Bij Koen & Marijke

One of the best restaurants we’ve ever visited and honestly THE best steak we’ve ever had. From the moment we read the menu we realised how special this place is. The atmosphere was fantastic and Koen & Marijke really made our special evening even more special. Both were so helpful, friendly and the service made us feel like we were invited to their home for dinner and not in just another restaurant. The food quality was seriously good and the beer selection was endless! All from smaller breweries, which made it even more of a rare find. If we’re ever in Brugge again, we will definitely stop by.

I can’t speak highly enough about this wonderful, down-to-earth restaurant. Simple food, lovingly and expertly prepared. Friendly, warm and authentic service from the owners — Koen and Marijke. It makes sense that they’ve named the restaurant after themselves since this place is all about them. We started with an on the house portion of copa, smoked ham from the neck of the pig, and shared an amazing grilled Camembert. My wife ordered the filet, and I had the ribeye — perhaps the best steak I’ve ever eaten. Sides and desserts were also great. Also, it was our anniversary, and they left us with two beautiful hand written cards. There are many terrific dining options in Bruges. It’s no wonder this place is as popular as it is.

The tone of the evening is set right at the door. We were welcomed by the chef himself, Koen — long beard, friendly smile, clearly coming straight from the grill — who casually mentioned that he’d rather not take our coats because his hands were still busy with kitchen work. It was such an honest, unpretentious moment that we immediately knew: this is a special place. The dining room feels warm and open. There’s a large counter, but it’s not turned away from the guests — quite the opposite. From there, coffee is made, bottles are selected, glasses poured, and right next to it is the open fireplace where Koen prepares many of the dishes, especially the grilled meats, just a few steps from the tables. Fridges, supplies, tools — everything is visible. You can watch a professional at work: calm, precise, knowledgeable, and completely without show. Koen and Marijke are wonderful hosts — genuinely welcoming, unconventional, and happy to explain what they do and why they do it. The menu is exciting and meat-forward, and every dish comes not only with a beer recommendation but also with a gin pairing. We chose to drink mostly water and enjoy the recommended gin with each course, served neat. It’s remarkable how well the gins are matched to the flavors of the food, adding an entirely new layer to the experience. The food is not just good, it’s very good: honest cooking, full of character, no gimmicks, no unnecessary frills. The setting is original yet cozy, relaxed but focused. Prices are not low, that’s true — but absolutely justified. For me, this was one of the most exciting restaurant experiences of the last few years, not just in Bruges, but in Europe. Highly recommended.

We were incredibly fortunate to get the very last walk-in table tonight. I know we were lucky, as this place clearly books up for good reason. From the moment we sat down, the warmth of the welcome from Marijke set the tone for the evening. Every dish was absolutely spot on！The fennel sausage was beautifully seasoned, the beef tartare perfectly balanced, and the rib-eye is cooked over wood fire in sight was simply outstanding, one of the best I’ve had anywhere. Both desserts, the crème brûlée and the tiramisu, were faultless. You can really taste the care, time and love that go into everything. A huge thank you to the chef and his wife for their kindness and hospitality. You guys made our anniversary truly special. Next time, we’ll definitely book ahead rather than rely on luck!

Wonderful food - the bavette steak was one of the best we’ve ever had! Marijke & Koen’s service was fantastic, as were their pairing recommendations. Extensive drinks menu, with support of local breweries. Cozy atmosphere in a tucked away corner of Bruges - not to be missed!

I’m going to put some pictures here and let them speak for themselves. We were visiting Bruges and looking for a gluten free restaurant for dinner. We found this restaurant on our last day and hands down it was one of the best meals we have ever had. Everything we had was completely gf (including bread provided). The restaurant is run by the sweetest couple and the homely vibe of it all was fantastic. If they hadn’t been fully booked, we could have sat there all night watching all the lovely food get cooked on the fire. If and when we come back to Bruges, this will be our no.1 spot for dinner. What an amazing way to end our trip.

Fantastic restaurant, just a quick 5 minute walk from the city centre. Walk in and met with the amazing smell of smoked meat and greeted by incredibly friendly people. It’s clear this is a relaxed and cosy place. Marijke served us, and gave very informed explanations and recommendations on different beers (from which there is a wide and varied selection to choose from) based on my preferences. And the beers were tasty, refreshing and exactly as described. Meat was incredibly flavoursome, good quality and filling. Atmosphere was homely, cosy and traditional with a fresh modern feel to it all at the same time. I’ll be popping back to Bruges for a weekend just to visit here! Thank you Koen & Marijke!

Exceptional. From the family farm to table. Cooked in the middle of the small cozy restaurant on an open firepit. So much passion and effort goes into this place. Steaks are unbelievable. Cooked to perfection. Smokey and juicy. Beer list is the best in Bruges by far. Love their use of local breweries and how much information they have about them. One of mine and my wifes favourites restaurants of all time. Will always be back.

What a special evening!! The food, drink and atmosphere was perfect- and you must try the melted Camembert cheese!!

