Surprising culinary escapade in Bruges

Like any self-respecting tourist destination, Bruges offers its visitors a wide range of restaurants, brasseries and cafés. At lunchtime, you'll find it hard to choose. And even though the city is full of excellent restaurants, it is no exception to the rule of tourist traps and it can be difficult to find your way around. When you're travelling, it's often difficult to find a restaurant that will meet all your requirements while introducing you to the local gastronomy. The Venice of the North is bursting at the seams with establishments, and unfortunately many of them are disappointing. So if you want to find your way around, avoid choosing a restaurant that's "too" cheap or you'll end up with industrialised, frozen food. Also, remember to go for establishments where the customers speak Dutch. If you're looking for locals, don't rush into the big restaurants and don't hesitate to go into the small, cosy brasseries. Finally, in a city like Bruges, it's best to do a bit of research on the internet before pushing open the door of an establishment.

For a stay of romance and English charm in cottage style, why not stay at the Hotel de Orangerie, in the heart of Bruges.

The best way to discover good places to eat is to poke around and get lost in the city off the beaten track. At the end of the day, if you're looking for a nice place to go for a romantic drink away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre and a little isolated. Go to the "Bar boutique", the ideal place to end the day and relax after an intense visit. Here, you can enjoy a good cocktail and tapas in the garden of Boutique Hotel 'T FRAEYHUIS. The hotel is not located in the heart of the city and the terrace is nestled in the heart of the estate. It's a typical example of the wonderful little addresses you can find in Bruges, far removed from the mass tourism of the Grote Place.

In a more classic vein, you'll find a good number of brasseries, true emblems of Belgium, where you'll find a good number of specialities borrowed from Belgian family and convivial cuisine. There's Flemish carbonade, shrimp croquettes, green eel, vol-au-vent and the famous moules-frites. Don't be surprised if some of the dishes are accompanied by applesauce - it's a tradition in this part of the country to accompany a hot dish with applesauce. Give in to temptation, you won't be disappointed! And of course, don't forget to accompany your meal with a good Belgian beer!

Here is a selection of brasseries where you can sample Belgian cuisine:

• De Middenstand / 't Zand 20, 8000 Bruges https://www.demiddenstand.com/&utm_source=easyvoyage

• Huideverttershuis / Huidenvettersplein 10, 8000 Bruges https://www.huidevettershuis.be/&utm_source=easyvoyage

• Gauthierz Brasserie / A little way out of town, this establishment stands out for its atypical charm / Westmeers 72, 8000 Bruges http://www.gauthierz.com/&utm_source=easyvoyage

🍴But there's nothing like a good frite for a quick bite to eat while strolling through the city! Yes, ONE frite, that's how you say you want a packet of frites in Belgium. Fries are served just about everywhere in Belgium, but unfortunately the really good ones aren't to be found on every street corner. Here's a selection of addresses where you're likely to find the crunchy goodness of real Belgian fries.

• Frituur De Gentpoorte / Gentpoortstraat 58, 8000 Bruges - 12 minutes' walk from the Grand Place
• Frituur 't Boojte / Langestratt 91, 8000 Bruges - 11 minutes' walk from the main square
• Chez Vincent / Sint-Salvatorskerkhof 1, 8000 Bruges - 5 minutes' walk from the main square