Bistro Refter is a contemporary belgian restaurant in Sint Anna, Bruges.
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.
Signature dishes: Daily bistro menu, Regional plates
Must order: The daily three-course menu; it is the value way into Van Hecke's cooking.
Tip: Book ahead, the dining room fills fast at lunch. It sits near the Sint-Anna quarter.
Address: Molenmeers 2, 8000 Brugge, Bruges
Onslow in Bruges sits in the quiet Sint-Anna district on Jeruzalemstraat, where chef Lieven Vynck cooks a tight, modern seasonal menu in a small room.
Signature: Seasonal market menu, Modern Belgian plates
Order: The market menu of the day; the card is short and changes with what is good.
Tip: A residential setting tourists rarely reach. Book ahead, it seats few.
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.
Signature: Seasonal vegetable plates, Fish and meat of the day
Order: Whatever the monthly menu is built around; vegetables get a generous hand here.
Tip: Closed Wednesday and Sunday. The room is tiny, so reserve, especially in summer.
Onslow in Bruges sits in the quiet Sint-Anna district on Jeruzalemstraat, where chef Lieven Vynck cooks a tight, modern seasonal menu in a small room.
Signature: Seasonal market menu, Modern Belgian plates
Order: The market menu of the day; the card is short and changes with what is good.
Tip: A residential setting tourists rarely reach. Book ahead, it seats few.
L.E.S.S. Eatery on 't Zand in Bruges is chef Ruige Vermeire's sharing-plates room, running seasonal Belgian small plates with a terrace facing the square.
Signature: Sharing plates, Seasonal Belgian
Order: A spread of small plates; the format rewards a table that orders broadly.
Tip: The terrace on 't Zand is the spot in summer. Book for weekend evenings.
Tanuki in Bruges has cooked Japanese food on Oude Gentweg near the Minnewater for decades, turning out sushi, sashimi and multi-course menus in a serene room.
Signature: Sushi and sashimi, Seven-course Japanese menu
Order: The multi-course menu; the kitchen also handles vegetarian sushi well.
Tip: Near the Lake of Love at the south edge of the centre. Book for the sushi counter.
Breydel-De Coninck on Breidelstraat in Bruges is the mussel and eel house with the strongest reputation in town. Seven mussel preparations, all with frites.
Signature: Moules-frites, Eel in green sauce
Order: A casserole of mussels with frites, or paling in 't groen when eel is in season.
Tip: On the busy Breidelstraat tourist run, but locals rate the mussels. Cash and card both fine.
Bistro Bruut sits on the Meestraat canal in Bruges, cooking modern Flemish food on regional produce. Gault&Millau rates the kitchen 16 out of 20.
Signature: Regional Flemish plates, Seasonal tasting
Order: The set lunch menu; the kitchen runs a tight, produce-led card that changes with the season.
Tip: Open Monday to Friday only, lunch and dinner. Ask for a canal-side table when you book.
