It’s generally accepted that Bruges is the gastronomic capital of Belgium. Not only does it boast more Michelin starred restaurants per capita in the country, but it even competes for the world title. This Flemish city is really a gourmet treat to visit.
Brasserie Raymond is the best brasserie in Bruges
Tucked around the corner from Market Square is Bruges’ best brasserie – Raymond. Here you’ll enjoy traditional brasserie fare (steak-frites, moules, fish, etc). It’s a great place to pop in for lunch while you’re exploring this unique city. I had the formule (menu) of the day which included tomato soup, steak, and creme brulée. Delicious!
Typical brasserie fare at Raymond's - a giant steak!
We had a nice lunch at De Visscherie which is a seafood restaurant located in the Fish Market. Although a bit pricey (140 euros for lunch for two people without wine) this elegant restaurant is relaxed and the staff are accommodating. I enjoyed oysters, scallops and smoked salmon which was just a small sample seafood delights that they had on offer.
Scallop carpaccio with smoked salmon at De Visscherie
Normally dessert plays second fiddle to everything preceding but for me it might have been the highlight. Not being entirely sure what I had ordered “little delights with fresh fruit” I was pleased to see that this covered a variety of things.
Macaroons tick! Profiteroles tick! Exotic fruits tick!
But by far the highlight of the trip was dinner at De Jonkman a 2 Michelin starred restaurant located on the outskirts of town. We sat and ate for no less than 4 hours. I have never in my life had such a long meal (about 3 hours was my max before visiting De Jonkman. So make sure you come prepared.
De Visscherie is a charming seafood restaurant
We had countless amuses-bouche and 6 actual courses (2 of which were dessert). The menu was only in French and Flemish so when the chef came out (yes it was the actual chef who took our order) we just asked for whatever he recommended. After some negotiating (swapping out pigeon for beef) our order was placed and we sat back and waited for all of the beautiful food to come out.
Scallops with Jerusalem artichokes at De Jonkman
The scallops were a particular favourite dish of mine but the beef was superb as well. Like at De Visscherie the desserts were particularly amazing at De Jonkman (perhaps this is a Flemish thing?). Both of our desserts contained no fewer than 20 ingredients each. In fact I think there were probably hundreds of ingredients used to make the entire meal. This would explain why it took so long to prepare! But it was worth it in the end.
{ 0 comments }
