One of our first trips, when we moved to the Netherlands in 2012, was to Bruges. I remember loading up our two children (a two-year-old and a baby, at the time), and all their gear – strollers, travel cribs, diapers, etc., etc., etc. into our car and heading south. Upon arrival, my husband was anxious to explore the town. But this Mama needed a moment to recover from just the packing/unpacking process. “You go on into town and take the baby,” I told him. “Cosette and I are going to take a quick nap.” She and I nestled under quilts and the rafters of our four-hundred year-old-cottage, while V and Holden went and had a bottle on a terrace in the Grote Markt (beer and milk, respectively).

    At the time, we spent our evenings putting the kids to bed at an early hour, then dining on take-out once the house was quiet.  The idea of taking a toddler and a baby to a restaurant (especially a leisurely-paced European restaurant) was less than ideal. We first discovered Amon, a Lebanese take-out restaurant in Bruges on that first trip, simply because it was around the corner from our AirBNB. I didn’t know what Lebanese food was, but I was willing to give it a shot, simply because they did. . . takeout. It was the perfect meal after a long day of pushing strollers over the cobbles of Bruges.  

     Fast forward to 2021, and everyone does take out and dines at home. We were just ahead of our time, I suppose. We’ve become ‘regulars’ at Amon, as much as American expats living in Antwerp can be.  Every time we’re in Bruges, we head to Amon – not only is the food fantastic but the service is more than hospitable. Friendly smiles accompany every meal.  We visited last summer when restaurants were open, and they welcomed (and recognized) us this past weekend when we took the food home and once again, dined in our AirBNB.  And as my kids dug into the lamb shawarma, feta with rice, and cucumber salads – I can say those babies grew up and have decided that Lebanese food is one of their favorites.

Amon is located at Academiestraat 6, 8000 Brugge which a block or so away from the Grote Markt and around the corner from the Frietmuseum.