Latest Posts

#184 Sandwich for lunch from Brazi’s, Bruges

Published by

restaurant review #184 – Brazi’s is a sandwich lunch cafe. It mainly offers take-away (there are a handful seating places too). As the name suggest, Brazi’s is a sandwich shop with a ‘touch of Brasil’ (website).

It is located very close to the Central Market place, in the same street as vegan shop Leeloo and restaurant De Republiek.

front of Brazi’s, Bruges

menu options above counter, Brazi’s Bruges

near the central market, Brazi’s Bruges (Belfry in the back)

I was looking for a quick lunch to take home with me and went in to ask whether they have any vegan options. The lady at the counter was very friendly. I was offered a sandwich with hummus, guacamole, eggplant, tomato and raw vegetables. The bread was said to be vegan.
So I bought that sandwich to take away (5€). The sandwich was nice!

preparing my sandwich, Brazi’s Bruges

Sandwich from Brazi’s, Bruges (photo at home)

Sandwich from Brazi’s, Bruges

Brazi’s, location
Sint Jakobsstraat 2
8000 Brugge
050/49 09 54

website: https://www.brazisbelgium.com/

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

front Brazi’s, Bruges

Vegan shop Leeloo just across the street:

Yield

Published by

Pinnacle of speciesism: when an animal is reduced to her function or yield  
Animals are not ‘egg’, ‘bacon’, ‘wool’ or ‘milk’, but each and every one sentient feeling beings, who can suffer pain, each with their own individuality.

White frame with black silhouettes of resp. a cow, sheep, pig, chicken, on top of each other, with white letters written inside: milk, wool, bacon, egg

Speciesism

Spotted in a shop in Valkenburg (the Netherlands)

#183 Light lunch at That’s Toast, Bruges

Published by

restaurant review #183 – That’s Toast is a brasserie in the center of Bruges. It is the Dweersstraat, which is near ‘t Zand (connecting the two shopping streets: the Zuidzandstraat and the Noordzandstraat). It is in the same location as where Grün used to be (which unfortunately closed).

front terrace, That’s Toast, Bruges

That’s Toast has a no reservations policy, which I find very unfortunate. I often avoid going to restaurants with a no-reservation policy, as I have mobility issues (sometimes use a wheelchair). When dining out, I will always try to make a reservation, as I want to be sure I will have a place to sit upon arrival. If one is met with a long queue and not sure how long it will last, it is for me also not always possible to decide last minute to go somewhere else (especially when vegan options in town are not so abundant).
So this time I was taking the chance, since I was meeting a friend here for lunch. Upon arrival there was a small queue to get in. We waited for about 15 minutes and then we were guided to a table for two. Pfew.

Next to the place inside (in separate smaller rooms), there are also two tables on a front terrace (street) and a larger terrace at the back.

interior, That’s Toast, Bruges

menu, That’s Toast, Bruges

We asked about vegan options and were told we could have the Classic – without the egg (8€) and the Tomato tomato (7,5€). I also had a zesty orange juice (3,5€).

juice, That’s Toast, Bruges

That’s Toast, Bruges

Tomato tomato, That’s Toast, Bruges

My friend suspected that there might have been honey used in the tomato, but after having asked again (and checked with the kitchen staff), they reassured us that no honey was used.
The toasts were really nice, and good value for money (being a light lunch snack).  If you have a huge appetite, you might consider ordering two toasts.

Entrance was accessible, but toilets are with steep stairs going up. Chairs, and bench against the wall not really comfortable.

toilets at That’s Toast, Bruges, upstairs Why do I include a pic of the toilet? Read about it HERE

at the counter, That’s Toast, Bruges

terrace at the back, view from toilets, That’s Toast, Bruges

A nice light lunch. Would be nice though to see some more vegan options on the menu. Pity about the no-reservations policy though.

Additional note: on our visit, we asked about the bread, and it was said to be vegan. Although the information I received via e-mail months ago stated that the normal bread isn’t vegan, but the glutenfree bread is. So when you visit, be sure to double check about the bread.

