Following on from the chocolate and waffles consumed in Bruges, we also had a fair share of mussels, frites, beer and other Belgian cuisine.
Brasserie Cambrinus
We were on the hunt for dinner during our first night in Bruges and stumbled across Brasserie Cambrinus, a Belgian pub. It looked like a traditional pub, housed in a brick building with a stepped gable towards the pointed roof top, a typical style in Belgium. There were a few tables outside, already full, and it looked so inviting.
We walked in and were told that they were completed booked out for the night. But we spotted two stools at the bar and asked if we could eat dinner there? That was fine with our waitress which was good news for us.
Cambrinus have over 400 beers available. 400!! A thickly bound beer menu was brought out for Mr FPJ, and 5 minutes later, he was asked which beer he wanted to order. He asked for 10 more minutes to get through as many pages of the menu as he could.
Mr FPJ eventually asked the bartender if Cambrinus do beer tasting paddles as he couldn’t see that option in the menu. The answer is yes, but it would be the bartender’s selection of beers. That was fine and a tasting of 4 beers arrived in front of us (unsure of the cost). From left to right – Sour cherry, Belgian blonde, some dark ale, and a Belgian lager.
Food-wise, the menu had several choices in starters, mains and desserts, with a few traditional Belgian and Flemish dishes as well as steak, pasta and various snack foods.
While in Belgium, I had to order some mussels and frites. Cambrinus had natural, white wine, curry and coriander, or the Brugze Zot beer mussel pots. Although I don’t drink beer, I thought it was fitting to try the beer mussels made with local Bruges beer (23.95€). There was a TON of white onion in the pot, and the chips could have been crunchier, but otherwise this was a tasty dish.
Mr FPJ ordered the Flemish carbonades, a Flemish stew, made with beef and ‘Gulden Draak’ beer (18.95€). The chunks of beef were tender in a rich stew that’s sweetened by the serving of apple sauce. As it was a cold night, this was a nice hearty meal to finish off the night.
We tried to go back to Cambrinus for another meal the next day and so that Mr FPJ could try more of the 400 beers, but again it was packed full including the stools. Bookings are highly recommended!
Poules Moules
We stopped in for some lunch at Poules Moules where we were shown upstairs and seated at a table with a great view over Simon Stevinplein square. It was drizzling with rain at the time, so it was nice to sit somewhere and get out of the wet.
Mr FPJ asked the waiter for a suggestion on a Belgian beer, and the Straffe Hendrik (6€) was recommended. I ordered the home made lemonade (5€) which was refreshing with mint. Our drinks arrived with some snacks of olives and delicious chips, more like puffs with air in the centre covered in chicken flavouring. Unfortunately the beer was not to Mr FPJ’s taste and he didn’t finish it.
We shared a set menu (36€) which came with a choice of starter, main and dessert. This seemed a lot better value for money than buying each item separately, plus mussels were included in the set.
We started off with the garnaalkroket (shrimp croquettes) which were really big, fat and tasty.
The mussels with fresh basil and cherry tomatoes (normally 26.25€) were a big hit with us. Plump and juicy with plenty of sauce at the bottom, and the fries were crunchy and golden.
Dessert was a choice of chocolate mousse or an Irish coffee. I wasn’t in the mood for mousse, so Mr FPJ had an Irish coffee to himself.
It was lovely sitting at Poules Moules, people-watching through the window at the people and horse-drawn carriages going by. I remember it as being a relaxing day, with no rush to do anything else and feeling pretty darn lucky at being able to stay in Bruges.
De Republiek
I had read that De Republiek is a popular spot, especially for younger people, so we walked down to check it out for dinner. The place was dark and packed, but we luckily scored a small table for two without a booking.
We ordered the petite Camembert cheesy bread bowl (11€) to share. This took about half an hour to arrive so by then, I was pretty hungry.
As soon as I poked at the cheese, everything came oozing out. It was SOOO good! I actually needed more bread to cheese, but we made a good dent in it between the two of us.
I also ordered the ‘meat publiek’ (24€) to share as Mr FPJ wasn’t hungry. The dish consisted of a Holstein beef fillet, roasted potatoes, turnips, tomatoes and pickle sauce. This is a dish I would like to forget. The beef was tough and sinewy, so much so that most of it was spat out onto the plate, making me really appreciate good Aussie beef. The rest of the dish was fine but you can’t really go wrong with vegetables. Not worth the 24€.
One great dish and one awful dish. De Republiek is really loud, so I’d go elsewhere if you want to have a decent conversation with someone without shouting.
