Vlaminck '14 — Restaurant in Bruges

Was a very nice atmosphere. Quiet, cozy, very local.

The waiters were very welcoming and friendly. I got my food fairly quick after the other which was appreciated

I ordered the Menu Flamand. The mussels as a starter, rabbit as main dish and the crème brulee as dessert.

I got a couple pieces of beautiful bread with some butter. Really feels like it was homemade bread. Nice and crunchy crust with a lovely soft inside. I ordered a lemonade as well which was quite sweet. A bit much for my taste.

The mussels I don't have much to say about. They're nice quality mussels, nicely cooked, well cleaned and overall were great. Also served with a mussel sauce. A good portion too.

The rabbit was served with a lovely sauce and dried plums. Overall the dish as a whole was quite nice. The rabbit was a little dry but was served with more than enough sauce to make up for it. The plums were a good touch of sweetness to compliment the meat. It was served with a couple potato croquettes. They were store bought but there's nothing wrong with that. As long as you know how to serve food, that's what matters. I work at a restaurant too and know how these things work. It came with a separate salad too which was a little bland but had some vinaigrette. Was a little unnecessary with the dish, especially in a menu.

Now for the dessert. I am a massive fan of crème brulees. 8 out of 10 times I order it whenever I see it on the menu. This one was... fine. It's not bad. The pudding itself was delicious. It's just that the crust was very thin and it was cold. The first time you drop your spoon onto the crust it's supposed to give a nice "crack". Here it simply fell through. I'm not trying to make it sound like it was 'bad', it was good. It's just the crust I felt a little dissapointed about.

Do I recommend this place? Sure. It's very cozy and is located in a very accessible location, close to the...

Vlaminck '14 has both great food and great service.

General aspects: We are a couple of italian-brazilian wandering tourists from Rome and this was our first time ever in Brugges. We found this restaurant on maps while searching for traditional food and a cozy space. The place is really well designed, atmosphere is polished and relaxing and kitchen is always open, which is a huge plus for people who were cityseeing like us.

Food, service & experience: We ordered a traditional plate, rabbit meat based, tender and well flavoured. Really fantastic. One of us is lactose intolerant, so we asked to change potato croquettes with fritters and waiters were so kind to favour our necessity. We were so impressed with Kevin and Sam's availability, friendliness and professionalism. Despite the language differences they were truly open and empathetic, which isn't common. For dessert, we had the same initial difficulty since milk and derivates are usually used in making them. Kevin and Sam introduced us to José, another colleague who shared cheff's off-menu alternative: zabaione with raspberry's syrup. This dessert was a surprise. It was so so good. We enjoyed it a lot and we were also delighted by some good conversation with the guys. We were impressed by José's Portuguese roots and we had the pleasure to talk in 3 languages: Italian, English and Portuguese.

Conclusion: We are grateful for both meal and experience. Visiting a place means discovering new things, new people and sharing our stories. It's fundamental to connect with each other and being kind. This is why we believe this experience was the perfect example of what a good restaurant and good service should be. We will surely...

Absolutely Disappointing - Avoid at All Costs

I should have known better than to trust the glowing reviews on Google, but I’ll take this one as a lesson. It’s my responsibility, and I own that mistake. However, I’ll make sure not to fall for high ratings again without digging deeper into the reviews.

This place was by far the worst dining experience I’ve had in Belgium. During my four-day trip, where I had the pleasure of dining at various spots across four cities, this restaurant was a clear outlier. The quality of food here is questionable at best, and the whole experience felt like a tourist trap.

The food was far from fresh. The potatoes were clearly frozen (which I had never encountered until now). The chicken vol-au-vent was bland, almost as if it was just leftover roasted chicken mixed with a bit of tasteless béchamel sauce. And the salad? It was as uninspired and boring as they come.

Had the price been reflective of the low quality, I wouldn’t have minded as much. But for what I paid, I was expecting something memorable, something worth the price tag, not this underwhelming, mediocre disaster. If you’re looking for something decent, look elsewhere. Even street food stands offer better quality, fresh, and made to order meals.

Also, be careful when paying! They advertise a €30 minimum for card payments, but the owner tried to insist that it was €40. After pointing out that their menu clearly stated €30, he reluctantly backed down.

I’m sure the owner will have an offensive reply, as I’ve read that it’s their trademark by now. But honestly, I wouldn’t waste another minute...