That’s Toast, location
Dweersstraat 4
8000 Brugge
050/68 82 27

website: https://m.facebook.com/thatstoast/

logo on wall inside, That’s Toast, Bruges

flower on tables, That’s Toast, Bruges

#182 Lunch menu at restaurant/hotel Lof, Gent (2)

Published by

restaurant review #182 – Lof is the restaurant in Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof, in the center of Ghent (about 10 min walk from Korenmarkt). This review is from a visit a couple of months ago, at the start of 2018.

entrance of Lof, Ghent

dining room, Lof, Ghent

lounge area, Lof, Ghent

We had visited Lof previously with friends, a bit more than a year ago. And had some mixed feelings about that visit: the food was nice, but the service was somewhat erratic, for as a restaurant profiling itself for offering a vegan menu, it was somewhat disappointing that they did not pay attention to some ‘details’ (like vegan butter, no vegan chocolates with coffee) (see my previous review of Lof here).

We were here for a Saturday lunch with family. We arrived in the lobby at about 12.15, and were not allowed to enter the restaurant (it opens at 12.30) and only got a rather annoyed ‘no you can’t enter the dining room‘ reply. And so we just stood there. Had to ask where we could wait then, and the waiter pointed towards the lounge area. It would have been nice if someone at that point could have at least shown us where the wardrobe was (so we could get rid of our coats), or if they had offered us some drinks while waiting.

Shortly after half past twelve, we saw the dining room was open to patrons, and we entered. Staff was running around in the room, going back and forth, seemingly rearranging tables etc, and although there were hardly any other guests in the dining room, it took another half an hour (after having to ask!) before somebody came with the menu cards and we were served drinks. Pfew, not a nice start.

We all decided it would probably be easier if we went with the suggested menu. The non-vegan menu was 35€. Our vegan lunch was 33€ for 3 courses.

This is what we were served:

  • ricepaper with mousse of seasalad
  • wantan with coconut and lemon confit
  • spinach, parsnip and asparagus
  • celery, coconut, avocad, avocado, cucumber, asparagus
  • pumpkin, halzelnut, roasted vegetables (sjalot, chicory, cep, and something else that I don’t remember 😉 )
  • dessert was sorbet and exotic fruit

ricepaper with mousse of seasalad, Lof, Ghent

wantan with coconut and lemon confit, Lof, Ghent

spinach, parsnip and asparagus, Lof, Ghent

celery, coconut, avocad, avocado, cucumber, asparagus, Lof, Ghent

pumpkin, halzelnut, roasted vegetables (sjalot, chicory, cep, and something else that I don’t remember 😉 ), Lof, Ghent

dessert was sorbet and exotic fruit, Lof, Ghent

When ordering drinks, I asked about vegan white wine. The waiter(s) (I asked several times) had no idea, although we had been served a bottled of vegan wine on our previous visit. I showed a pic of the brand that we had had previously, and one of them then went to look for it, and found it. As I had asked for a specific wine, we apparently had to order the whole bottle. It was a Lurazio Abruzzo, and we were charged 40€ for the bottle (and unfortunately, it was not really cooled).

Vegan white wine, Lurazio Abruzzo, 40€

It took quite a long time before our table was cleared after having finished the dishes, and we were served coffee. Again, no vegan chocolates or other sweets with the coffee.

Restaurant Lof is accessible (stepfree access). The setting of the dining room is very nice: a lovely spacious and nicely decorated room, chairs are comfortable, although the bench at the round tables is not so comfortable (and some chairs could use cleaning, mine had stains on it). Toilets are downstairs (elevator going down) and very spacious and clean.

Toilets at Lof, Ghent. Why do I include a pic of the toilet? Read about it HERE

All in all: the food was nice (in quite cheap for a 3 course menu). Although it is a pity that Lof still does not pay any attention to side things that would make the vegan menu ‘complete’. Still no vegan bread, no vegan butter. No vegan chocolates with the coffee.
Service was however extremely slow, and very chaotic, which was a real downer.

