30 budget eating worth the trip across Belgium, editor-ranked by TableJourney. All Belgium guides.
Maison Antoine ★ 4.5 · Brussels
Place Jourdan 1, 1040 Etterbeek
Maison Antoine in Brussels' Place Jourdan has been the canonical fritkot since 1948. At Place Jourdan 1. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
Noordzee Mer du Nord ★ 4.5 · Brussels
Rue Sainte-Catherine 45, 1000 Brussels
Noordzee Mer du Nord in Brussels' Sainte-Catherine is the standing-only seafood counter. Shrimp croquettes, fish soup, oysters and grilled langoustines.
Fritkot Max ★ 4.4 · Antwerp
historisch-centrum · Groenplaats 12, 2000 Antwerp
Fritkot Max in Antwerp has fried frites on Groenplaats since 1842. The beef-fat cone with stoofvleessaus is a 5-euro Antwerp lunch. At Groenplaats 12.
Tip: The cone with stoofvleessaus is the canonical order; the fryer museum sits on the first floor.
Frit Flagey ★ 4.4 · Brussels
Place Eugène Flagey, 1050 Ixelles
Frit Flagey in Brussels' Ixelles is the green caravan on Place Eugène Flagey. Booking recommended. Reservations advised. Cash and card accepted.
Yummy Bowl ★ 4.4 · Brussels
Rue des Eperonniers 49, 1000 Brussels
Yummy Bowl in Brussels' city centre serves vegetarian and vegan bowls a few streets off the Grand Place. At Rue des Eperonniers 49. Booking recommended.
Knees to Chin ★ 4.4 · Brussels
Rue de Livourne 125-127, 1050 Ixelles
Knees to Chin in Brussels' Ixelles serves Vietnamese-inspired summer rolls and bowls with vegan options at the Bailli flagship. Counter ordering.
Himschoot Bakery ★ 4.4 · Ghent
groentenmarkt · Groentenmarkt 1, 9000 Gent
Ghent's oldest bakery since 1880: suikerbrood, koeken and morning buns for under €3 each, eaten standing in the Groentenmarkt near the Gravensteen.
Tip: Arrive by 08:00 for the warmest bread; the Dok Noord branch opens later and has slightly shorter queues.
Philip's Biscuits ★ 4.3 · Antwerp
theaterbuurt · Korte Gasthuisstraat 39, 2000 Antwerp
Philip's Biscuits in Antwerp bakes hand-shaped butter cookies on Korte Gasthuisstraat. A tin runs eight euros and lasts most of a week. Booking recommended.
Tip: The tin doubles as the canonical Antwerp souvenir; the chocolate-coated version packs flatter for travel.
Bakker Aldo ★ 4.3 · Antwerp
berchem · Lange Leemstraat 388, 2018 Antwerp
Bakker Aldo in Antwerp bakes slow-fermented sourdough on Lange Leemstraat. The lunch counter sandwich is under 10 euro and built on the day's bake.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. The Geefstraat city-centre branch keeps the same lunch lineup.
Garlic n Greens ★ 4.3 · Bruges
jan-van-eyckplein · Vlamingstraat 10, 8000 Brugge
Garlic n Greens on Vlamingstraat in Bruges is a fully vegetarian and vegan Indian kitchen near the Markt, serving thalis, tofu tikka masala and dals at fair.
Tip: Lunch specials run around 17 to 19 euro, a full sit-down vegan plate. Closed Monday; lunch service noon to 15:00.
Frituur Tartaar ★ 4.3 · Ghent
city-centre · Heilige-Geeststraat 3, 9000 Gent
Frituur Tartaar is a city-centre friterie between the monuments and shopping streets, serving Ghent stoverij stew on hand-cut frites with a homemade tartar.
Tip: The vegetarian and vegan snacks are signposted on the menu, which is unusual for a friterie. Lunch queues are heaviest 12:30-13:30.
Cuberdon Stalls at Groentenmarkt ★ 4.3 · Ghent
groentenmarkt · Groentenmarkt, 9000 Gent
The competing cuberdon vendors near the Groentenmarkt sell Ghent's most iconic sweet: pointed purple gum-and-sugar cones at around €1 each from rival stalls.
Tip: Both vendors near the square are authentic; the competition between them has kept quality high and prices reasonable for decades.
Pain Perdu ★ 4.3 · Ghent
zuidstationstraat · Walpoortstraat 9, 9000 Gent
Wood-fired sourdough bakery with breakfast and lunch tartines under €12 in a Zuid garden setting: the house bread makes every sandwich memorable.
Tip: The garden fills fast on sunny weekend mornings; arrive before 10:00 or accept a 15-minute wait for an outdoor seat.
FritBar ★ 4.2 · Bruges
minnewater · Katelijnestraat 3, 8000 Brugge
FritBar on Katelijnestraat in Bruges is a modern frites bar that opened in 2020, frying its Belgian fries in vegetable oil with twenty plus toppings, a cheap.
Tip: A plain cone with sauce stays under 10 euro. Loaded versions with pulled pork or stew make a full lunch under 15.
Fritland ★ 4.2 · Brussels
Rue Henri Maus 49, 1000 Brussels
Fritland in Brussels is the late-night frites window behind the Bourse. The mitraillette (frites and meat in a baguette) is the cult Brussels dish.
