BTilke

Recently there were complaints that Bruges/Brugge was "quaint but touristy". For those who would like to see Bruges a little differently from the day trippers or guidebook standards (Rick Steves, Frommers, et al), try these places. They were first suggested by Gael Magazine, a Belgian magazine similar to Elle Decor. A Belgian friend (who lives in a nontouristy part of Bruges) and I checked them out and the raves were spot on. So...

Hotels:
Number 11 (www.number11.be). Peerdenstraat11. Phone: 32 (0) 50 33 06 90. Not a bit of kitsch and no tour boats buzzing around. The private garden for the suite is particularly appealing.

Restaurants:
Rock Fort, Langestraat 15. Phone: 32 (0) 50 33 41 13. Open noon to 2 pm, 6 pm to 11 pm, except Wednesdays and Sunday afternoons. Parisian bistro/brasserie style food. Decor is light and modern.
Est Wijnbar, Noordzandstraat. Phone: 32 (0) 50 33 38 39. Open 5 pm to ? except on Fridays when it opens at 3 pm. Blues and jazz music.
B Cafe a la Maison 2002, Wollestraat 53. Open 11 am to 1 am. A casual, modern cafe, opened to go with Bruges 2002 celebrations. Check out Pavillon de Toyo Ito, for something definitely NOT out of the Middle Ages!

If you want to buy real antiques, visit De Clerck Antiques, Hoogstraat 26-28. Phone: 32 (0) 50 33 83 32

BTilke (Brussels)

Maggie

Thank you BTilke for that information.
We shall be visiting Bruges in October and would like to find a restaurant, in Bruges, that serves Plateau de fruit de mer.
I started searching on the Belgian board a couple of weeks ago but so far - no response.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Maggie.

BTilke

Maggie, that dish is not a particular favorite of mine, so I can't say. I suggest that once you making your hotel decision, ask the hotel manager/concierge to find a restaurant that does offer your dish. You may have to catch the train to a seafood restaurant in one of the nearby coastal towns like Blankenberge or Knokke.

Maggie

Oh dear!
It will be difficult to leave Bruges as our group arrives mid-afternoon Friday and departs Sunday morning.
Plans for Friday afternoon include taking the bus tour around Bruges before having an early dinner.
Saturday we intend taking the canal boat trip before "mooching" around the city on foot.
Definitely having mussels for lunch that day, maybe at the Fishmarket.
I really wanted the fruits de mer for my blow out Saturday evening dinner but having perused various menus on offer in Bruges restaurants it looks like I will be disappointed.
I may have to settle for oysters to start, followed by lobster!
Not too bad a compromise.
Thanks for your response.
Regards
Maggie.

Ronda

Thanks for the tips, BTilke. Number 11 looks very interesting. Sent them an e-mail for availability.

Nan

BTilke,

Thank you so much for your Brugge Moderne suggestions. Your insider status makes them much more meaningful.

When I posted the thread “Brugge: Quaint but crowded/touristy” I had no idea it would generate such a strong response. Your suggestions would have been invaluable to me on my recent trip.

I consider myself to be very lucky that we did stumble upon the Est Wijnbar. It was definitely the highlight of our time in Brugge. Enjoyed it so much that we made it our “meeting” point each day we were in town.

I should also note that I used earlier posts from you to plan our time spent in Brussels. Your suggestion to try out the Hotel Barsey (Hyatt) on Ave. Louise turned out to be a winner. The Hotel and location were spectacular.

Thanks again for taking the time to investigate and post your “finds”. Your efforts are very much appreciated by those of us lucky enough to visit your beautiful country.

Nan

Dina

I went to Bruges/Brugge in January and loved it. The people were friendly and the food was amazing. I ate and Rock Fort and loved the food. It is a little hard to find but worth the walk. we also ate at petit patron where we had a great fondue.