2 Best Restaurants in Bruges and the Coast, Belgium

This working brewery—the only one in Bruges—not only has a rather pleasant courtyard but produces the Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik brands that you'll see in many bars around town. If you want to see the brewery in action, daily 45-minute tours (hourly 11–4, with an extra tour at 5 pm on Saturday) cost €9 and include a glass of the house blond beer in its unfiltered form. You'll also find out how a 3-km (2-mile) length of pipeline was laid under the city's medieval streets to allow for enough beer to fill 12,000 bottles an hour in a plant outside the city limits and still keep their brewing operation within Bruges.

True beer lovers should aim for the extended daily 2 pm tour (€19; 90 minutes), which descends into the cellars for a more in-depth tasting session and hopped-up tales.

There may be a clue in the name, but there's far more to life than basic ham and cheese croques at this lively and simple-but-hip café---the toast-based dishes here come lavishly spread with a list of ingredients ranging from smoked salmon and asparagus, to chicken korma, or sauerkraut with chipotle mayo. Reservations are not possible and it's a local hot spot, so get here early, or be prepared to queue.