Fairytale Dining in Bruges: 8 Magically Delicious Places on a Budget

“BRUGES, It’s a motha[fudgin’] fairytale.”BRUGES

Ok, I might’ve tweaked the movie quote justtt a bit. But it’s really true. Warning- you might have your Disney ending and fall in love in this fairytale city. OR, you might not. But one thing is for sure. You WILL fall in love with the food.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

It’s got everything you’d want in your [hungry] dreams come true: The most decadentย chocolate in the world, golden waffles galore, the cutest little quaint coffee shops, a French fry MUSEUM (education and food combined? yes.) and… lasagna? Yes, you heard me. Who knew Belgium loved lasagna so much…

BUT THERE’S A CATCH. Fairytale’s don’t come cheap. In fact, if you don’t find the right places, your fairytale might turn into a “OH [fudge], WHAT HAPPENED TO MY TRAVEL SAVINGS?!?” nightmare. The food is expensive. But if youย follow these cheapย and delicious places, you can eat your fudgeย and afford a train ticket home. Nightmare, avoided.

Now. Close your eyes, tap your feet together three times, and think happy thoughts…

OPEN. Yourย fairytale will begin at…

1.) THEย CAFE:ย Li O LaitOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Why:ย I acquired a quick habit of starting my day off here, with the most FABULOUS craft coffees, adorably quaint ambience, delicious gourmet bagels, and homemade fruit n’ muesli. And the baristas are just the nicest, most smiley people ever.ย Starting your day off around smiley people is a recipe for a wonderful day. Besides, in fairytale’s everyone is always happy. Even in the morning.

What to order:ย The iced vanilla macchiato is TO-DIE-FOR. And their homemade muesli (made with love) and topped off with fresh fruit and yogurt is a perfect way to start your day (and save room for lots of bigfatNhappy foodย to come). See below.

Price: 5โ‚ฌ-9โ‚ฌ for coffee and breakfast (bagel/muesli/etc.)

Find it: Dweerstraat 30

2.) FAIRYTALEย WAFFLES: OyyaOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Why: ย From Brussels to Bruges, my search continued to find the best Belgium waffle. And THIS WAFFLE. holy decadence. In contrast to the sit-down “tea room” waffleย experience suggested in Brussels,this is the exact opposite. Grab your waffle on the go, and eat it like an ice cream cone out of a cardboard plate. This waffle takes the cake (or waffle, I should say) for the best flavor and consistency. Crunchy on the outside, a light vanilla-ey batter flavor, and substantial enough to hold up to as many high calorie toppings as you want. Start mentally preparing NOW.

What to order: THE CHERRIES AND CREAM TOPPING. Tart and sweet is just the perfect combo. It’s like the good witch and the bad witch working together to get Dorothy home.

Price:ย 4โ‚ฌ

Find it:ย Noordzandstraat 1

3.) YOUR BEST [FUDGIN’] DREAM:ย The Chocolate CrownOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Why:ย I stumbled into this place accidentally. What brought me in? Well, I was walking down the famous Rozenhoedkaai street, lined by canals and lil’ Snow White-esque brick cottages. Suddenly, the wafting smell of chocolate sneakily escaped through a door, into my nose, took overย my entire body, and madeย me weak at the knees. LOL. Dramatic? Maybe a bit. But that smell. I just couldn’t resist. So I walked in andย ordered a DARK hot chocolate (you can choose from milk, white or dark). And lemme tell you, this ain’t no Nesquick mix. They heat up milk, take a HUGE chunk of chocolate on a stick, and stir it right on in. And Voilรก! I then learned that they are one of the only chocolate places in Bruges that is not a chain, and made right in Bruges. So I proceeded to buy a whole bag of chocolates (to take home for my mom, of course…).

What to order:ย The dark hot chocolate of course! Or if your not into that kinda thing, the milk and white chocolate is good too. And drink it by the canal. It’s the fairytale way.

Price:ย 3โ‚ฌ

Find it:ย Huidenvettersplein 13

5.) THE BEST (REALLY) CHEAP, ON-THE-GO MEAL: BoccaOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Why:ย It’s quick, it’s cheap, it’s out of a box, and it’s delicious. Pick your sauces, toppings, and spice level. Add your pasta and cheese of choice, and bon appetit. Expect to see lots of local University students eating there! And strike up a conversation if your feeling friendly; college kids are super nice in fairytale land.

What to order:ย I mixed the spicy primavera with the 4 cheese sauce. Success.

Price:ย 5โ‚ฌ for a box.

