Celebrated table

Jacobin

Chef Carl Van Oyen’s Bruges kitchen serves carefully balanced small plates designed for sharing, earning a spot on the 2026 Le Fooding list.

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The story

Jacobin Bruges: A Le Fooding Recognized Kitchen for Sharing Plates

The Chef and His Philosophy

Jacobin in Bruges channels Carl Van Oyen’s restrained approach to contemporary cooking. After training at Septime and De Karmeliet, the chef applied his formal butchery background to build a modern kitchen that favors simplicity over spectacle. He combines a handful of quality ingredients until the balance works. This disciplined style recently earned the venue a listing in Le Fooding.

Plates Designed for Sharing

Warm oysters arrive coated in a rich mousseline sauce that anchors the first round. Fried chicken thighs pair spicy gochujang with velvety yogurt and crunchy roasted peanuts. Guests frequently order the Iberico secreto pork, which rests on a Japanese Konro grill alongside glazed endive and Pas de Rouge cheese mousse. A finish of freshly churned vanilla ice cream closes the meal.

The Room and the Counter

The dining room sits inside a traditional Bruges house marked by a crow-stepped gable. Exposed wooden beams and rough textured walls frame a black-tiled counter where guests gather. The layout encourages conversation while music plays quietly in the background. Plates arrive directly from the pass for everyone to share throughout the evening.

Recognition

Awards & accolades

2026

Le Fooding

Listed

Ambience

A glimpse inside

Details

At a glance

Le Fooding 2026 — Listed

Services Counter Dining, Small Plates

History

On the record

2026

Le Fooding — Listed

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

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Established

Location

Find us

Predikherenstraat 13, 8000 Bruges, Belgium
Bruges, France
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