An ultimate dreamer: Brugge eats

I arrived to Brugge with an relief, after a tiring day of travelling from Strasbourg to Brugge with the French railway strike affecting my train schedule. But it was late in the afternoon, around 6pm, and the sky was getting darker, which made me feel a little forlorn. Luckily I had called the hotel manager in advance for late check-in. If not, it would be quite dangerous for me.

After unpacking and changing my clothes to a more comfortable outfit, I went out for dinner. At the time, I didn't really care how much I had to spend on a meal in Brugge. After a whole day of just eating sandwiches and drinking bottled water, I just wanted to have a good meal to mark my first night in Belgium. The hotel manager had kindly shown me a good restaurant near there. Remember, I didn't have many choices because I didn't want to go too far and get lost. So I followed his recommendation to Oud Handbogenhof.

The restaurant is literally around the corner. But as I followed the map (it has street names and I'm quite good at reading maps), I took a longer route. I only realized that there was a shorter route, after I finished my meal and walked back to the hotel.

Oud Handbogenhof has no outer decoration. Outside, it looks like any other residence houses. There is just a small signboard, and I had to squint to be able to read it. If not for the address and the name, I had missed it completely. However, once I walked inside, the atmosphere has totally changed. Very European decoration with wooden table and chairs and warm lighting. The restaurant is small, with about 5 or 6 tables, catering to a maximum of 20 guests in a go. This is a perfect place to have your dinner in autumn.

Small but busy restaurant

Lovely interior

I remember ordering a set dinner as I knew next to nothing about Belgian cuisine. It was a very good deal with an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. I asked for a mineral water to go with my meal as I wasn't in the mood for beer. Well, I didn't know about Kriek at the time so yeah... water was my first choice.

After this dinner, I realized that I have fallen in love with Belgian food. I prefer it to French cuisine. Maybe because I'm not a cheese person and the French really loves putting cheese in their cooking. For most of Belgian meals I had in Brugge, there were always hints of fruits in their main course, and this made the food more delicious. But, French foie gras and pate are always the best.