Café Vlissinghe

Café Vlissinghe on Blekersstraat is one of the oldest and most authentic bars in Bruges, a short walk from the Markt in the Sint-Anna quarter. The interior has barely changed in centuries: dark panelled walls, a long wooden bar, an old stove that actually heats the room in winter, and a boules court in the garden. The atmosphere is resolutely local — this is where Bruges residents actually drink, not tourists.

The beer selection covers the Belgian classics competently but without pretension. The garden at the back is pleasant in summer. This is the sort of place you find by accident, sit down for one beer, and leave three hours later.

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A story
Vlissinghe has been serving drinks since 1515, making it one of the oldest continually operating cafés in Belgium. Jan van Eyck is said to have been a regular when he lived in Bruges in the 1430s, though this claim predates the café's founding and is almost certainly apocryphal. What is certain is that the current interior — dark wooden panelling, a pewter bar, and cast-iron stove — has changed very little since the 18th century.

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