But if you want to escape the crowd and sit down for something more hearty, take the five-minute walk north from the Markt to Ezelstraat.

De Bretoen is oozing with old-world charm – lots of brick and wood and, at the centre of the room, a large round worktop with two traditional cast-iron griddles. As my friend and I make our way to the back of the room, we pass one griddle just as a ladle of batter is being poured onto it and spread thin in a circular motion with a long, flat spatula. Crêpes, the regional dish of Brittany in northern France, are made here right before your eyes. And they come with a wide variety of unexpected fillings.

My friend orders hers with vol-au-vent, the creamy chicken stew that’s usually served in a puff pastry. But stuffed inside of an ultra-soft, folded crêpe, the stew really holds its own with thick chunks of chicken breast and flavourful mushrooms.

As a big spinach eater, I order the Popeye crêpe, which doesn’t look like a crêpe at all as it comes in an oven dish with a crusty golden cheese au gratin topping. Sinking my fork and knife into the dish reveals layer upon layer of doughy crêpes, creamy spinach and cheesy Mornay sauce. I devour half of it and take the rest home with me for lunch the next day.

The perfect refreshment to go with crêpes is cider, so we order a bottle from Normandy. The tart fermented apple juice is lightly carbonated and contains little alcohol. At De Bretoen, and true to tradition, you drink the cider out of bowl-like earthenware cups.

If we had any space left, we wouldn’t hesitate to order one of the many sweet crêpes on the menu, filled with anything from mint and fresh whipped cream to Nutella and strawberries.

It must be said that you should come here for the atmosphere and heavenly crêpes, but certainly not for the surly service. We pay the €24 bill and head out the door with so little as a nod, but with very contented bellies.

Ezelstraat 4, Bruges
Wed-Mon, 11.30-22.00
Crêpes: €5-€8
A bistro with more than 60 types of belly-filling sweet and savoury crêpes

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