Belgium's national winter vegetable dish: whole heads of Belgian endive (witloof) braised, then wrapped in ham, blanketed in bechamel sauce and grated Gruyere, and baked until the top is bubbling gold.
Belgian endive (witloof in Flemish, chicons in French) was discovered in Brussels in the 1830s when farmer Jan Lammers stored chicory roots in his dark cellar and noticed pale shoots growing from the buried roots. Belgian growers refined the technique through the 19th century to produce the canonical pale spear-shaped vegetable; today over 90 percent of global endive production is in Belgium. The classic preparation (witloof met hesp en kaas, or chicon au gratin) appeared in late 19th-century Belgian cookbooks. Bruges spots like Den Amand and Brasserie Cambrinus run reliable versions.
4 editor picks for Witloof met Hesp en Kaas in Bruges, ranked by editorial score. All Bruges signature dishes · Witloof met Hesp en Kaas across every city.
Bistro Refter ★ 4.7
sint-anna · Molenmeers 2, 8000 Brugge
Bistro Refter in Bruges is Geert Van Hecke's contemporary bistro on Molenmeers, the relaxed counterpart to his fine-dining room. Good food at fair prices.
Den Amand ★ 4.5
markt · Sint-Amandsstraat 4, 8000 Brugge
Den Amand is a small family bistro off the Markt in Bruges, on car-free Sint-Amandsstraat, where Ann Vissers cooks seasonal vegetable, fish and meat dishes.
De Republiek ★ 4.0
sint-jakobs · Sint-Jakobsstraat 36, 8000 Brugge
De Republiek on Sint-Jakobsstraat in Bruges is a grand cafe with a courtyard terrace, attached to the arthouse cinema. All-day food, drinks and a young crowd.
Gran Kaffee De Passage ★ 3.9
t-zand · Dweersstraat 26, 8000 Brugge
Gran Kaffee De Passage on Dweersstraat in Bruges is a candle-lit Belgian brasserie by a hostel, with cheap, generous stoofvlees and beer-braised classics.