Hotel Montanus, Brugge

Never has a hotel name had more potential for potty-mouth schoolboy jokes than the Hotel Montanus, Nieuwe Gentweg 78, Brugge, Belgium, Tel +32 50 33 11 76. But I am going to resist the temptation. Instead, I will talk only of the sweet buns, delicious chocolate spread, and other delights from the brunch buffet.



It was a bit of a lucky dip, the brunch buffet. The smiling yellow tub of Kwatta, for example, was a mystery to me until I peeled back the lid to discover gooey chocky spread inside. Little did I know that Kwatta apparently pioneered chocolate bars and spreads almost 100 years ago.

So, dip and spread some chocolate on your bun. Scoff it down. Switch to ham, eggs and cheese. Scoff it down. Back to Kwatta. Scoff. A bit more meat, cheese and bun. Scoff. Coffee. Slurp. More cheese and bun. You'll never get bored at the Belgian brunch buffet.

Restaurant t VOUTJE, Brugge

I grew up in Dublin. I love Dublin. If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me but I didn't, so it doesn't.

Ray, In Bruges

After downing several litres of Belgian beer the day before, I was very much in need of my recovery breakfast at 't VOUTJE, Elermarkt 17, Brugge, +32 50 34 50 40. And despite looking a bit like a fried frisbee, this was actually a very good omelette. Must have been the quality ham and cheese. Or the fact that it was fried in real butter. The side of fries went down well, too.



Bruges, in case you have not seen the movie, is either a fairytale medieval town (Harry's view) or a shithole (Ray's view). I am leaning towards Harry's view. It's got quaint old buildings, dinky canals, cobbled streets, and a bell tower with a full time bell ringer. Hard to find a prettier setting to kick back and enjoy a tasty ham and cheese omelette. Or maybe a croque? Or some boiled eggs, fresh bread and cold cuts?