Den Dyver

Den Dyver is an upscale restaurant at Dijver 5 in Brugge, in the Flemish Region of Belgium, on the Dijver canal between the Church of Our Lady and the Groeninge Museum. It is best known for beer cuisine: dishes are cooked with Belgian beer and the menu suggests beers to drink with each course, treating them as seriously as wine. The signature dish is beef stew cooked in beer, a Flemish classic that is slow-braised until tender and served with frites or potatoes, and a beer-paired prix fixe lunch gives a compact introduction to the style. Other dishes move between Belgian and French bistro cooking, with fish, mussels, game in season and vegetable sides. The beverage list covers abbeys, Trappists, lambics and local Brugge brews, and the staff are used to explaining styles to visitors unfamiliar with Belgian beer; a modest wine list is also available. The dining room is canal-side, relaxed and upscale, with a warm interior, attentive but unhurried service and a moderate noise level that suits couples and small groups. Main course menus run about EUR 35-60 (about $41-70) per person, and the lunch menu is the best value. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner but is closed some weekdays, so current hours should be checked. Booking is advised, especially for evenings and weekends, and a window or canal view is worth requesting. The central position makes it easy to pair with a canal cruise, the Basilica of the Holy Blood or the Groeninge Museum.