Belgium
Level 1 for supermarket access and the Ghent and Brussels vegan scenes. Less forgiving if you rely on traditional brasseries, chip stands, and hotel breakfasts without planning ahead.
Level 1 is carried by supermarkets and Ghent's city-level infrastructure. Traditional brasseries, chip stands, and rural Wallonia are a separate challenge requiring specific questions every time.
The ranking explainedBelgium ranks #10 globally, a solid Level 1 result driven by strong EU food labelling, a compact national footprint, and two cities that score considerably above the national figure. Ghent scores higher at city level and is widely recognised as one of continental Europe's most vegan-friendly destinations. Brussels, Antwerp, and Leuven also score above the national average; smaller towns and rural Wallonia represent the lower end of the national range.
Allergen labellingPackaged supermarket products across Belgium fall under EU allergen labelling rules, which require that the 14 major allergens, including milk and eggs, are clearly emphasised on prepacked food labels, usually in bold, but sometimes by a different typographic style. This does not cover cafe menus, bakery cabinets, or restaurant cooking methods, and it does not protect against cross-contamination or butter added at the pass. Always check labels on packaged products rather than assuming safety based on appearance or brand positioning.
Navigating two languagesBelgium has three official languages: Dutch (Flemish) is standard across Flanders in the north, French throughout Wallonia in the south, and German in a small eastern canton. Brussels operates under both Dutch and French. In cities, tourist areas, and the hospitality trade, English is widely understood. Having key phrases in the local language makes a real difference, particularly for the specific questions that matter most: the frying medium at chip stands, butter in brasserie sauces, and dairy at hotel breakfast.
Vegetarian does not mean veganBelgian brasserie cooking treats butter, cream, and cheese as invisible defaults in vegetarian dishes, none of it disclosed on the menu. Always ask specifically about dairy and the cooking base. Do not assume that a vegetarian option is dairy-free without confirming each form individually: butter, cream, milk, and cheese.
What not to rely onDo not rely on "vegetarisch" or "vegetarien" without checking the cooking fat and dairy base. Butter and cream are default cooking mediums in Belgian brasserie tradition, typically invisible on the menu. At fritkots, do not assume vegetable-oil frying: ossewit is the traditional fat and is unlikely to be displayed unless you ask. At bakeries and hotel breakfasts, assume all breads, pastries, and waffles contain dairy unless the packaging or staff confirm otherwise.
Say This at the Restaurant
Phrases below are in French, the working language in Brussels and Wallonia. Travelling in Flanders (Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges, Leuven)? Use the Dutch phrasebook instead: Dutch is the standard there, and French may not be welcomed in some venues. Show the phrase in column one directly to your server in either region.
Opening any order to establish the full exclusion baseline
The complete exclusion list, essential for any traditional brasserie
Before ordering any dish in a brasserie or restaurant
The essential fritkot question: ask before any frites order
After checking the frying fat: ask about every sauce separately
For any vegetable side, potato, or pasta dish at a brasserie
When you want a dish prepared dairy-free from scratch
At any bar or cafe ordering draught beer, particularly golden ales
At chocolatiers and praline counters, especially ganache-filled selections
If shared pan matters to you: grilled or pan-fried dishes at restaurants
What Actually Works
Belgium's major supermarket chains carry strong plant-based ranges with clear EU allergen labelling. Colruyt stocks a broad own-brand vegan selection at competitive prices. In any town where restaurant options feel limited, the nearest Colruyt or Delhaize is nearly always a more reliable vegan source than the local brasserie. Lidl and Aldi carry solid plant-based basics throughout the country. Selection varies by branch and district: stock up at larger stores before travelling to smaller or more rural areas.
The frying fat question comes first: in Flanders, "Bakt u in plantaardige olie?" In Wallonia and Brussels, "Vous faites frire a l'huile vegetale?" But confirming the frying medium and then adding a sauce without asking defeats the purpose. House mayonnaise at Belgian chip stands is egg-based, and many other house sauces contain egg or dairy. Ask about each sauce separately, every time. Some chip stands in Ghent and Brussels now advertise vegetable-oil frying specifically.
Ghent has the highest concentration of dedicated vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants in Belgium, and one of the strongest in continental Europe. Time spent here sets expectations well: the level of awareness and accommodation you find in Ghent is exceptional, not typical. Smaller Flemish and Walloon towns need more direct questions about every ingredient. HappyCow covers most reliable options in each city before you arrive.
Many well-known Belgian ales are vegan-friendly, but fining practices vary by brewery and batch. Lambics and gueuzes, the spontaneously fermented beers from the Senne Valley, are typically unfined by their natural process and are generally vegan-friendly, though not universally. For filtered ales and golden ales at cafe-bar draught taps, check Barnivore before ordering. Trappist ales vary between monasteries: verify each individually rather than assuming the category is safe.
Where It Gets Harder
Belgium's compact geography keeps most places within reach of a strong vegan scene, but the brasserie tradition, deep dairy culture, and rural Wallonia can make independent dining significantly harder. The practical rule outside the major cities: supermarket first, restaurant second.
Outside Liege, Namur, and the larger Walloon towns, the Ardennes runs heavily on game, cream, and charcuterie. Vegan options in smaller villages are rare. Weekend farmers' markets occasionally have fresh produce, but restaurant options in small villages are limited. Identify your nearest Carrefour or Delhaize before you travel into the Ardennes and plan self-catering as the primary strategy.
Belgian hotel breakfasts lean heavily on charcuterie, cheese, croissants, and dairy across multiple forms. Even where fruit and toast are available, butter is spread on bread automatically, cream appears in hot drinks without asking, and cheese arrives as a default alongside everything else. Request a plant-based breakfast in advance when booking, confirm with staff on arrival, and name each exclusion individually: butter, cream, cheese, and milk.
A dish listed as vegetarian in a Belgian brasserie may contain butter on the vegetables, cream in the soup, butter on the bread basket, and cheese as a garnish, with none of it disclosed. Dairy in Belgian cooking is a cooking medium, not a listed addition. Assume all brasserie sauces and sides contain some form of dairy until confirmed otherwise, and ask about all four forms specifically: butter, cream, cheese, and milk in cooking.
Both Belgian waffle styles, the Liege style (dense, chewy, pearl-sugar) and the Brussels style (rectangular, lighter), are made with butter, eggs, and often milk. They are not vegan unless explicitly stated. This is the most common Belgium-specific mistake: assuming a famous Belgian staple is safe without checking. The same applies to broader bakery: many standard loaves and cafe pastries contain milk powder or whey. Always check the wrapper on packaged bread, and treat fresh-baked cafe items as containing dairy unless confirmed.