Where to sit, sip and slow down in Bruges.
Coffee shops, bakeries with seats and the places Bruges lingers in over a cortado.
Dees Koffiebranders on Hoogstraat in Bruges is a specialty bar and roastery in one, roasting its own beans and pouring them as espresso and filter.
Signature drink: Single-origin filter and espresso
Tip: The roastery is on site, so ask what is freshest. It sits east of the Burg toward Sint-Anna.
Blackbird on Jan van Eyckplein in Bruges is a breakfast and brunch room rated among the city's best, running salads, toasts and strong vegan plates.
Signature drink: Flat white and breakfast plates
Tip: Get there before noon at weekends; the small room fills fast. Vegan plates are reliable here.
Bar Lowie on Eekhoutstraat in Bruges is a coffee bar and brunch room, pouring flat whites and dirty chai alongside smoked-salmon waffles and vegan hummus toast.
Signature drink: Flat whites and specialty coffee
Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday 9 to 3, plus a Brunchday Sunday twice a month. The savoury waffles are the order.
Coffeebar Adriaan sits in a neoclassical 1832 former bank near the City Theatre in Bruges, serving coffee, breakfast and lunch under high ceilings.
Signature drink: Espresso and breakfast
Tip: Worth a look for the bank interior alone. Near the Burg, an easy mid-morning stop.
AVI '38 on Niklaas Desparsstraat in Bruges is a specialty coffee bar that moved into the centre in 2024, pouring proper espresso and pour-over.
Signature drink: Specialty espresso and pour-over
Tip: A true specialty spot near the Markt. The pour-over is where the bar shows off.
The Novel on Eekhoutstraat in Bruges is a relaxed coffee bar for breakfast, lunch, smoothies and shakes. Bright and easygoing, a short walk south of the Burg.
Signature drink: Coffee, smoothies and shakes
Tip: Open 9 to 5, closed Monday and Tuesday. Good for a slow weekday breakfast.
Carpe Diem near the Begijnhof in Bruges is an old-school tearoom and bakery: dark wood, stained glass, copper, and some of the best waffles in town.
Signature drink: Coffee and Brussels waffles
Tip: Order a waffle with the coffee. It sits on the route between the Minnewater and the centre.
Tonka on Walplein in Bruges is a calm tearoom near the De Halve Maan brewery, pouring coffee and tea alongside homemade cakes. A quiet stop in a busy corner.
Signature drink: Coffee, tea and cakes
Tip: Pair it with a brewery visit on the same square. The cakes are the draw.