Restaurant Lof, location
Hoogstraat 36
9000 Gent
+32 (0)9 235 40 71

website: http://www.lof-restaurant.com/

Update Fall 2018: new concept. No longer vegetarian menu standardly available. For vegan: make reservation.

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

dining room, round table and bench on the right, Lof, Ghent

chandelier and bar, Lof, Ghent

dining room, Lof, Ghent

carpet at entrance with name of restaurant, Lof, Ghent

 

T-shirts, sweaters and more at eco-vegan shop Leeloo, Bruges

Published by

Shop review #52 – Leeloo is a clothes and accessories shop in the city center of Bruges. It is located in the Sint Jakobsstraat, which is very close to the central market.
It exists since about 20 years, and has always focused on selling sustainable, eco-friendly clothing!

front of shop Leeloo on the right, Belfry in the back, Bruges

Animal Friendly Clothing signs in the shop window, Leeloo, Bruges

interior, LeeLoo, Bruges

In April 2018, Leeloo announced on their facebook page that from then on, all products at the store are animal free! Yeah! So shortly afterwards, I went to pay them a visit.

The shop is well packed, with a great selection of T-shirts, pants, sweaters, … There are also some body and care products and some bags. The shop has a nice modern ‘urban’ look, and several mirrors give it a more spacious impression. There’s also a wall with a nice collection of stickers.
I looked around for a while, and then boughts some T-shirts. The only thing that withheld me from shopping a bit longer, was the very loud techno music (I can only describe it as a mixture between house and Kraftwerk 😀 ) which was driving me nuts.  I must be getting old 😉

Here are some more pics from vegan shop Leeloo:

body and care products, Leeloo, Bruges
interior, Leeloo, Bruges
Leeloo, Bruges
vitrine, Leeloo, Bruges
Leeloo, Bruges
swetares, Leeloo, Bruges
vegan label, Leeloo, Bruges
socks and stockings, Leeloo, Bruges

Leeloo, location
Sint-Jakobsstraat 19
8000 Brugge
050/34.04.55

website: https://www.leeloo.be/

See our list of shops, which may interest vegans.

Restaurant De Republiek is just across the street of shop Leeloo (see reviews). Also just across the street is sandwich cafe Brazi’s, where I bought a sandwich (review will follow)).

interior, Leeloo, Bruges

Can I look at you in peace now? Premiere of Dominion in Ghent

Published by

A couple of weeks ago, the documentary Dominion was shown for the first time to a public audience in Belgium. The premiere was in the Sphinx cinema, in the heart of the city of Ghent (next to the McDonalds, oh the irony). The screening was organised by the ‘Dominion Movement Belgium’.

Poster documentary Dominion

Dominion is an Australian documentary (2018) and is announced as following (website):
Exposing the dark underbelly of modern animal agriculture through drones, hidden & handheld cameras, the feature-length film explores the morality and validity of our dominion over the animal kingdom. Read More

#181 Vegan dinner at Teresa Carles, Barcelona

Published by

restaurant review #181 – Teresea Carles is a vegetarian restaurant in the city center of Barcelona. We went here for dinner a couple of months ago.
Teresa Carles has several locations (not all vegetarian), and sell several products under the name (Teresa Carles olive oil, juices, ..) so it is more than just a restaurant, but a ‘brand’.

Teresa Carles, front of restaurant

interior, Teresea Carles, Barcelona

I had made a reservation online, and we were seated at a table with my name card present (see photo). On one side seating was a large bench, on the other side a wooden chair (both not so comfortable).

reservation for Trudi, Teresea Carles, Barcelona

There are several juices available. I had the vegan vampire juice (5,95€) and it came bottled (you can also buy it at the front of the restaurant, to take away). Water was 1,95€.

Vegan options are clearly indicated on the menu. This is what we ordered for dinner (both main dishes were specials of the month). We shared the bruchette as an appetizer.

