The story
LESS Eatery is an Asian fusion bistro at 't Zand 21 in Brugge, Belgium, where the kitchen is built around shared plates. Gault&Millau awarded it 14 points in 2026, and the guide credits chef Ruige Vermeire with flavorful, internationally inspired cooking.
Ruige Vermeire leads the kitchen, mixing Asian and Latin American influences with local touches. The dishes are designed to be passed around the table rather than eaten as individual courses. Owners Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens built the venue around that idea of communal eating.
Le Fooding highlighted bourgeoise cockles with mushrooms and an oversized pork and prawn dumpling served with a Sichuan pepper and peanut mix. Other plates from the same visit included cuttlefish with lardo, bone marrow and Avruga caviar, and okonomiyaki-style crispy potatoes. The weekly chef's lunch changes every week, so the menu on any given visit may differ.
The room has whitewashed walls, exposed ducts and chairs by Christophe Gevers, which Le Fooding describes as brutalist in tone. Counter seats face the open kitchen. Guests can order a single dish, choose from the à la carte list, or follow the L.E.S.S. Journey, a tasting menu that runs from bite to dessert. The restaurant can also be booked privately for groups of 40 to 70 guests.
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Don’t let the name (Love, Eat, Share, Smile) fool you: this neo-bistro in West-Brugge gravitating in the Hertog Jan galaxy is a bit more show off-y than it is kumbaya. Especially when you see the brutalist stronghold (whitewashed walls, exposed ducts, an impressive collection of TBA chairs by Christophe Gevers) in which chef Ruige Vermeire serves cuisine that is anything but sweet and gentle. For us? Bourgeoise cockles with mushrooms and an XXLuxe pork and prawn dumpling, with a Sichuan pepper and peanut mix for added kick. Over on the other table, we also spied: cuttlefish overlapping with lardo, bone marrow and Avruga caviar; Holstein tomahawk steak; okonomiyaki-style crispy potatoes… The most important thing? We loved, we ate, we shared and… we smiled. // Mireille Snowflake
Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens bring the energy of a world city to historic Bruges through chef Ruige Vermeire, who creates flavorful, internationally inspired dishes to share. Think for example of a t...
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