Our first foray into the high-end Belgian dining scene and our first 3 star Michelin restaurant... anywhere. Somehow we were lucky enough to call just a couple of hours ahead and scored the only remaining reservation of the evening. Upon arrival we were escorted to a sofa overlooking the garden for an amuse bouche and glass of champagne. My favorite way to begin a meal. The restaurant itself is beautiful. It's a renovated townhouse with several separate dining rooms. The decor is very classy. The ambiance (on this occasion) was hushed and discreet. Quiet... almost too quiet, and we're not noisy people. The service is A+. Fantastic wine pairings. As for the food, we opted to do one of the tasting menus. Though the food is perfect in sense of presentation, it wasn't exactly our thing. With hopes that I don't come off like the "ugly American" tourist, we just aren't accustomed to pickled fishes, savory gelees, fois and fish mousses. For example, I love salmon and most other fish, but the way it was prepared at de Karmeliet just wasn't what I was used to. I did finish everything on my plate though (because not only am I paying for it, I don't want to be rude!). Price wise, de Karmeliet is very pricey. Do you get what you pay for? I guess that just depends on what you're looking for. Whether I loved the food or not, part of what I paid for was the experience. A lovely evening with my favorite person... and there's no way I'd trade that. read more

De Karmeliet - Amuse bouche. - Belgian Near Me - Bruges, VWV

Disappointing for the price and the 3 michelin star rating. The food was good. Great presentation with fresh ingredients. Some of the flavor mixtures were not my thing, but that could be my personal taste in food and not a reflection on the quality or preparation of the meal. The decor was also nice. Classy, clean and chick. Many of the men were wearing suits and ties and cocktail dresses for women. There were some families dining at the same time as us as well. Service - this is where the place could do better. While the staff was polite, their English was hard to understand and because most of our questions were answered with a nod - we know they had trouble understanding us too. We had trouble figuring out what we wanted from the menu and the communication barrier was a problem. Also, staff seemed very young - maybe high school age. I would expect waiters who look 15 in Burger King and not in a high end restAurant. After we decided not to order wine, service practically disappeared. They were walking by but not looking at our table at all. It was most amusing when we wanted to get the check and kept trying to flag them down for 30 mins to get it. I finally gave up on the game and got up to ask for it... And of course, at the end we were reminded that tips could not be placed on a credit card and were expected in cash... In a city where tipping is not common and service is usually included in the bill we expected more from a high end restaurant. On the up side, I was there with my husband to celebrate our recent marriage and they presented us with a beautiful complimentary congratulations plate. That was a very nice touch. Drink menus are never given so you never know what you get nor how much it will cost you. I took a risk and ordered champagne. That was 19 euro for a quarter of a glass. My husband got 1 ounce of whiskey for 28 euros! Another thing that bothered us was that we were served sparkling water that they make in house and were charged 10 euros for it. For this type of a meal and the prices of food, you would expect to at least get a break on the water. 10 euros for a bottle of water is ridiculous. read more

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De Karmeliet (the Carmelite) has held three Michelin stars since 1996, longer than either of its Belgian competitors Hof Van Cleve (2005) and Hertog Jan (2011). Set in historic downtown Bruges, De Karmeliet lacks some of the gorgeous views of either its three-star compatriots, but sports a grand and gorgeous facade and dining rooms in high European style. Service is attentive but English skills are somewhat limited. They're trying hard, and they can answer most questions, but it takes a sharp ear. The food was kind of a surprise- just okay, with a few all-stars. It lacks the inspired feel of the two other 3-stars in Belgium- nothing that really blew me away. A complete, dorky, course-by-course description is available here: http://www.threestarepicure.com/blog/2015/10/26/belgium-de-karmeliet- read more

