De Bottelier

Absolutely loved this place. It's warm and inviting and the whole evening was so special. We were warned that it would take awhile for the meal to arrive so we ordered a bottle of rose and a cheese platter. Cheese platter was all kinds of amazing from slow roasted tomatoes to thinly sliced pickled cucumbers. By the time those were done the meal arrived. My husband ordered the Mediterranean fish with rice. A nice size of roasted fish with tomatos. Shrimp, mussels, fish, a bit of pesto. It was excellent. I had the amazing duck breast which came sliced, with a mango sauce and chopped mango, with a side of potato croquettes. Excellent. And the best part of this amazing meal in this wonderful home, was the price. 78 euro for the whole thing. We paid more than that for lunch in the market area. Highly recommend that you make a reservation. A number of people were turned away because they had sold out.

We found De Bottelier online and decided to give it the time of day (a pun as you will read). We booked online as the webpage stated it was a busy restaurant. A reply conforming our reservation was almost immediately received. That is a comforting thought as there is nothing worse than worrying whether your mail has been received or not. On the evening we left the hotel, just down the road to look for the restaurant. We arrived at where we thought it was but saw no signs until, looking across the road, we noticed through the glass windows thousands of clocks. I do mean thousands. Returning during the day we found more clocks on the waterfront. Totally astounding. The name De Bottelier is on the glass window way above. No matter, we found it. So interesting inside, so much to see. The food, well try it for yourself. It cannot be beaten. I had wonderful pan fried skate wings. Meat that fell off the bone. Delicious. Followed by a crème brulee that couldn't be missed. Service, by the owner was exemplary as was the food, cooked by his wife. This restaurant goes down in my estimation as one of the best in Bruges. Also, it gets you away from the hustle and bustle of the Markt. Yes, a little more expensive but well worth it. Both of you, Veel dank.

A superb restaurant. It is cosy, atmospheric and has a great ambience along with the pleasant surroundings. The owner is friendly and very helpful. The food selection is interesting and it is well-prepared and tasty. I would recommend this restaurant.

It is literally impossible to get a table at this restaurant, **even if you called ahead and made a reservation**.

We ate here twice during a recent stay in Bruges and had a lovely meal on both occasions. Service is leisurely, as the restaurant is run by a husband and wife; he waits on customers while she is in the kitchen making delicious tagines and other dishes. The food was so good on our first visit that we made a reservation to return before we left. The restaurant is full of vintage clocks, toys, and photos and feels very warm and cozy. Prices are very reasonable, especially compared to other restaurants in pricey Bruges.