Cambrinus — Restaurant in Bruges

An appalling and uncomfortable experience from start to finish, which tarnished our entire visit to Bruges. This place comes out top for Flemish stew based on online reviews and, bolstered by our tour guide’s recommendation of the beer selection, we were excited to visit at 4pm on a Monday. We sat outside but found that the service is, quite literally, non existent. After 15 minutes of waiting we attempted to order at the bar but were sent back outside. 5 minutes later one of the two older waitresses on duty reluctantly came to serve us. She was stony-faced and unwilling to offer any advice on the beers available - she was only willing to recommend the house beer, which we ordered. We felt extremely unwelcome. We decided to try the beer flight, but again no one came out to serve us and so we tried to order at the bar - we were chastised and told to return to our table. Eventually, the waitress returned and took our order in a short and rude manner - do not expect service with a smile, you certainly won’t get it. On delivery of the beer, she refused to provide any detail or information about the beers, only the name of each. We asked for English translations for the names - she laughed, rolled her eyes and left. At this point we were quite uncomfortable with the contemptuous nature of service and decided to read the online reviews in detail, including the review referencing the restaurant calling police on customers who were unhappy with their food. This did not surprise us - the two older women working here seem to hold genuine resentment and malice towards the customers. However, we were desperate to try the “best” Flemish stew in Bruges on our last night - we asked at 6pm if we could order food and were told we could be fitted in at an indoor table at 7pm (the last table available, we were told). On moving inside, I attempted to order the food. The two older women both refused to acknowledge me despite repeated and polite attempts to get their attention and around one third of the tables being vacant. I managed to catch one of the women’s attention, she gestured that she was serving another table. I then managed to get the attention of the male waiter, who said he couldn’t take orders. Around 10 minutes later the woman approached our table and berated me for my attempts to order - I was completely gobsmacked and asked her to not be rude. She took our food order and left. We then noticed the two older women in furious, animated conversation and gesturing at our table. This was the final straw and my partner confronted the two women regarding their treatment of us; they claimed they were not gesturing at us, but rather the neighbouring table (how is that any better?). We decided at this point to cancel our food order, pay our 60 euro drinks bill and leave.

Something to note - they put ‘reserved’ signs on the outdoor tables, yet they were not occupied by bookings during the 2.5h we were sat there. They will not serve food outside either. Why have tables outside if you do not want them to be used?

I have travelled to 38 countries and visited countless bars and restaurants - Cambrinus is by far the worst experience I have encountered. The staff, in particular the two older women, hold the customers in contempt and I cannot understand how and why they are working in hospitality. We wondered if it was due to our UK nationality, but based on observations and the other poor reviews, their callous treatment appears to be universal. My partner and I adored everything else about Bruges, but these vile women succeeded in putting a damper on our last night.

Cambrinus appears to have built a strong reputation over the years for its picture-perfect exterior, huge beer selection and good food, but this will quickly be tarnished due to the current level of service which appears to be universally poor. I do hope that the management addresses these reviews and overhauls their staff, as otherwise it is only a matter of time before this reputation crumbles. Avoid...

A Cheese Croquette Standoff in Bruges!😆

Ah, Bruges. The charming canals, cobblestone streets, and the unmissable aroma of waffles… It was the perfect place for a romantic getaway… or so we thought. Little did we know, we were about to star in our comedy movie.😆😆😆

We wandered into what looked like a quaint, cosy restaurant in a bustling tourist spot. The menu promised Belgian classics, so we decided to try the cheese croquettes. They arrived, looking innocent enough, but the first bite told a different story: half-frozen in the middle, and tasting like they’d been sitting in the freezer since Bruges’ medieval heyday. (17 euros for two, so it was not like a cheap junk food type of a place).

Politely, we flagged down the server and explained the issue. Their response? “We’ve been making them like this for 20 years.” Ah, yes, the classic “tradition trumps quality” defence. I couldn’t help but reply, “Well, that’s great for you, but I’m still not paying for it.”☺️ and when we said that my fiancee's food is not good either…

Cue the drama. The server huffed off, and minutes later, the manager arrived, their face a mix of disbelief and determination. When we stood our ground, they decided to up the ante… they called the police. Yes, the police… over cheese croquettes.😆😆😆😆

Soon enough, two officers arrived. At this point, it felt like we’d been transported into a Monty Python sketch. We explained the situation, gesturing at the offending croquettes like they were Exhibit A in a court case. The manager countered, declaring that their croquettes were a local treasure, perfected over two decades.

Negotiations ensued, with the officers mediating like it was an international summit. Eventually, the restaurant begrudgingly agreed to remove the croquettes from the bill. Victory! But just when we thought it was over, the police took my details, warning me that they wouldn’t record it as a crime because I paid for the rest of the meal. A technicality saved me from adding “international food fraudster” to my résumé.

I didn't even bother mentioning that we didn't finish our drinks… it seemed like a battle for another day. We paid for what we “ate” (barely), left with our heads held high, and vowed never to return.

Bruges, your canals are stunning, but your customer service in some places? Nonexistent. If I ran a restaurant like that, I’d be ashamed.

It’s a story we’ll laugh about for years😆😆 a reminder that sometimes, dining out can turn into an...

Our delicious meal here was marred by beyond rude behaviour from the waiter.

Five of us dined, and when the bill of €197 arrived we worked out between us that two of our party would split the bill 50/50. The waiter made it clear in no uncertain terms "No, no. One bill, one payment." No bill splitting was allowed. I got as far as saying "I have never dined in a restaurant where bill splitting is not allowed," before the waiter became extremely aggressive and demanding that I 'respect' him. My mother-in-law then challenged this odd rule, at which point the waiter then turned his aggression towards her, again demanding that he be 'respected'. After making it clear that 'respect' had absolutely nothing to do with the need to split what was a fairly hefty bill, we paid, but, man.... what a weird thing to happen. Completely baffling.

This behaviour falls so far below the common courtesy that should reasonably be expected in a restaurant that I struggle to understand why it expects its patrons to leave happy. I am surprised that this is not the top line on most of the other reviews. There is no mention anywhere on the menu of there being any restrictions on splitting the bill. Perhaps it is on the website... I will have a look after clicking the 'Post' button.

Either way, I have dined in hundreds of restaurants on five continents and have literally never heard of a bill splitting restriction being applied anywhere. An odd, unpleasant, and unnecessarily aggressive end to an otherwise a...