We recently went to Bruges for a few days to celebrate David’s birthday in his dream fashion: laden with waffles, frites, and beer.

We got into the city just in time for dinner, with stomachs rumbling we headed to a place I had heard rave reviews about for both their beer list and food: Brasserie Cambrinus. Our first task was pouring through the massive beer list, given to each table as a binder of over 400 bottles, separated by category (thankfully). To add to the madness, there was also a list of available draft beers. We started off with the house Blond and Bruin, both were refreshing and deserved after the flight and train into the city. Our server was delightful and steered us away from what would have been a very disappointing appetizer and instead suggested a garlic bread that we would have never picked but was truly a masterpiece. Imagine the best part of escargot (the garlic and butter juice at the bottom of the well, obviously), poured over toasted bread, and then topped with a Trappist cheese– phenomenal. Cambrinus has a couple of set menus, one of which I ordered. The “Menu of the Breweres” includes a started of Trappist cheese croquettes, Flemish Carbonades prepared with Gulden Draak Beer, and a crème brûlée perfumed with dark Abbey beer of Ename. Every bite was heavenly. I paired the croquettes with a Witte from La Trappe to lighten up the friend dish and scrub my palate of the creaminess from the cheese. The stew I found interesting as it replaced the usual Oud Bruin with a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. I decided to pair it with a Flanders Red, Bourgogne des Flandres. The pairing worked well, the acidity of the beer cut nicely through the richness of the stew. To end the meal, I went with a nice Dubbel from Westmalle to pair decadently with the crème brûlée. Brasserie Cambrinus has a sister bar on the same street, closer to the The Market Square, both are definitely worth a visit while in Bruges.

After a nice sleep at The Martin’s Brugge Hotel (highly recommended), we hit the town for a private tour to get the lay of the land. I used “Bruges with a local” and our guide, Ann, was very thorough and informative. When time allows in a very historic city, I enjoy walking tours as I feel like there is a story to every building that is easy to miss when just trudging through to the next “stop.” One of the buildings that Ann took us to was The Gruuthusemuseum. Originally built in the 13th century to store Gruit, the house is now a museum devoted to applied arts in Bruges. Gruit has an interesting history and as a taxable item, helped Bruges become a powerhouse medieval city. Gruit is a spiced herb mixture that was used extensively in beer production before hops became a popular addition to beer. As trade increased through the Bruges port, the taxes levied on Gruit and other brewing ingredients provided massive wealth unto the city.

We then ventured to a place that by name only, we would usually avoid, The Bruges Beer Experience. For € 16 you receive entrance to the museum and 3 15cl tastings in their tasting room. Honestly, we went in with very low expectations but came out feeling good about our use of time/money. The exhibits were interactive and informative, it was honestly fun walking through different barrels that let you “experience” each ingredient in beer. There were also sections on pairing food with beer, the history of beer in the world and Belgium, and beer in media. The tasting room had a great selection and we used our tokens while snacking on local sausage and cheese.

What’s a visit to a new city without a brewery stop, right? Brouwerij De Halve Maan is a picturesque 10 minute walk from The Market Square. Tours of the facility are 12 € (offered in Dutch, English, and French), last 45 minutes, and include a glass of the flagship Brugse Zot Blond after the tour. The brewery has been in operation since 1856, although beer has been brewed on the spot for nearly 500 years, and has been in the Maes family for five generations. Their flagship Brugse Zot translates to “Bruges Fool,” a nod to the funny way that locals refer to themselves. The tour was in depth and informative but not for those faint of heart, as there are quite a few sets of steep staircases. Before descending down into an area where beer was once kept in coolships, there is a lovely rooftop view over all of Bruges. To avoid sending delivery trucks through the narrow, cobbled streets of the city, the brewery installed a 2km long pipeline from the brew house to the bottling plant in 2016.

Bruges is the perfect city to spend a few beers days exploring. Most tourists include the city as a day trip, either from Brussels or a cruise ship; this does the city a complete injustice, as Bruges has so much more to offer than a spin around the square and a few pictures of tree lined canals. However, with the day-trippers out of the way, the city is wonderfully calm in the mornings and evening, perfect for a stroll to your next beer.