Bistro Pro Deo
For lunch one day, we headed to Pro Deo, a cosy little bistro set in a 16th century building. A sign outside advertised a 2-course lunch special for 15€ which was tempting. The two options for the lunch special was either vol au vent (choice of chicken or beef) or stoofvlees (traditional beef stew). It was an easy decision for us – one of each.
The starter was a house made carrot soup which was ladled into our bowls. There was something so homey and traditional about someone ladling out soup in front of me. It was lovely. The carrot soup is still the BEST carrot soup I’ve had in my life. Savoury and a little sweet. Superb. And our waitress came around a second time asking if we wanted refills. We both said yes to that. The only thing missing was some fresh bread.
The chicken vol au vent, and beef stoofvlees each came served with a side salad and frites. I loved the chicken vol au vent, served with a wonderfully light but creamy sauce, and plenty of shredded tender chicken. The beef stoofvlees came in its own pot. There was so much of it! It could have fed 2-3 people. The stew was far too rich for our taste buds, so we didn’t finish it all.
Great home cooked food, massive portions, and excellent service. I’m so glad we tried this gem. I recommend it! It’s small inside so get there early or check if you can book ahead (I’m not sure if they accept bookings).
Juliette
We walked past this little shop called Juliette that sells handmade biscuits.
Juliette has 8 varieties of speculoos!
Of course the shop smells amazing and I couldn’t resist buying a mixed bag of speculoos to munch on (unsure of price as it was a just-take-my-money situation).
The biscuits were buttery, spiced deliciousness that melted in my mouth. I would definitely go back to buy more and try out the range of other biscuits.
Huisbrouwerij De Halve Maan
We couldn’t leave Bruges without visiting a proper Belgian brewery. I read that De Halve Maan was the best brewery, and a family-run brewery at that, to visit if short on time. The brewery has a large outdoor beer garden/terrace section but we opted to sit inside. Mr FPJ ordered the Brugse Zot, a local beer, but didn’t like it and since he was coming down with a cold, we only stayed for the one beer and left.
A museum is attached to the brewery showing some old brewing techniques. Guided tours are conducted daily for those interested (must be booked online). The brewery also had an a la carte menu for those that want to lunch with their beer.
Den Amand
We had passed by Den Amand every day as it’s very close to our hotel. Being a Michelin star restaurant, we decided to book a table for our final night in Bruges.
After ordering, we received some complimentary snacks with our drinks.
My main was the casarecce pasta with fried scampi in herb butter, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and parmesan shavings on top. I just loved the flavours and easily polished off this dish.
Mr FPJ ordered the home made chicken spring roll (17.50€) and chose a side salad to go with it (the other options being fries, rice or pasta). He had imagined a small thin spring roll, and was surprised to find a burrito-sized roll on his plate. Stuffed with chicken and vegetables, the parcel had been carefully folded and fried. A more filling meal than expected!
Great service and wonderful food. Bookings essential.
Wednesday Market at Markt
We just happened to be in Bruges on a Wednesday, and got to see the Wednesday Market at the Markt square. Fruit, vegetables, meats and cheeses are the most common stalls.
This deli was a popular stall – just look at all the cheese wheels! There were plenty of cured meats too.
It would have been wonderful to sample some saucisson, but we couldn’t buy anything since we were about to fly out of the country.
I was so tempted to buy one of these freshly made waffles too but we were both full after eating a buffet breakfast at our hotel.
The Gin & Whiskey Shop
On the morning we were to leave for the airport, we stopped by Oyya for a final Belgian waffle when Mr FPJ spotted The Gin & Whiskey shop next door. Inside, there is an impressive collection of not only Belgian gins, but gins from around the world. Mr FPJ stayed there for about an hour before coming out with a Ghost in a Bottle ‘Ginetical’ gin made in Belgium.
This ends the chapter in Bruges and Belgium. Next, we fly to the United Kingdom for our next adventure.
Related posts
- Eating in Belgium (Bruges) – Part 1 – Chocolate
- Eating in Belgium (Bruges) – Part 2 – Non-Guild Chocolate Shops
- Eating in Belgium (Bruges) – Part 3 – Waffles
- Eating in Spain – Barcelona – Part 1
Places visited
- Brasserie Cambrinus – Philipstockstraat 19, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
- Poules Moules – Simon Stevinplein 9, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
- De Republiek – Sint-Jakobsstraat 36, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
- Pro Deo – Langestraat 161, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
- Juliette – Wollestraat 31a, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
- De Halve Maan – Walplein 26, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
- Den Amand – Sint-Amandsstraat 4, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
- Wednesday Market at Markt – Markt 20, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
- The Gin & Whiskey Shop – Noordzandstraat 3, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
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