Belgium Beyond Beer & Waffles: Authentic Foodies Paradise Just 90 Minutes from Italy

🍤Hunt down the perfect Shrimp Croquette on the Flemish Coast

Belgium’s must-order brasserie classic is the garnaalkroket—a crisp shell filled with béchamel studded with hand-peeled North Sea grey shrimp (Crangon crangon). The benchmark on the coast is Bistro Mathilda, Leopold II-laan 1, 8400 Oostende (reserve). Ostend even stages annual croquette competitions, and Brussels runs a judged citywide contest during Eat Festival—2024’s champion was Bouillon Bruxelles.

Order like a local: look for “hand-peeled North Sea shrimp” in the description; contests literally require it.

🧆Eat Liège Meatballs the Liégeois way (Boulets à la Liégeoise)

The soul food of Wallonia is boulets à la Liégeoise—meatballs glazed in a sweet-savory onion gravy enriched with Sirop de Liège (apple-pear fruit syrup).
• Café Lequet, Quai sur Meuse 17, 4000 Liège — a local institution for boulets.
• Amon Nanesse (Maison du Peket), Rue du Stalon 1–3, 4000 Liège — classic Liège cooking near Place du Marché.

🌱 Taste Ghent’s “Little Noses” (Cuberdons) & the city’s veggie-forward scene

Ghent is the spiritual home of cuberdons—cone-shaped raspberry candies nicknamed neuzekes (“little noses”). The classic way to try them is right on Groentenmarkt (Groentenmarkt, 9000 Gent), where stalls pile up purple cones by the kilo; their shells are firm, with a gooey center, and they’re best within ~3 weeks before crystallizing.

Where to buy, exactly:
• Groentenmarkt cuberdon stalls (daily, weather permitting) — head to the center of the square.
• Confiserie Temmerman, Kraanlei 79, 9000 Gent — historic sweets shop (also sells cuberdons).

A few meters away, pop into Tierenteyn-Verlent for an old-school blast of Ghent mustard (fiery, hand-ladled from a wooden barrel): Groentenmarkt 3, 9000 Gent. Across the square, the tiny ’t Galgenhuisje claims the title of “smallest pub in Ghent”: Groentenmarkt 5, 9000 Gent.

Ghent also pioneered “Veggie Thursday” (Donderdag Veggiedag) in 2009—many canteens and restaurants feature plant-based mains on Thursdays, and it helped cement Ghent’s rep as a veggie capital. For a modern snapshot, try:
• OAK (★ Michelin), Burgstraat 16, 9000 Gent (creative tasting menus).
• Le Botaniste (plant-based), Hoornstraat 13, 9000 Gent.

Why it matters: Cuberdons are a uniquely Ghent sweet (not a generic “Belgian” candy), and Veggie Thursday is a real local policy, not marketing fluff—both make Ghent’s food scene distinct.

🍺Pair Trappist Beer with Monastic Cheeses at the Source

Belgium currently has five Authentic Trappist (ATP) breweries: Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren. (Achel lost the ATP label in 2021; see note.) For visitors:

Orval Abbey (ruins + museum + shop) — Orval 1, 6823 Villers-devant-Orval. Superb for self-guided visits; buy Orval cheese in the shop.
In de Vrede (Westvleteren café/shop) — Donkerstraat 13, 8640 Vleteren. The only official café for Westvleteren beers; take-away bottles require following the abbey’s rules/availability.
Café Trappisten (Westmalle) — Antwerpsesteenweg 487, 2390 Malle; across from the abbey.
Chimay Experience (Espace Chimay) — Rue de Poteaupré 5, 6464 Bourlers (Chimay); museum + tastings.
Rochefort (Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy) — church visit possible; brewery is closed to the public.

🧺 Shop & Snack at Bruges’ Vismarkt (Fish Market)

In Bruges, the historic Vismarkt is where fishmongers set up under arcades a short stroll from the canals (morning market days vary). Address: Vismarkt / Gouden-Handrei, 8000 Brugge. For classic seaside flavors in town, locals steer to mussel specialists such as Breydel-De Coninc, Breidelstraat 24, 8000 Brugge, or Poules Moules, Simon Stevinplein 9, 8000 Brugge. Mussel season typically kicks off in July and runs into winter.

🥬 Brussels Endive (Chicons) — Comfort Food done right

Don’t leave without chicons au gratin (baked Belgian endives wrapped in ham, blanketed in béchamel, browned under cheese). For old-school vibes:

• Au Vieux Bruxelles, Rue Saint-Boniface 35, 1050 Ixelles (historic brasserie).
• Fin de Siècle, Rue des Chartreux 9, 1000 Brussels (hearty Belgian mains; menu often shows endive dishes like chicons farcis).
• Le Zinneke, Place de la Patrie 26, 1030 Schaerbeek (traditional Belgian, big mussel list, seasonal classics).

🧇 Waffles 101: Liège vs. Brussels

Liège waffle (gaufre de Liège): dense, buttery dough with crunchy pearl sugar caramelization; typically oval/irregular. Try Une Gaufrette Saperlipopette, Rue des Mineurs 7, 4000 Liège.
Brussels waffle (gaufre de Bruxelles): light, yeasted batter; airy and rectangular. Sit-down classic: Maison Dandoy – Tea Room, Rue Charles Buls 14, 1000 Brussels, or Maison Dandoy – Grand-Place Boutique, Rue au Beurre 31, 1000 Brussels.

What’s the difference (quick facts you can check): Liège waffles use a brioche-like dough and pearl sugar; Brussels waffles are lighter, cooked from batter in deeper irons.

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🍪 Speculoos beyond the biscuit — artisanal vs. global

Belgium’s caramelized spice biscuit (speculoos) has two faces:

Artisanal: Maison Dandoy (founded 1829), with several central Brussels boutiques (e.g., Rue au Beurre 31, 1000 Brussels; Galerie du Roi 2, 1000 Brussels). Great for gift tins and fresh bakes.
Global icon: Lotus Biscoff (Lotus Bakeries), headquartered in Lembeke (Gentstraat 1, 9971 Lembeke), turned speculoos into a worldwide brand (you’ll see the spread, ice-cream mashups, etc.).

🍻Time your trip to a food festival

Belgian Beer Weekend (Grand-Place, Brussels) — 2025 edition runs 5–7 September 2025 on the Grand-Place (1000 Brussels). Brewer parades + tasting chalets.
Zythos Beer Festival (Leuven) — traditionally at Brabanthal, Brabantlaan 1, 3001 Leuven, late April; 2024 was canceled, so confirm current-year dates before planning.
Christmas markets — Brussels Winter Wonders sprawls across Grand-Place, Bourse, Place Sainte-Catherine & Marché aux Poissons; Liège Christmas Village centers on Place du Marché / Place Saint-Lambert.

🍽️ Michelin Magic: where to splurge

Belgium punches well above its weight in Michelin stars. In 2024–2025 highlights:

Zilte (★★★) — Hanzestedenplaats 5, 2000 Antwerp (9th floor of MAS; panoramic dining).
Boury (★★★) — Rumbeeksesteenweg 300, 8800 Roeselare (destination fine dining).
Hof van Cleve (★★) — Riemegemstraat 1, 9770 Kruisem (new era under chef Floris Van Der Veken).
Address: Żelazowa Wola 6, 05-084 Sochaczew
Entry: PLN 20
How to Get There:
- Train: Take the Koleje Mazowieckie train from Warszawa Centralna to Sochaczew. From there, you can take a bus or taxi to Żelazowa Wola.
- Verification: Żelazowa Wola is an accessible day trip to see the birthplace of famous composer Frédéric Chopin.