Find it:ย Dweersstraat 13

6.) YOUR BELGIUM DINNER-DREAM COME TRUE:ย GanzespelOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Why:ย It’s extremely difficult to find a cheapย place to have a nice, sit down dinner in Bruges. If your in the center, it’s basically impossible. After lots of research and local chit chat, I dug this goldmine up. It’s located in a little dark alley, with the red doorย being the only visual attraction on the street. You walk inside, and its like your in your Belgium Grandma’s living room. Or, in fairytale terms, Big Bad Granny Wolf’s living room. And don’t you worry, Big Bad Granny Wolf will fatten you right up. You can even hear/ smell her cooking from the other room. Homey, authentic, delicious, and cheap… soup included!

What to order:ย The menu changes weekly, but I ordered salmon lasagna. (There you go again with your lasagna, Belgium…) It was INCREDIBLE. Funny story actually. My friend ordered the delicious “house” meatball dish. He licked the plate clean, and proceeded to order a second meal of the salmon lasagna, because it was just so damn good (And he wasn’t even hungry). Granted, this is a total American thing to do, and the Belgium waitress looked at us like we had 9 heads. But she served us the second entree merrily…AND didn’t charge us for it. Now that’s fine dining.

Price: Aboutย 10โ‚ฌ-17โ‚ฌ a plate. For a real meal, this isย extraordinarilyย cheap in Bruges.

Find it:ย Ganzenstraat, 37 (Be prepared to walk. It’s way “off-the-beaten-path” in a little side street. But TOTALLY worth the walk. )

7.) FOR YOURย BELGIUM BEERYTALE:ย Staminee De GarreOLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Why:ย It’s known as “the bar in the alley.” And that’s exactly what it is. This hidden little bar, tucked away at the end of a tiny little cobble stone “street” is famous among the locals. You’ll find everything from couples dining, University students drinking beers before a night out, or 50-year-old beerย connoisseur’s congregating aroundย the bar. They have the biggest Trappist selection in town (Belgium beer brewed in monasteries by monks. Yes, monks.) and the best selection of locally brewed beers in the entire city. If your lucky, theyย mightย even have in stock “West Vale Tween:” Formally known as THE BEST BEER IN THE WORLD.

What to order:ย The classic Bruges beer is the Brugse Zot. My personal fave is the Westmalle Trappist. It’s strong, dark, but not too bitter. And if they have West Vale Tween, get it. It’s 11โ‚ฌ, but then again it’s the best beer in the world. So, ya can’t complain.

Price:ย Average of 5โ‚ฌ. Plate of cheese included.

Find it:ย De Garre 1

ย SOME OTHER YUMMY THINGS:

Private Beer and Chocolate guided tour

An entire tour dedicated to…Beer and chocolate?! YES, you heard right. The two best things in the entire world combined into a 3-hour private tour. Book it here!

THE CHOCOLATE MUSEUM/ FRENCH FRY MUSEUM.

Is it worth the visit? Well, depends. If you’re a foodie like me, yes.

THE FRIET MUSEUMย (Vlamingstraat 33) is kind of comical, with photographs of potatoes coveringย every wall. But if you’re interested to learn something about our good friend the fry, WHY NOT! Bonus, you can buy really delicious, skillfully made fries at the end. AND I actually learned something. Did you know that Fries originated in Belgium, and were brought to America during the Civil War, when 2 American soldiers tried friets from 2 Belgium soldier? These Belgium soldiers just happened to speak French…

Look at me go!
Casiedilla? More like FRY-a-dilla

THE CHOCO STORYย (Wijnzakstraat 2) The chocolate museum is cool too, right around the corner from the Friet Museum. It’s a bit higher budget, and a bit more elaborate than the Friet Museum. You learn all about the history of the cocoa plant, and how Belgium got to be world renowned for chocolate. You even get to watch a chocolate master himself make chocolate, and of course, eat it fresh off the presses afterwards!OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA YUMYUMYUM. My suggestion? For a 10โ‚ฌ package, go to the Friet museum for lunch, and Chocolate museum for dessert. Now…

Where to stay

While we’re at it, here are some recs on where to sleep once the clock strikes 12 (without breakin’ the bank, of course).

  • B&B Setola: A charming lil’ bed & breakfast right smack dab in the heart of Bruges.
  • Canal Central: Nothing says fairytale quite like a quaint B&B in a historic building set against a canal.

WAKE UP!

