restaurant review #289 – ‘t Vijfde Seizoen is a gastronomic restaurant in Aalter (between Bruges and Ghent). This literally translates as ‘the fifth season’. In ‘normal’ (non lockdown) times, there is always a vegetarian menu standardly available, which can be veganised upon request (it’s advised to ask it in advance).I already posted two reviews of respective visits to ‘t Vijfde Seizoen here.
restaurant review #282 – ‘t Vijfde Seizoen is a gastronomic restaurant in Aalter (between Bruges and Ghent). This literally translates as ‘the fifth season’. There is always a vegetarian menu standardly available, which can be veganised upon request (it’s advised to ask it in advance, and we did when making the reservation). I already posted a review of a visit to ‘t Vijfde Seizoen in 2018 here. This review is from a visit to ‘t Vijfde Seizoen in February 2020, just before the lockdown measures due to the COVID19 pandemic started. Upon making the reservation for dinner, the restaurant also asked us to notify them by noon whether we choose the 4-course or 5-course menu. We went for the latter which is 70 euro per person. These appetizers came with our drinks (we had an alcohol free cocktail, 8€): tofucroquette, paprika coulis, pomegranate quinoa butternut, and courgette soup.
restaurant review #262 – It’s been a while since I posted. And this review is from a restaurant visit a couple of months ago, just before the lockdown measures due to the COVID19 pandemic started. Epiphany’s kitchen opened at the end of 2018. The restaurant is situated in the city center, next to the medieval castle Gravensteen. We visited mid January 2020, on a Sunday, for lunch. We made a reservation, and that was absolutely necessary, as the place soon filled, and patrons had to be turned away. The interior at Epiphany’s kitchen is very nice. It’s and Instagram worthy decor 😉
restaurant review #177 – Taste is a gastronomic restaurant in the city centre of Louvain / Leuven. They offer a vegan menu on request (mention it when making the reservation). I made a reservation online a couple of days before we wanted to go (and had to make a deposit, by bank transfer). This review is from a visit a couple of months ago, during the past Winter. We were warmly welcomed when we arrived and given the menu, and asked whether we wanted a 4-course or 5-course menu. We went for the latter, which was 95€ per person. Additionally, Jim had the beers* (22,50€), and for me the non-alcoholic drinks (18,75€) to go along with the courses. This is what we had for dinner (in sum, we tried to remember as many as the recited ingredients as we could, but – as is often the case in gastronomic restaurants, there were plenty more ingredients on the dishes and enumerated!). a trio of amuse geueles to start with: pumpkin soup, red beet and pumpernickel, and …
Restaurant review #150 – Zarza is a gastronomic restaurant in the city center of Leuven. It is located on the Bondgenotenlaan, which is the long lane from the train station to the city hall. We had walked by here on numerous occassions, but had never noticed there was a restaurant there! I had seen Zarza mentionned as a suggestion in a vegan facebook group. Zarza has a vegetarian menu standardly available, which is veganised on request (when making the reservation). And so we did! We were warmly welcome and were asked whether we wanted the 4 course of 5 course menu. We went for the latter (I am not sure about the price anymore, but I believe it was 60€). This is what we were served (couldn’t take note of all the ingredients mentionned, but this gives you an idea 😉 fennel, pistache, gel of curry, dried shiitake avocado in two ways (mashed and grilled), radish, cucumber, kaffir lime quinoa, black radish, juice of celery some sort of sea vegetable, ‘meringue’ (made of seaweed powder) …
Restaurant review #123 – La Divina Commedia is an Italian restaurant in the city center of Leuven (Louvain), just a step away from the city hall. It’s not an ordinary pasta and pizza place, but offers a more gastronomic and stylish dining experience. La Divina Commedia does not have a vegan menu standardly available. So unfortunately it’s not a place where you can just walk in and order a vegan menu. But I had seen it mentionned in a vegan facebook group as a restaurant where one can order a vegan menu, if requested in advance. I had tried to make a reservation on a previous visit to Louvain at La Divina Commedia, but when I phoned a couple of days in advance, I was told that that would not be possible, and that I should request it at least a week in advance (so they can go buy vegan products). So well before our next visit to Louvain, that’s what I did! This review is from our visit a few weeks ago (Spring 2017). …
Restaurant review #122 – Restaurant Réliva is one of the few places in Bruges that standardly offers a vegan menu. It is not an all vegan restaurant, but since the start (2012) they have served vegan dishes. We’ve been here several times over the years, and it is always a delight to go dining here. Previous reviews of Réliva on The Bruges Vegan are here. (see updates below!) The interior has changed a bit over the years, and there’s also a large terrace in the back. We’ve never had the chance to dine on the terrace, as it was always cold or rainy when we visited. Definitely will try to visit on a nice Summer evening in the coming months, so we can enjoy the terrace! This review is from our last visit, a couple of weeks ago (Spring 2017). The vegan menu is still 35€ (starter, main dish and dessert). When ordering a la carte it is a bit more expensive (see prices listed, total of 43€ for 3 courses). For starters we had the …
restaurant review #114 – Agua del Mar is one of the two restaurants in the Kursaal of Ostend, with a nice view on the beach promenade and the North sea. We originally planned on going to the other restaurant, situated above Agua del Mar, the Ostend Queen, as we had seen in this facebook post that they offer a gastronomical vegan menu. Unfortunately, since the beginning of 2017, Ostend Queen has stopped taking reservations for smaller parties (only reservations for groups of 25 and more!). When telephoning to make a reservation, we were assured that we could just as well have a vegan menu at Agua del Mar (always a vegan option standardly available), and that it is the same chef for the two restaurants, and that he could also come up with a vegan suggestion a la minute. So we were happy to make the reservation at Agua del Mar! (Update see below) We were here for lunch on a Saturday. Despite it being a school holiday week, there weren’t that many tables occupied (besides ourselves, …
restaurant review #104 – Lof is the restaurant in Sandton Grand Hotel Reylof, in the center of Ghent (about 10 min walk from Korenmarkt). We were here a couple of weeks ago with vegan friends. I had seen this place mentioned a couple of times online, and also knew of a vegan friend who had been here before, that restaurant Lof serves a vegan menu. It is also advertised on Lof’s website. I made an online reservation and specified that we all wanted a vegan menu. Before visiting, I telephoned to check whether the reservation was noted (vegan menu?) and it was said to be no problem! The restaurant is situated in a lovely spacious dining room, nicely decorated. It feels trendy and hip, but stylish at the same time. Adjacent is a nice lounge bar. The restaurant is quite big though, and as more and more people came in, the accoustics were a bit ‘loud’. We were seated at a round table, with two of us having comfortable chairs, the other two sitting on a bench, which was …
Restaurant review #100 – Reminder – GIVEAWAY to celebrate 100 restaurant reviews & 3 years The Bruges Vegan. Vanilla Black is a vegetarian restaurant in city center of London, near the Royal Courts of Justice. It is located in a small quiet alley. It is one of the more expensive vegetarian restaurants in London, and offers fine gastronomical dining. We telephoned to make a reservation for the same evening and that was no problem, although we had to be early (6PM all later hours were fully booked). We received a vegan menu card and also a vegan wine list. Nice! We ordered the 3 course vegan menu and could each choose different meals, even nicer! The 3 course dinner was £41,50. We started with a glass of champagne (drapier, £9,75). Water was £3,95, glass of wine was £9,75 (quite expensive drinks!). Here’s what we had for dinner. It was too much too take notes of all the ingredients, but every dish was very nice. Service was also very swift and friendly. Toilets downstairs were clean, although a bit unorderly. …
The Bruges Vegan 