How does The Fat Swan source its ingredients?

Vague or unsubstantiated claims. The restaurant states that chef Emile works with local ingredients and describes monthly menu changes to follow availability. This information is self-declared by the restaurant.

Does The Fat Swan cook seasonally?

Regular seasonal updates to part of the menu. Seasonality is a stated guiding principle, corroborated by a monthly menu rewrite and spring dishes built on asparagus, peas, new potatoes and ramsons. This is vouched for by hetnieuwsvanwestvlaanderen.be.

Is The Fat Swan suitable for vegans or vegetarians?

The Fat Swan offers vegetarian options.

Who assesses The Fat Swan, and are they independent?

My Treats is an independent restaurant guide for conscious diners. Restaurants never pay for their score. Every Food Identity is a single editorial assessment by My Treats, following the public SEERO methodology at https://mytreats.app/SEERO/.

Food Identity How restaurants source, cook and care. Independently reviewed

The Fat Swan

A small, couple run dining room on Katelijnestraat where Franco Belgian cooking meets Thai seasoning on a menu rewritten every month.

Allergies Not published, ask the kitchen ahead

Food Identity How restaurants source, cook and care. Independently reviewed

The Fat Swan

A small, couple run dining room on Katelijnestraat where Franco Belgian cooking meets Thai seasoning on a menu rewritten every month.

The essentials, at a glance

Allergies Not published, ask the kitchen ahead

Documented practices

Independently
reviewed

Seasonal cooking

Documented practices

Menu rewritten monthly to track seasonal availability

Style

Casual

Cosy

Cuisine

Asian

French

Fusion

International

Recommended by

City of Bruges

Recommended by

City of BrugesInitiative 'Chef Locale'

The delicious details

The Fat Swan opened on Katelijnestraat in the historic centre of Bruges in April 2026, and is run by chef Emile with Joy front of house. Emile trained at the Spermalie hotel school in the city and worked in the gastronomic kitchen of Patrick Devos before setting out on his own. The name is a nod to the swans that have been the emblem of Bruges for centuries.

The cooking is Franco Belgian with a Thai accent, and it is deliberately unshowy. The kitchen is open to the small dining room, and dishes are built so the product leads rather than the technique.

The carte is short and rewritten each month, so what is served follows the season: sea bass with Thai green curry, peas, asparagus and black garlic purée, or grilled octopus with new potatoes, herb butter and ramsons.

What's on the table, and what's left off

Franco-Belgian cooking with Thai seasoning, developed from chef Emile's training in Bruges and years spent in Asia. The short carte is rewritten monthly to follow the season. Vegetarian dishes are marked on the menu and offered as full mains.

The Fat Swan cooks Franco Belgian dishes with Thai seasoning running through them, the result of chef Emile's training in Bruges and the years he spent travelling and eating in Asia.

The carte is kept short on purpose and is rewritten each month, which keeps it close to what is in season. Spring plates leaned on asparagus, peas, ramsons and new potatoes, served with sea bass in a Thai green curry or grilled octopus with herb butter. A three course menu runs alongside the à la carte dishes.

Vegetarian dishes are part of the regular offer and are marked on the menu.

Practices in detail

The evidence behind each practice

One area of responsible practice is confirmed at this stage: the way the kitchen follows the seasons.

The carte is deliberately short and is rewritten each month, so the dishes track what is available rather than holding a fixed year round list. Local food writing on the restaurant's first months described the same pattern, and the spring plates were built on asparagus, peas, ramsons and new potatoes.

The impact dimensions

Local & direct sourcing

Seasonal cooking

Visit & practical info

Address, price, and more

Address

Katelijnestraat 150, Brugge, Belgium

Open in Google Maps

Price

€€€

Format

À la carte and three course menu

Hours

MondayClosed

TuesdayClosed

Wednesday18:00–21:00

Thursday12:00–14:00, 18:00–21:00

Friday12:00–14:00, 18:00–21:00

SaturdayClosed

SundayClosed

Style

Casual

Cosy

Web

thefatswan.be

Reserve To website