"Brugge Die Scone" Degustation Menu Potato Chips with Paprika and Manchego Marinated Salmon with Horseradish and Turnips, Glazed Almonds, Pie of Tomato and Olive Tapenade, Beignet of Boursin Cheese and Duke of Berkshire Pork, Burratta with Tomato Sorbet and Zucchini in Pesto Olive Oil, Butter from Flanders, Cereal Sourdough, White Roll Marinated filet of Meagre, 'Oeuf a la Neige' with spices, Baby Squid, Anchovy Cream White Asparagus, Flan of 'Duke of Berkshire' Ham, Black Truffle Vinaigrette Slightly smoked Salmon, Oil of Crustacean, Green Herbs Roasted Langoustine and Goose Liver, Marinated Eggplant, Seaweed and Lemongrass Infusion Roasted Young Cockerel and Sweetbreads in Breadcrumb Crust, Leg stuffed with 'Oud Brugge' Cheese, Green Asparagus, Wild Mushrooms, Morels Cheese Trolly, Fruit Bread, Fig Chutney Strawberries and Rhubarb Chocolate Textures and Caramel Mignardises, Cocoa Egg with Coffee Cream Originally planning a trip to Belgium shortly after In de Wulf announced an imminent shutter at the end of 2016 it was with some surprise that research uncovered De Karmeliet's plan to do similar by the middle of December, Geert Van Heecke 's Michelin 3* in Bruges considered by many to be the most rarified dining room in all of Belgium with the Chef himself somewhat of a national treasure in terms of championing the country's cuisine. Holding the highest Red Guide accolades since 1996, Chef van Hecke having stated in the past that he wished to retire at the age of sixty having originally opened De Karmeliet at age 27 in 1983, there is little doubt that the Chef's resume shines as brightly as any in Belgium with training at the elbow of names like Chapel and Ducasse, the €230 "Brugge Die Scone" menu consisting of seven courses flanked on both ends with bonuses and an expected time at the table of just under four-hours with an admittedly protracted pace. Truly a refined room, the heavy carpet and artwork both lending a bourgeois air to crisp linens and plenty of polished silver, diners are greeted with a basket of potato crisps topped in cheese and paprika while they are allowed to peruse the menu and within moments of making a selection a flurry of nibbles begins arriving, the tiny Tomato tartlette glistening beneath Olive Tapenade while a donut filled with creamy Cheese and Ham burst with flavor, but not a hint of oil at all. A bit disappointing in bread service, the lightly salted butter from Flanders deserving far better than the dry White Roll though the Cereal Sourdough was good, but not great, the official degustation began with a meaty filet of Meagre alongside a Floating Island of lightly spiced Meringue with several more components of sea life including a lightly poached Clam, baby Squid, cream of Anchovy and a chlorophyll-rich Seaweed crisp. Trending in step with the rest of Europe's Asparagus obsession, this menu as well as every other early-Summer tasting featuring both white and green stalks at some point during the meal, course two placed White Asparagus alongside supple slices as well as a flan of 'Duke of Berkshire' Ham, the boldness of the plate further enhanced by preserved dollops of Black Truffle while a follow-up of smoked Salmon danced beneath a creamy mousse of the same fish with oil of Crustacean and poignant herbal aromatics at its base. Never trending 'heavy' despite Geert's French training and deft hand with sauces as well as cream, savories were concluded with a one-two punch of roasted Langoustine and Goose Liver with Aubergine followed by a roasted male chicken served alongside sweetbreads and spring mushrooms as well as vegetables, the braised leg of the bird amongst the very best bites in Belgium as it had been stuffed with melted 'Oud Brugge' Cheese. Truly a family affair, the matriarch of the family greeting tables early on and later acting as the resident Fromagier, Cheeses from De Karmeliet prove to be the most Belgium-centric of all the restaurants visited in the country and allowing M. Van Heecke to guide the decision process all five slices were as aged to perfection, the sweets to follow all well crafted in classic tradition without a hint of 'exotic fruit' to be seen anywhere. read more

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The decor of the restaurant is very elegant, relaxed, warm, and beautiful. The service was impeccable. Chef Geert Van Heecke has deservingly earned three Michelin stars. The food is innovative; is created masterfully; and is very well-balanced. There is pure perfection, craftsmanship, and artistry in every fabulous morsel. This meal was an experience. De Karmeliet is one of the reasons why Bruges is so magical and special. www.dekarmeliet.be read more

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It's a shame the last reviewer had their first 3 star experience at this place. I have been to 14 restaurants with 3 Michelin stars and many that are in Restaurant magazine's 50 best restaurants. I have also been to many 1 and 2 Michelin star restaurants, but I must say I was disappointed. I found the service to be aloof and non-attentive. (we even witnessed the waiters rolling heir eyes while other tables were ordering) The wine pairing was uninspired. The food was very good with excellent technique except for one course. Their "special" duck was oven roasted whole and then sliced after resting. The problem was that the fat was not rendered well and after sitting was subsequently chewy. When I was asked about the course, I was honest and said that it was frankly disappointing, because the fat was chewy. The head waiter came out with a raw duck on a platter to explain how it was cooked and was very defensive and rude. When I explained about the chewy fat to him, he said it was not meant to be eaten, but to protect the meat. Usually in a restaurant of this caliber, nothing is put on the plate that isn't meant to be eaten. When I pointed this out in a subsequent conversation, he said that he agreed that the fat can be chewy and wishes that the chef did not put it on the plate. At the final price of ~250€ per person, I could never recommend this restaurant to anyone. When you combine price, service and food quality, I must say we had much better meals elsewhere in Brügge. read more