  • Bruchetta with ‘tuna’ (7,95€)
  • Freak & Do: seitan with fricando sauce (12,50€)
  • Popeye lasagne: spinach, pumkin and mushrooms (12,50€)

juice, Teresea Carles, Barcelona

Bruchetta with canned ‘tuna’, Teresea Carles, Barcelona

Freak & Do, Teresea Carles, Barcelona

Popeye lasagne, Teresea Carles, Barcelona

The ‘tuna’ with the bruchetta came in a can. It was very oily and we didn’t think it was really special, it really didn’t have a fishy flavour.
The main dishes were nice, but the lasagne was not warm. The Freak & Do was just seitan with sauce (would have been nice to have some potatoes, or rice, don’t know whether we were supposed to order those as sides?). Pity.

For dessert we ordered the mille feuille and the chocolate cake (each 5,50€) which came with chocolate sauce.
The desserts were nice and the best part of the dinner. The mille feuille was more pudding than cream though, more like something one would eat for breakfast (was with oat – more porridge like).

dessert, Teresea Carles, Barcelona

dessert, Teresea Carles, Barcelona

Toilets are at the back, and there is also a wheelchair accessible toilet (access to the restaurant also accessible). There was an old washing bassin in the ladies toilet that was not so clean, but it was out of order, with another washing bassin out the door. Otherwise all was clean and tidy.

Toilets at Teresea Carles, Barcelona. Why do I include a pic of the toilet? Read about it HERE

interior at the back of the restaurant, Teresea Carles, Barcelona

juices at Teresea Carles, Barcelona

Our dinner was good, but as Teresa Carles is praised as being one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Barcelona (and one of the oldest), we were disappointed, both culinairy and also regarding the atmosphere  It felt like a ‘factory’, and we did not have a relaxed dinner. Staff was running around and hardly took the time to give some advice. Everything was quick-quick, rushed-rushed. They were practically running from one end of the restaurant to the other. Despite the restaurant not even being full.

We had high expectations as Teresa Carles is often mentioned as the place to go dining in Barcelona for vegans, but we left a bit underwhelmed. Pity.

Teresa Carles, location
Jovellanos, 2
Barcelona 08001
tel 933171829

website: http://teresacarles.com/

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

More reviews of Barcelona HERE.

counter in the front of the restaurant, Teresa Carles, Barcelona

 

 

Elephant statue in Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona

 

 

#180 Nice lunch at De Republiek (2), Bruges

Published by

restaurant review #180 – De Republiek is a brasserie in the city center of Bruges, close to the market square (north west of market). De Republiek is also a cultural hub with rooms for art exhibitions, socio-cultural events and a movie theater.
We were here previously in the fall of 2016 (see review here).

De Republiek has had a complete makeover in the Fall of 2017. The place is much brighter and modern now. When we visited for lunch a couple of weeks ago, they were still working on the inner court terrace, but it looked like it would be quite a nice and large terrace!

front of De Republiek, Bruges

interior, De Republiek, Bruges

area in the back with sofa, De Republiek, Bruges

We were at De republiek for an early lunch. I had made a reservation through the website, but that seemed not to have been necessary (still plenty of space). I think it is more crowded in the evening, and is advised to make a reservation for dinner though.

There is one vegan dish standardly available on the menu: the Saint Tropez dish, which is an ovendish with vegetables (sweet potato, broccoli, chickpeas, paksoi) (17€).

part of menu at De Republiek, Bruges

Our drinks and lunch followed swiftly, and service was friendly.

Tonic (2,80€) and fresh juice (5€), De Republiek, Bruges

vegan tonic!, De Republiek, Bruges

lunch, De Republiek, Bruges

our lunch at De Republiek

The oven dish was not bad, but not really wow neither. A nice variety of vegetables. The chickpeas were really hard though (carefull with the teeth!) and it made me wonder whether they had been soaked at all, or just went in as dried chickpeas in the oven.
It was remarkable to see a vegan label on the tonic bottle, had not seen that before!