Marche du Midi Stalls ★ 4.2 · Brussels
Gare du Midi forecourt, 1060 Saint-Gilles
Marche du Midi stalls in Brussels fire Moroccan and Tunisian merguez every Sunday morning. At Gare du Midi forecourt. Cash and card accepted.
Knees to Chin ★ 4.2 · Ghent
kouter · Voldersstraat 11, 9000 Gent
Knees to Chin serves Vietnamese banh mi rolls and rice noodle bowls under €12 in a compact fast-casual format near the Kouter and Sint-Baafsplein.
Tip: The queue at lunch peaks between 12:00 and 13:30; a ten-minute wait is worth it for the freshness of the rolls.
Barnini Bagel Shop ★ 4.1 · Antwerp
theaterbuurt · Oudevaartplaats 10, 2000 Antwerp
Barnini in Antwerp on Oudevaartplaats serves NYC-style bagels under 14 euro. The smoked-salmon and cream-cheese build is the budget weekend lunch.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Bagels run out by 14:00; arrive before lunch.
Lizzie's Wafels ★ 4.1 · Bruges
sint-jakobs · Sint-Jakobsstraat 16, 8000 Brugge
Lizzie's Wafels on Sint-Jakobsstraat in Bruges sells oversized homemade Liège waffles for a few euro, dense and caramelised, plenty for a cheap on-foot meal.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Sunday afternoons only. One extra-large waffle can feed two.
Bia Mara ★ 4.1 · Brussels
Rue du Marché aux Poulets 41, 1000 Brussels
Bia Mara in Brussels' Saint-Gery is the British-style fish and chips counter near the Bourse. Sustainable cod, hand-cut chips, condiment bar runs Belgian.
Frituur 't Stad ★ 4.0 · Antwerp
historisch-centrum · Melkmarkt 1, 2000 Antwerp
Frituur 't Stad in Antwerp on Melkmarkt serves frites, frikandel and bitterballen from a corner counter. The mitraillette is a full meal under 10 euro.
Tip: Order the mitraillette for a baguette-loaded frites sandwich; takeaway only.
Frituur No. 1 ★ 4.0 · Antwerp
historisch-centrum · Hoogstraat 1, 2000 Antwerp
Frituur No. 1 in Antwerp on Hoogstraat near the cathedral fries hand-cut potatoes in beef fat. Andalouse and samurai are the canonical sauce orders.
Tip: Cash works fastest. The cone holds heat for the 10-minute walk to the Cathedral steps.
Exotische Markt ★ 4.0 · Antwerp
theaterbuurt · Theaterplein, 2000 Antwerp
The Exotische Markt on Theaterplein every Saturday serves Mediterranean and North African plates from a row of stalls. Lamb tagine, lahmacun, falafel.
Tip: Bring cash. The food stalls clear by 14:00; arrive before noon for the freshest plates.
Berlin ★ 4.0 · Antwerp
historisch-centrum · Kleine Markt 1, 2000 Antwerp
Berlin in Antwerp runs lunch from 12:00 with brasserie plates from 12 euros. The Kleine Markt corner is the budget weekend brunch entry. At Kleine Markt 1.
Tip: Walk-in only on weekends. Lunch is calmer mid-week before the post-work crowd.
Otomat ★ 4.0 · Antwerp
het-zuid · Van Schoonbekeplein 11, 2018 Antwerp
Otomat in Antwerp on Van Schoonbekeplein serves beer-dough pizzas under 18 euro. Each pie pairs with a specific Belgian brew named on the menu.
Tip: The Lupulus pairing is the canonical first order. Walk-in works mid-week.
Frietkot De Markt ★ 4.0 · Bruges
markt · Markt 6, 8000 Brugge
The green frites kiosk on the Markt in Bruges is the cheapest proper meal in the centre: a cone of twice-fried frites with sauce under the Belfry.
Tip: Frites with mayonnaise runs a few euro. It stays open late, so it doubles as a post-bar feed.
Frituur De Gentpoorte ★ 4.0 · Bruges
minnewater · Gentpoortstraat 58, 8000 Brugge
Frituur De Gentpoorte near the old city gate in Bruges is a local chip shop where frites and snack-bar classics cost less than the tourist kiosks.
Tip: Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. A frikandel or a stoofvlees-topped cone keeps a cheap meal Flemish.
Shezan ★ 4.0 · Brussels
Chaussee de Wavre 120, 1050 Ixelles
Shezan in Brussels' Ixelles serves Pakistani halal lunch under €16 on Chaussee de Wavre. At Chaussee de Wavre 120. Booking recommended. Reservations advised.
Peaberry Coffeebar ★ 4.0 · Ghent
binnenstad · Limburgstraat 36, 9000 Gent
Peaberry combines specialty coffee with vegan-friendly pastries and bread rolls at the foot of Sint-Baafskathedraal for under €8 all-in at the counter.
Tip: Primarily take-away; the benches near the cathedral provide a seat for free without the restaurant overhead.
Lokaal ★ 4.0 · Ghent
binnenstad · Brabantdam 100, 9000 Gent
Vegetarian tea room and restaurant on Brabantdam: a rotating organic menu with plates under €12 sourced from nearby farms, with serious tea selection too.
Tip: The tea selection here is serious and underrated; combine a budget lunch with an afternoon working over a pot of loose-leaf tea.