Fairytale’s over. HAVE YOU FALLEN IN LOVE WITH BRUGES YET? Tell us your fairytale thoughts! And for the rest of the day, I wish you happy daydreaming ๐Ÿ˜‰

36 thoughts on “Fairytale Dining in Bruges: 8 Magically Delicious Places on a Budget

  1. Oh Brugge, Brugge… I spent over 10โ‚ฌ in chocolates to eat at midday and I simply remember walking through the parks. There was a Chocolate factory from a famous Belgian chef my friends recommended ๐Ÿ™‚

    Still, I wouldn’t stay there over a day (and I couldn’t, as I prepared dinner for friends in the evening so I had to do shopping and cooking). Gent was my city over there.

  2. Casiedilla –

    Once more you excite all the senses – I can even smell all you describe ! The visual, the scents – the taste are all so real!!! It’s your incredible talent!!! Luv you so much.

  3. Lova’s chocolate dreams coming true, a must do the next time I’m in Brugge!!! Thanks Wandering Casiedilla for the list of must do eateries:-D

  4. Oh boy, all those chocolates and waffles . . . I am dying to get to Belgium and experience such fantastic foods! Love your unique and quirky pics, too!

  5. Hai Casie, my husband and I are going to Brugge in December and I could love to have a go at making chocolate, do you know if anywhere does a work shop? Love Hannah x

  6. Just wanted to thank you so much for your recommendations!! We went to 3 of them! Super helpful! ๐Ÿ™‚ with love from 2 Canadians!

  7. I was in Bruges for two days with a school group, and I just happened to stumble upon your post. We ate at 5 of the 8 places, and all members of my party (myself most vehemently included) want to thank you from the bottom of our stomachs for your help.

  8. Hey there! I’m going to Brussels this weekend and I’m going to Bruges only for a day, unfortunately!
    All of your tips are incredible helpful! But I also would like to ask you if you know any good spot to eat raclette? ๐Ÿ™‚
    Three cheese lovers here! Thanks again!

    1. Hi Violet! Wonderful that you’re headed to Belgium this weekend- you’ll love it! Yes- you can get raclette cheese at this wine bar- Wijnbar Est. Great wine and cheese, a perfect way to complete the fairytale! Here is the address: Braambergstraat 7, 8000 Brugge

      Let me know how it goes!

  9. Hello – I’d also like to add I just spent a couple days in Bruges and randomly stumbled across your blog. I’ve done Li O Lait (and got the vanilla iced latte – wow!), Chocolate Crown to gifts to bring back to the States and Bocca for a quick, cheap, tasty and fun lunch. Garre was already on my list but everything else was new to me, and I’ve been to Bruges before, so thank you!

  10. Thank you so much for this blog! My boyfriend and I pretty much followed your food map and you were spot on We were only in Bruges for 2 days so you helped us get straight to the good stuff!

    1. Hi Rus! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to eat mussels while I was in Bruges, so I can’t honestly answer that question from personal experience. However, I’ve done some digging around, and found this useful article that you might find helpful: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/belgium/articles/the-ultimate-local-s-guide-to-the-best-mussels-in-brussels/

      Sorry I can’t answer from person experience! If you have a really good experience at one of these places, please comment here and let us know, so that the next person looking for good mussels can go as well ๐Ÿ™‚

      Have a wonderful trip!

      Cheers!
      Casie/ AWC

  11. I’m going to be in Bruges in a week (it really does seem like a fairytale), and I love the tip about D’s Deldycke! We want to get a bottle of wine for the room, and this place looks perfect! Thanks!

  12. To be fair, the tapas reco was great. The service is reluctant at best – I waited while others who spoke Flemish were served first even though they walked in after me – but the cold fare was phenomenal.

    The rest…I dunno. Felt lazy as most of the places are in the tourist trap part of town. Crown Chocolate, especially compared to Le Comptoir de Mathilde is hands down awful. Go-fre no longer does the waffles pictured; itโ€™s all waffles on a stick drowned in questionable glazes. Oyya is OK, but nothing different from the other dozen waffle shops.

    1. Sorry you feel that way TF! Did you try Ganzespel?? That was my absolutely favorite, a true hidden gem. I’ve updated the article to take out Go-Fre as they no longer serve those take-home waffles, thanks for that tip!

      1. I didn’t have time for a true sit-down, so no, didn’t try them this time, but I travel there on occasion, so I’m sure I’ll get a chance to. I was super disappointed about Go-Fre – your photo looks amazing.

  13. Li o lait is fab, thank you for the tip. Followed your recommendation the iced vanilla macchiato and museli are awesome.

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