We inquired about vegan desserts, but there were said to be no vegan desserts available. We afterwards heard that Chez Mariette delivers vegan pastry to De Republiek, but apparently there wasn’t any available that day, or the waiter must have been unaware of it.

desserts menu, De Republiek, Bruges

The toilets are fully renovated too (nice!), and there is now also a fully accessible toilet. Access to the restaurant is step free.

interior, De Republiek, Bruges

toilets at De Republiek, Bruges. Why do I include a pic of the toilet? Read about it HERE

Loved the signs on the doors of the toilets!

interior, De Republiek, Bruges

We had a nice quick lunch. And love the new interior (albeit somewhat hard and uncomfy chairs). I do hope they will add some more vegan options to the menu though.

De Republiek, location
Sint Jakobsstraat 36
8000 Brugge / Bruges
050/73 47 64

website: http://www.republiekbrugge.be/

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

area in the back with sofa, De Republiek, Bruges

De Republiek is just across the street from vegan clothes shop Leeloo.

front of shop Leeloo, Belfry in the back, Bruges

De Republiek, Bruges

 

First Vegan Street festival in Brussels!

Published by

Saturday was the first edition of Vegan Street Festival in Brussels. It was organised by Veganizer BXL, and supported by the city of Brussels and Beyond Carnism.

screenshot Facebook event page, Vegan Street Festival, May 2018

A vegan festival in the heart of Brussels, with lots of foodstalls, live music, and from 2 to 8 PM there were also talks scheduled in a nearby café. Great!

overview of stalls and speakers, Vegan Street Festival Brussels

Still  early morning, Fish Market, with the Saint Catherine Church in the back, Vegan Street Festival Brussels

Vegan Street Festival Brussels

The festival took place at the Marché aux poissons (the fish Market). Oh the irony, to have a vegan market here 🙂
We made sure to be there early, as we know from experience with other vegan events, that it usually gets really crowded in the afternoon, and foodstalls usually sell out after a couple of hours (which reading by the comments afterwards, was the case here too). As we were there early noon, we did not get to attend any of the talks (some talks in the morning would have been nice too).

We strolled around, saw a lot of familiar faces and businesses, and chatted with friends. But also got to discover some businesses that were new to us from the other – French – side of the country.
We queued to have some lunch (queuing time was still reasonable at that point – on average between 5-10 minutes). We tasted two burgers, a mexican inspired dish with guac, and afterwards had a refreshing icecream.
It was a bit of a hassle to find a seating place though to be able to comfortably eat lunch. There were a couple of tables in between the DJ and the NGO stands, but one needed to be lucky to find a spot there. And also had to put up with the ear deafening – boink boink – music. Ouch, that was loud!

Vegan burger from Greenburger, Vegan Street Festival Brussels

Some seating places near the DJ, Vegan Street Festival Brussels

It was a beautiful sunny day, and I think some people were a bit taken by surprise by the sunshine, because I saw a lot of people with severe sunburn. That must have hurt! I realise the weather is quite unpredictable in Belgium, but maybe some shady places would be a welcome addition for next editions (and some more seating places too).

And also: toilets! We searched … and eventually asked at the Veganizer BXl stand, but there weren’t any toilets provided. The Via Via café, where the talks were going to take place, was still closed. Jim went to one of the nearby cafés, and had to pay 2euro to use the toilet (the price of the cheapest drink)! Duh! I was looking for an accessible place, not so easy in Brussels. We saw one public toilet, near the rear end of the festival (near the momument for the war doves), and it was accessible, but *extremely* dirty (shame on you city of Brussels), so I didn’t even want to go in.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

All in all, we had a good time. Nice to see the huge turnout! The European capital has long been lagging behind on the vegan front (hardly any vegan restaurants or places with vegan options, especially compared to cities like Berlin, Amsterdam, London or even Paris!). Hope this is a sign of changing – veganizing – times in Brussels!

Vegan Street Festival Brussels, location
Facebookevent with details
May 26, 2018.
Organised by Veganizer BXL

.