Just eat here. Just do it. We had a reservation, and it was essential. The place was very busy. We had a cute table by the window. The place is a family run business, the husband does the cooking and the wife does the table service and MOST IMPORTANTLY, the beer recommendations. We arrived and started with a couple of beers as aperitifs. During this time was when we shared our love for beer with the owner and she with us. We decided to get the chef special steak with beer pairing, which was a three course meal. We were given an amuse-Buche of some sliced cured meat. It was AMAZING. We asked if we could order some to take away, but unfortunately they didn't have extra. Then the first course came, it was a cheese cooked on the fire where the steaks are also cooked. Oh my goodness, so good. It was paired with a dark sweet beer. I remember thinking how the cheese could use a little sweetness and then I sipped the beer and there it was! What a perfect pairing. After the cheese our steak came. It came with fries and salad. We got it with the pepper sauce and the rockfort sauce. We preferred the pepper sauce, but both were good. This was paired with a chimay. For dessert we had a tiramisu made with local cookies. Omg it was so good! It was paired with a beer that I unfortunately couldn't try because of an allergy I have. My husband said it was a perfect pairing. I was brought a different dark beer which also tasted good. This was the perfect anniversary celebration dinner and if you are a fan of steak and beer - this is a must stop for your stay in Bruges.

Good place for steak. Very special decoration for checking your own steak when it's cooking. Good service and vibe. A bit expensive but it's acceptable. Steak was a bit dry so I give just 3 points. But still worthy to try.

My favorite Bruges restaurant!! Not even sure where to begin.. the fennel sausages (SIGH), the grilled Camembert cheese, the filet, the ribeye, the Grilled prawns, the Jamboneau!!!! We have been nearly 2 wks in the city & have returned here twice. & plan on going back at least a few more times b4 we leave mid Jan. Indeed, this restaurant is the primary reason we came to Bruges for our Christmas holiday. Each dish explodes with flavor. the beer & wine lists work perfectly. The lively ambiance keeps one smiling. But the best of it all are the owners.. amazingly kind & funny & sweet. And while Yes, they are very busy (ISNT THAT THE POINT, PEOPLE??) and cannot stand at my elbow throughout the meal to respond to my every whim... they kept us smiling and fed us gloriously.

This place is a find! Tucked away in a neighborhood about 15 min walk from the Belfort square. The restaurant has been open since 1977 but the current owner has been operating it for about 8 years. He is extremely friendly cooks a lot of the proteins in the front dining room on an open fire grill. We went with a group of 7 and ordered almost the entire menu, so won't get into everything but will say that ALL was deliciously amazing.

Must go when in Brugge. Great family own tavern with fantastic beer selections. Every dish tasted wonderful. Very relax environment and fun to see the meals being cook on an open grill. Amazing time there!

Delicious food and great service. I didn't like that I had to buy a drink, but it came with prosciutto which was very good. Best prosciutto I ever had! I ordered the ostrich and got it medium rare and it was cooked just right and was so good with the mushroom gravy. Would recommend this place!

Our best meal in Bruges, and we also ate at a Michelin star restaurant. Just outstanding! There is an extensive beer menu, and it is laid out brilliantly as a functioning periodic table, explaining the different types and brewing methods in relation to each other. A very friendly father-son team run the restaurant, with son specializing with the bar and father handling the fire grilling. By the end of the night, we were laughing and talking with both. My wife and I feasted on a filet and rib eye, and oozing grilled Camembert with bread. And when they found out we were on our belated honeymoon, the son let us sample the special beer from his wedding ceremony! Our most memorable meal on a two-week trip through Europe.

We spent two nights in Bruge and LUCKILY ate dinner here. We got the ribeye for two and it was incredible!!! It had an amazing crust, cooked to perfection and the sauces were delicious. I will say, I ended up not even eating the steak with sauce because it was so delicious that I felt like a sauce would cover up the flavor. However, still get the sauce to dunk those delicious fries into! I HIGHLY recommend heading to the place for awesome beer and incredible steak. The staff all spoke English and were VERY helpful in suggestions beer!

I would love to give this place a better review as the food was delicious, the service friendly, and the beer recommendation tailored to your individual tastes, but my boyfriend and I both got severe food poisoning from this restaurant that stuck with us for days afterward (we had only a bagel in the morning, so we know it was caused by this restaurant). The service was also quite slow as there were just two people working in the front of the house (one of whom was also cooking the steaks). If you are going to take the risk, the fries are perfection, the steaks are delicious and need only a dash of the smoked salt they're served with to taste incredible--though the sauces they're served with are also quite good--and the salad is fresh. We also had the baked Camembert with Calvados, but would not order it again--we couldn't really taste the Calvados, and the Camembert was incredibly pungent, so we recommend this only if you are a huge Camembert fan. Be sure to make a reservation because we saw them turn away several customers despite the fact that they looked half empty (this was because they had a group coming in later that evening).

My shrimp was exquisite. My boyfriend ordered a steak medium rare and it came out medium-perfect ;)

If you are visiting Brugge. you have to have dinner one evening at this local restaurant. It's in a residential area about 15 min stroll from the Belfry. The grill, next to the bar in the dining room, provides a great ambiance. The proprietor speaks pretty good English, and can be very funny if he's not too busy. Enjoy!