We had a really enjoyable Easter in Bruges. It was our second time visiting and I loved it just as much as the first, perhaps even more because I had so many memories of Nicholas toddling around and tucking into various delicacies for the first time from our trip two years ago.
Bruges is a gorgeous city with lots of wonderful green spaces as well as amazing architecture and very pretty canals. The fact that the centre is small and flat makes it super easy to get about walking (although you can rent bicycles or even Segways if you don’t want to walk).
We went with our dearest friends who also have a little boy (our cheeky godson) and they found an amazing house just outside the centre. There was a bus stop right in front of the house, although it was cheaper to drive and park at the station (just 3.50 Euros for the whole day with a free bus into the centre) then either jump on the bus or just walk into the centre.
The house we rented had the perfect garden for an Easter egg hunt (I must remind the Easter Bunny next year that he can hide them in trickier places).
When it comes to eating there are lots of yummy options to try, from the famous fries and waffles you can buy on the street to the amazing number of Michelin-starred restaurants.
A restaurant we wanted to go back to was De Wijngaert Grill Restaurant. We stumbled across it by chance last time, following the delicious smells of grilled meats (is there anything better than grilled meat or fish?). And it didn’t disappoint this time. I also love the fact that locals eat there. It’s tiny so if you go during a busy period of the year, pop in earlier and book a table.
It’s very close to De Halve Maan Brewery where they make the famous Brugse Zot beers as well as the richer (and more dangerous!) Straffe Hendrick beers. You can take a tour of the brewery (the only working one that remains in Bruges) and either enjoy a drink in their lovely courtyard or a meal in their large bistro (the dishes that are cooked with beer, such as the famous Flemish beef stew, are particularly good).
A ‘new’ restaurant for us this time, thanks to a friend’s recommendation, was De Vlaamsche Pot, close to the large ‘t Zand square. It prides itself on slow cooking so not good if you want to eat quickly, but perfect to savour their mouth-watering slow-cooked dishes. The Flemish beef stew was amazing here (and could have fed two people!) and all main meals came with bottomless fries. Be careful when ordering beer though as most of them are sold in large 750ml bottles.
I think I need to book our next trip back!
thegingerbreadmum 