Belgium is famous for many things and one of those things is the delicious food. To read more about Belgium and the places you should visit, read the blog Discover the small, underrated Belgium.
In this blog I will talk about the following
Beers and food in Belgium
I think most of the people know that Belgium is known for all those beers. There are so many kinds of beers. Maybe an good idea for a blog? Learning about all those different kinds of beer.
So there are a lot of beers in Belgium and I love it! Almost every city in Belgium has its own beer which is amazing. If you’re in Belgium, you must drink a Trappist beer because it’s typically from Belgium. Trappist beers are brewed by the monks. There are around 10 breweries in the whole world that can make the Trappist beers and most of them are in Belgium.
I think the Trappist beers are the best beers in the world. My favorites are: ‘Chimay’ the blue one, ‘Rochefort’ and ‘Westvleteren’ the 12 degree one. You should definitely try ‘Westvleteren’, some people say that it’s the best beer in the world, the problem is that you can’t buy it in a store. It’s only with online reservations and it’s only on certain days. Normally it is possible to go to the Abbey and buy a Westvleteren beer but it’s quite hard to get hands on this beer.
I also love other Belgian beers that are not Trappist beers like ‘Tripel Karmeliet’, ‘Delirium’, ‘Duvel’, ‘Lachouffe’, ‘Gulden Draak’, etc. My all-time favorite beers are ‘St. Bernardus Abt 12’, ‘Brugse zot dubbel’, ‘Chimay blue’ and ‘Triple d’Anvers’, you should try these out.
If I look at Belgian food, I have to say that I love fries the most. We have places where we can buy fries and everything you put in frying oil. We call those places a ‘frietkot’.
You really should try a Bicky Burger, it’s like a burger but with a special sauce which you only find in Belgium. They also make it veggie. We have many kind of meat that we fry and Belgians love sauces. We have a lot of sauces like stew sauce, mayonnaise, sauce andalouse, etc. Besides that, you can try the shrimp croquette, it’s delicious. Another kind of food I like is ‘Tomate crevette’ it’s a tomato with tiny shrimps (I don’t know how I can explain but they come from our Nord-Sea), mayonnaise and some herbs.
Besides fries I must mention the chocolate and waffles from Belgium. You need to know that there are two types of waffles in Belgium: the Brussels waffles and the Liège waffles. Those two Belgian waffles taste so different from each other because it’s from a different region.
The following things are also typically from Belgium:
- Gray shrimp croquettes, I told you earlier that you can eat them in a ‘frietkot’, but I think the best croquettes you can buy are in Brussels in ‘Noordzee’. The food there is just delicious! You order outside and then they call your name when your order is done. Eat your plate outside at a high table with a glass of white wine.
- Mussels with fries, in Brussels you can eat good ones at ‘La Bonne Humeur’.
- Beef stew with fries, in Brussels you can eat it at ‘Café Novo’.
- Stew with sausage, in Brussels you can eat it at ‘Fin de Siècle’.
- Vol-au-vent, in Brussels you can eat it at ‘Les Petits Oignons’.
I really could go on for pages because I really love the Belgian kitchen.
Where to get the best fries, beers and sweets
Below I will give some nice places in different cities where you can find the best fries, drink some beers and buy some good sweets.
Bruges
The best fries in Bruges you’ll find outside the city center. Normally every person from Bruges knows this place. It’s called ‘Frituur De Bosrand’ and it’s absolutely the best. I went there a lot during my high school years. There are enough restaurants in Bruges just make sure you’ll check the reviews before you go.
The Belgian beers you can drink in the cozy pubs ‘‘t Poatersgat’ or ‘Le Trappist’. You should visit the brewery ‘De Halve Maan’, during the tour you get a beautiful view over the city, and you’ll get to taste the beer ‘Brugse Zot’ of course. You can book your visit here. Another place to visit is ‘Bourgogne des Flandres’, you can taste their beer while you sit outside, next to the water and enjoy seeing the boats passing by. Another hidden spot is the ‘Garre’, where you can drink many beers in this little, hidden café.
For your sweet tooth you find the best chocolate at ‘The Chocolate Line’. Some good waffle places are ‘House of waffles’ and ‘Lizzie’s Wafels’.
