The story
Jacobin is a seasonal kitchen at Predikherenstraat 13 in Brugge, and the Michelin Bib Gourmand it received in 2026 recognises good-quality, good-value cooking. Chef Carl Van Oyen works from a small menu built for sharing.
Carl Van Oyen cooks classic dishes with a contemporary twist, drawing ideas from around the world. He came to restaurant cooking late, after hotel management school and kitchens including De Karmeliet in Bruges and Septime in Paris. Gault&Millau awarded the restaurant 12.5 in 2026.
Le Fooding highlighted warm oysters in a rich mousseline sauce and fried chicken thighs with gochujang, velvety yogurt and roasted peanuts. Iberico secreto comes off a Japanese Konro grill, served with grilled endive, apple glaze and Madeira sauce. Dessert is vanilla ice cream with a lightly salted cocoa crumble and chocolate sauce.
The house is a typical Bruges building with exposed beams, a black-tiled counter and rough textured walls. Pink Floyd plays in the background, according to Le Fooding. The kitchen suggests sharing four or five dishes per couple, and plates arrive at the table to be passed around.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
good quality, good value cooking
It’s a shame it took Carl Van Oyen 29 years to catch the restaurant bug… But he’s certainly making up for lost time! After stoking his late-blooming passion at hotel management school, he sharpened his skills at Sergio Herman’s Pure C in Cadzand, Auberge de Herborist and De Karmeliet in Bruges, before refining his craft in the Parisian kitchens of Septime. And now, the chef (who’s also a trained butcher) has opened up his very own place, nestled inside a typical Bruges house featuring a crow-stepped gable and a rebellious spirit (exposed beams, a black-tiled counter, rough textured walls, Pink Floyd playing in the background). On the plates? Warm oysters doused in a rich mousseline sauce; first-rate fried chicken thighs that were perfectly juicy and combined with spicy gochujang, velvety yogurt and crunchy roasted peanuts; a precious cut of Iberico secreto pork grilled on a Japanese Konro grill, served alongside grilled endive with an apple glaze, a drizzle of rich Madeira sauce and Pas de Rouge cheese mousse; and for the irresistible finale, freshly churned vanilla ice cream with a lightly salted cocoa crumble, chocolate sauce and unsweetened whipped cream. · Schannul
Location
Instagram