Vegan Street Festival Brussels

At the end of the Anspach Fountain, stands the Monument for the war Pigeon (Au Pigeon Soldat – Aan de Oorlogsduif) (1931). It not only pays tribute to the fallen war pigeons used in World War I, but also to the fallen ‘pigeon lovers’. I wrote a post about why I have very mixed feelings about such monuments for ‘war animals‘.
See: The animals do not want our medals and statues.

Monument for the War Pigeon (and the pigeon breeders killed in war), Brussels

 

#179 Nice dinner at vegetarian restaurant Farmacy, London

Published by

restaurant review #179 – Farmacy is a vegetarian restaurant on the north side of Hyde Park. We had already passed by Farmacy during our Summer visit to London in 2017, but then we had already eaten at nearby restaurant Redemption.

Farmacy has a no reservations policy, which I find very unfortunate. I often avoid going to restaurants with a no-reservation policy, as I have mobility issues (sometimes use a wheelchair). When dining out, I will always try to make a reservation, as I want to be sure I will have a spot. It is not so easy to navigate in a fully packed restaurant. And if one is met with a long queue and not sure how long it will last, it is for me also not always possible to decide last minute to go somewhere else (especially if vegan options in that region are not so abundant).
We took our chances and went for an early dinner, and luckily, were one of the firsts in the restaurant.

Farmacy, entrance with flowers along the wall, London

interior, part of bar on the left, Farmacy, London

Farmacy is a nice place. It has a ‘natural’ feel, with lots of wood used and a wooden floor. The bar is central in the restaurant, with high bar stools.
Vegan and glutenfree options are clearly indicated on the menu (nearly all menu items are vegan).

menu, Farmacy, London

drinks, Farmacy, London

We had a cucumber cocktail (with gin, £10), which turned out to be a very strange combination. The orange juice was nice (£5). The mezze platter as a starter to share was very good (£16).

Drinks at Farmacy, London

Mezze platter, starter, Farmacy, London

As main dishes we ordered the calzone (£13,50) and the pizzetta (£11). The inside of the calzone was nice, but it was ruined by sweet brown sauce on top (which wasn’t mentionned in the menu description). What an odd combination! I ordered a small pizza (normally an appetizer), since I was already stuffed. The pizzetta was nice.

small pizza, Farmacy, London

Calzone, topped with brown sauce, Farmacy, London

Calzone, Farmacy, London

While we were there, the restaurant soon filled up, and it became very loud! Really bad accoustics, we could hardly understand each other. As we were stuffed anyway, we did not fancy staying for a dessert.

Farmacy is wheelchair accessible. The restaurant is on the ground floor, no step and there is ‘room’ to turn, when the restaurant is not full. There is an accessible toilet on the ground floor (other toilets are downstairs). Toilet was clean and tidy.

Accessible toilet on ground floor, Farmacy, London. Why do I include a pic of the toilet? Read about it HERE

The website of Farmacy mentions a quote by Hippocrates: Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food. Together with the name of the restaurant, and some options on the menu (eg drinks as ‘syringe shots’, which come in actual syringes), this fits in the idea of advertising vegetarian/vegan food as ‘healing’ and medicinal. Although many studies do point to the health benefits of a vegan diet (or rather, of a plantbased diet, and even more specifically, a whole foods plantbased diet), there are however also many other factors that determine one’s health status. And many people do rely on actual ‘medicine’ to survive. Farmacy also serves some food items that absolutely do not fit in the idea of the ‘healthy’ vegan diet (eggs, alcohol, fried items, ..).

All in all: we had a nice dinner (but that brown sauce on the calzone was a definite no-no!). The service at Farmacy was swift and very friendly. The food was on the expensive side though, and a service charge of 12,50% was already added to the bill. We had a nice dinner, but we were expecting something a bit more fancy.

Farmacy, location
74, West Bourne Grove,
W2 5SH London
0207 221 0705

website: http://farmacylondon.com/

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

In nearby Hyde Park:

Serenity, Isis Sculpture, Hyde Park