Carpe Diem Bakery & Tea-room is a bakery in Minnewater, Bruges.
Carpe Diem near the Begijnhof in Bruges is a long-running bakery and tearoom, with a case of cakes and pastries and some of the city's best waffles.
Tip: Buy a loaf or a pastry at the counter, or sit in the wood-panelled tearoom for a waffle.
Address: Wijngaardstraat 8, 8000 Brugge, Bruges
Sukerbuyc on Katelijnestraat in Bruges makes its chocolates in the workshop behind the shop, so you watch the pralines finished, with a tearoom alongside.
Tip: The attached tearoom serves a proper hot chocolate. The workshop is visible from the counter.
Worth the queue: Pralines from the workshop behind the shop
Pol Depla on Mariastraat in Bruges has made chocolate since 1958 and produces the Brugs Swaentje, a praline tied to the Gruuthuse history of the city.
Tip: Ask for the Brugs Swaentje, the praline the shop is known for. Near the Church of Our Lady.
Worth the queue: Brugs Swaentje praline
The Chocolate Line on Simon Stevinplein in Bruges is Dominique Persoone's lab, where pralines run from caramelised shrimp-head to tree-to-bar Criollo cacao.
Tip: Watch the workshop through the back glass. Gault&Millau voted it Belgium's best chocolaterie in 2023.
Worth the queue: Tree-to-bar Criollo chocolate and unusual pralines
Dumon on the Eiermarkt in Bruges is a family chocolatier making fresh pralines daily from old family recipes. Small shop, short queues, serious chocolate.
Tip: Buy a small box fresh rather than a sealed tin; the pralines are best within days. Several Dumon shops exist; this is the flagship.
Worth the queue: Daily fresh pralines from old family recipes
Sukerbuyc on Katelijnestraat in Bruges makes its chocolates in the workshop behind the shop, so you watch the pralines finished, with a tearoom alongside.
Tip: The attached tearoom serves a proper hot chocolate. The workshop is visible from the counter.
Worth the queue: Pralines from the workshop behind the shop
Pol Depla on Mariastraat in Bruges has made chocolate since 1958 and produces the Brugs Swaentje, a praline tied to the Gruuthuse history of the city.
Tip: Ask for the Brugs Swaentje, the praline the shop is known for. Near the Church of Our Lady.
Worth the queue: Brugs Swaentje praline
BbyB on Sint-Amandsstraat in Bruges is a modern praline house from chef Bart Desmidt and chocolatier Jan Verleye, with flavour-led pralines in plain boxes.
Tip: The five-praline tasting box is the way in. The design-forward packaging travels well as a gift.
Worth the queue: Flavour-led praline selections
Maison La Confiance on Wollestraat in Bruges is a speculoos specialist, baking the spiced biscuit in eight variations alongside shortbread and butter cakes.
Tip: The plain speculoos is the classic; the variations make easy gifts. A short walk from the Belfry.
Worth the queue: Speculoos in eight variations
