Eating in Belgium (Bruges) – Part 3 – Waffles

Following on from all the chocolate shops visited around Bruges in Part 1 and Part 2, this chapter is dedicated to waffles! In Bruges, there are two main types of waffle sold – Liege or Bruxelles waffles.

Liege Waffle – small slightly dense waffles filled with chunks of pearl sugar which give it crunch, some caramelisation on the exterior and makes it sweeter.
Bruxelles Waffle – a more traditional rectangular waffle that’s soft and fluffy.

Fred’s

We stumbled across Fred’s Waffles during an after-dinner stroll through a lane way just off the main Markt Square. It was one of the few places still open (I guess a lot of eateries shut down at night once the majority of tourists leave town). Fred’s specialises in the liege waffle and the display showed all the toppings to choose from. There was also an assortment of ice creams.

A rack of hot Liege waffles were stacked up and ready to go.

I decided on the strawberry, banana and whipped cream waffle with a drizzle of chocolate sauce (unsure of price). The waffle was crispy on the outside and I could feel the crunch of the sugar crystals as I bit down into it. Very satisfying.

Chez Albert

Chez Albert is another waffle shop not far from Markt square.

Selling Liege waffles, prices start from 2.50€ for a plain waffle.

I decided on a warm cherry waffle (4.80€) which was delicious if a bit sweet. Next time I’ll order it with the chantilly cream (extra 1€) to help offset the sweetness. I love the generous amount of topping that was provided.

House of Waffles

I couldn’t leave Bruges without going to a place called House of Waffle! It offers both Liege and Bruxelles waffles, as well as savoury versions. Drinks include milkshakes, coffees, hot chocolates, Belgian beers, wines and spirits.

Waffle prices are more expensive if you’re dining in (which I didn’t realise until afterwards). We walked right past the take away window at the front of the shop with cheaper prices.

We sat down at a table and shared a ‘Chocolate Madness’ Bruxelles waffle (9.50€) which came with chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.

The chocolate sauce comes in a small jug so that you can pour it yourself. I prefer the Bruxelles waffles as it’s soft inside and not as sugary. This was by far the most expensive waffle we paid for. Next time I’ll know to find the take away window!

Oyya

During our last morning in Bruges (we were about to head to the airport in the next hour), I walked past Oyya Waffles & Ice cream. Even though we’d just had breakfast, I had to get my hands on one last Belgian waffle. There were plenty of ice cream flavours to choose from but I was more interested in the waffle.

The waffle menu was quite limited to 4 varieties – caramel, chocolate banana, strawberries and cream, or ice cream, chocolate and cream.

It was great to see the waffles being made fresh in the waffle press.

I chose the caramel waffle (4.50€) but I think they had either run out of cream, or it hadn’t arrived yet, so the waffle was sans cream. I’m not the biggest fan of caramel so I’m not sure why I chose this. The caramel was far too sweet for my liking, so I only really managed to nibble around the edges. The caramel was nice and hot (as I found out when it dripped onto my hand) but on top of the already sugary sweet Liege waffle, it was a bit over the top for me. I should have tried one with ice cream on top.

Markt

We had walked past the weekly markets set up in Markt square, and saw a waffle stand selling both Bruxelles and Liege waffles, as well as baby waffles for the kids. It smelled fantastic and there was already a queue of people lining up for them, but we didn’t have time to try it.

Other waffle places

Other places on my waffle-eating list that we didn’t get to go to are:

Lizzie’s Wafels
Gingerbread Tea Room

Apart from dedicated waffle shops, you can also buy packaged waffles from the various chocolate shops around Bruges, and La Belgique Gourmand. I’m sure the supermarket would have some too.