Ghent
For the best fries in Ghent I recommend ‘De Frietketel’ it’s really good and has a lot of vegan options. There are a lot of good restaurants in Ghent but always check the reviews.
Beer is something you’ll find in every bar. A nice small bar we like is ‘Het Galgenhuisje’ beside that we also like the ‘Trollekelder’, ‘‘t Dreupelkot’ and ‘Dulle Griet’. If you want to visit a brewery in Ghent then Gruut is a nice place. You can check out their website here.
Something else you must eat in Ghent are cuberdons (neusjes). It’s a good, sweet candy. In my opinion you can find the best ones at a stall on the Groetenmarkt.
Antwerp
In Antwerp there are many places with good fries. You can go to ‘De Smulpaep’, ‘Fritkot Max’ and ‘Frituur n° 1’. They all serve some good fries.
A beer should be enjoyed on the Grote Markt, try out the Seef beer which is good. Besides that, you should visit the brewery ‘De Koninck’. Information about visiting the brewery you’ll find here.
For sweets you have the same shop as there is in Bruges ‘The Chocolate Line’. Here you can buy some good chocolate. In Antwerp you have the biggest Belgian chocolate museum which you can visit.
Mechelen
Some good fries in Mechelen you can eat at ‘Frituur Put’ and ‘Beastie Burgers Mechelen’.
For beer you should visit the brewery ‘het Anker’. You get a tour and a good explanation about the beer. Besides that, you’ll see a beautiful view over the city and the Cathedral, and you’ll get a beer at the end. The restaurant also serves really good food with vegan options. Information about visiting the brewery you’ll find here.
If you have a sweet tooth, you should buy some chocolate at ‘Sjolaa’. It’s a small artisanal chocolate maker.
Brussels
Fries: you can get the best in ‘Friterie du Miroir’, ‘Frit Flagey’ or ‘Fritland’.
When you want to drink a beer, there are many bars in Brussels like ‘A La Mort Dubite’, ‘A la Becasse’, ‘In’t Spinnekopke’, ‘Poechenellekelder’ and ‘Le Corbeau’. There are many breweries in and around Brussels which you can visit. One of the breweries is Cantillon, you can book your visit here.
For those who love sweet things, you should really eat a Brussels’ waffle. There are many places where you can eat the waffles like ‘Waffle Factory’, ‘Maison Dandoy’, ‘Mokcafé’, ‘Peck 47’, ‘Le Funambule’, etc. If you love chocolate, you should buy some at ‘Maison Pierre Marcolini’ or ‘Passion Chocolat’.
Besides the Brussels’ waffles we also have the waffles from Liège which taste totally different. The best waffle from Liège you’ll find in Liège in a place called ‘Une Gaufrette Saperlipopette’.
Leuven
The city has a lot to offer food wise. There are many good food places. When you want to eat some fries, I would recommend eating them at ‘Babo’s Artisan Burgers and Fries’ or ‘De Smullende Heks’.
Leuven is famous for its beer that sells all over the world. Try to visit the brewery, Stella Artois. You can only get a tour on Saturday on certain hours (depending on the language you chose). You can reserve your spot here. A nice bar where you can play pool is called ‘Downtown Jack’.
The place where you can buy the best sweet chocolate is called ‘Bittersweet’. Or you can buy artisanal ice cream from ‘’t Galetje’ from one of their two locations and enjoy it in the Sint-Donatuspark or on the Oude Markt.
Hasselt
In Hasselt you’ll eat the best fries at ‘LA Fries and burger’.
To drink some beer ‘Ipanema Beach Club’ and ‘café Latino’ are great options. A good beer is ‘Ter Dolen’, you can visit the brewery every Saturday, Sunday and holidays at 15:00. You can book your visit here.
When you want something sweet, you’ll have the best vegan cinnamon rolls at ‘Peas’. For some good chocolate you go to ‘BOON’.
Belgium has many more beautiful places to visit and there are many more good places to get fries, beers and sweets. These are just one of our favorite places. Read more about these cities in the blog Discover the small, underrated Belgium.
