#195 Mezze platter for 2 at Le Pain Quotidien, Knokke-Heist

restaurant review #195 – This is a review from our visit to Le Pain Quotidien in Knokke, at the east side of the Belgian coast. We made a bicycle trip with our tandem in the area last Summer, and we were disappointed to see so few vegan options in Knokke. So we ended up in Le Pain Quotidien, as there are always some vegan options standardly available there.

Le Pain Quotidien (LPQ) is a world wide chain of organic bistros, founded by Belgian Alain Coumont. I already wrote reviews of visits to several LPQ restaurants. Alain Coumont has also started a vegan branch of bistros, Le Botaniste, of which I visited the one in Ghent a couple of times (see here).

There is a large outside terrace, and the interior of Le Pain Quotidien Knokke is also very spacious. As it was a very hot day, we were happy to find a shady place on the terrace (there was also room inside, but I found it to be very loud inside).

Front terrace, Le Pain Quotidien, Knokke-Heist

interior, Le Pain Quotidien, Knokke-Heist

We ordered some drinks and the mezze platter to share with two (16,49€). It includes mushrooms falafels, hummus & tapenade, vegetables, back olives and bread.
I took quite a while for our food to be served (more than half an hour), although the lunch peak was already over (nearly 2PM) and the restaurant was not half full.

Menu. vegan options are clearly indicated, Le Pain Quotidien, Knokke-Heist

drinks, Le Pain Quotidien, Knokke-Heist

Mezze platter to share for two, 16,49€, Le Pain Quotidien, Knokke-Heist

The food was nice. OK for a light lunch (this plate was shared), and OK for that price (comes to 8,25€ per person). And a first: we were served no cow butter on the side with this vegan dish (which has happened on all our LPQ visits before)! Yeah!

The interior is spacious, and nicely decorated. Toilets are at the back. Toilets could definitely use more check-ups, and the walls could do with a good washing down (and unfortuntely I’m starting to notice a pattern here with respect to all the LPQ branches we have visited).

Interior ‘Eat more plants’ written on wall, Le Pain Quotidien, Knokke-Heist

Toilets at Le Pain Quotidien, Knokke-Heist. Why do I include a pic of the toilet? Read about it HERE

All in all: happy that LPQ has vegan options standardly available. But I would love to see more variety in their offer of vegan dishes. For now, LPQ is a good ‘back up’ in areas where there are otherwise no or hardly any vegan options.

Le Pain Quotidien, location
Dumortierlaan 75
8300 Knokke Heist
+32 (0)50 60 15 75

website: http://www.lepainquotidien.be/be/store/knokke

See our lists of restaurants where vegans are welcome in the menu section of The Bruges vegan! List restaurants in Bruges and outside Bruges.