Eat like a local in Bruges

Try one from The Old Chocolate House. This chocolate shop and patisserie has a café upstairs and a menu with two pages dedicated solely to different types of hot chocolate. Toppings include chilli, marshmallow and gingerbread crunch – and you can have it with waffles on the side!

Head to Lizzie's Wafel on Sint-Jakobsstraat. You'll find Belgian waffles everywhere in Bruges, every café and patisserie sells them, but these aren't just normal waffles, they're supersized. These massive waffles are at least twice the size of a normal waffle and very light and fluffy. Slather them with cream and chocolate for the full experience.

You can get these pretty much everywhere. In fact, they are so popular in Bruges they even have the world's first chip museum, dedicated to fries. Depending on how you like them, fat, thin, crispy, soft - your opinion of where to get the best ones in Bruges will vary. Some people swear by the chip carts next to the Belfort on Markt, others will say avoid them and go to Chez Vincent on Sint-Salvatorskerkhof. You'll just have to sample them all and make up your own mind.

There is no shortage of taverns to sample the local brew. For one of the widest ranges of beers in Bruges, try Bierbrasserie Cambrinus, the decor is nothing special, but the choice of 400 beers on the menu is pretty impressive. For history, go to Café Vlissinghe, it celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2015 – but be aware they don't accept cards, so you won't be able to put one behind the bar. For beer geeks, head to De Kelk where you'll find unusual and vintage beers to tell your friends back home about. It doesn't open till 7pm so don't arrive too early.