramisu or delicate Sicilian pastries.
Guillaume
Korte Lane 20, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
If your tastebuds are tickled by the idea of a dining experience the Michelin Guide describes as ‘interesting’, then don’t miss out on trying Guillaume.
Located in a traditional Flemish residence, this restaurant is generous, welcoming and passionate about food.
The titles given to the menus give you some clue as to the eccentricities of the owners: there’s Kinky Kreeft (lobster), Crazy Creations and the three course Lovely Lunch.
These creations are not so crazy when experienced on the palate, working together in harmony to ensure a pleasing taste sensation.
They are perhaps unexpected, though, as epitomised by potatoes stuffed with shrimp, ham and buttermilk. Make sure you leave room for a ‘surprising’ dessert.
Lieven
Philipstockstraat 45, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
Lieven – it’s like a little bit of heaven in Bruges if you want to sample what the experts at Michelin call ‘market cuisine’.
This Bruges eatery is contemporary within, featuring a charcoal palate offset by lots of blonde wood and a twisting, spiral staircase. Original beamed ceilings add a touch of olde-worlde charm.
Lieven’s focus is on wholesome food free from unnecessary fancy flourishes.
It’s a very popular place to be every lunchtime when locals and visitors flock here to enjoy the laid-back hospitality and hearty, fresh fare.
To dine here is to feel you’ve discovered a carefully guarded secret, so get in quick while it stays that way.
Patrick Devos
Zilverstraat 41, Brugge, 8000, Belgium
Patrick Devos is housed in a traditional and painstakingly preserved Flemish house. While the food centres firmly on what the local area can provide.
Best of all for those who avoid meat is the fact that the dedicated Vegan Sana menu is available here.
Both that and the Alliance menu deliver on flavour. There are intriguing ingredients like fermented vegetables, weever fish and verbena to ensure diners can sample something new.
A special lunch menu is also served, and this three course deal can include wine, water and coffee if required; alternatively wines are available by the glass.
Looking for more Bruges travel inspiration? Have a read of my Bruges travel guide, discover the best things to do in Bruges or find the best luxury hotels in Bruges.
To explore other cities, discover the best cities in Belgium to visit or read my comparison guide to Brussels or Bruges.
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