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. Paper cones of double-fried Bintje potatoes, eaten standing or at the surrounding bars that allow Antoine bags.
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; cheap quality at the steel bar.
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.
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. Hand-cut Bintje potatoes, double-fried in beef fat, with the deepest sauce list in the city.
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. Pasta, noodle and grain bases loaded with seasonal vegetables and herbs; closed Mondays.
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, fast service; lunch deals under €12 most weekdays.
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.
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 prices.
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 sauce.
Tip: The vegetarian and vegan snacks are signposted on the menu, which is unusual for a friterie. Lunch queues are heaviest 12:30 to 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, filling meal near the Begijnhof.
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; queue runs deep on weekend nights.
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. The stalls run along Gare du Midi; merguez sandwiches lead the queue.
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; full meal under €15.
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.
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. Tandoori grills, biryanis, full halal kitchen; weekday lunch deal is the value pick.
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.