Belgium
Ghent and Brussels punch well above the national average — Level 1 for city breaks and supermarket-supported travel, less forgiving if you rely on traditional brasseries and chip stands.
EU allergen labelling applies throughout; Ghent's plant-based café culture is among the most developed in continental Europe.
Belgium ranks #13 overall — a solid Level 1 result underpinned by strong EU food labelling, a compact national footprint, and two cities that score significantly above the national figure. Ghent scores considerably higher at city level and is widely regarded as one of continental Europe's most vegan-friendly destinations. Brussels, Antwerp, and Leuven also score above the national average at city level; smaller towns and rural Wallonia represent the lower end of the national range.
Packaged supermarket products across Belgium fall under EU allergen labelling law, which requires 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 is reliable across most supermarket products and genuinely helpful for self-catering. It does not cover café menus, bakery cabinets, or restaurant cooking methods, and it does not protect against cross-contamination. Always check labels on packaged products rather than assuming a product is safe based on appearance or brand positioning.
Belgium operates under 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 across both main regions — but having key phrases in the local language for wherever you're travelling adds meaningful reliability, particularly for the specific questions that matter most for vegan travellers.
Say This at the Restaurant
Phrases below are in French — the primary language in Brussels and Wallonia. Travelling in Flanders (Ghent, Antwerp, Bruges, Leuven)? Use the Dutch phrasebook instead — Dutch is the standard language there, and French may not be welcomed in some venues.
What Actually Works
Belgium's major supermarket chains carry strong plant-based ranges with clear EU allergen labelling. Colruyt in particular 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 also carry solid plant-based basics throughout the country.
The frites fat question comes first: in Flanders, "Bakt u in plantaardige olie?" — in Wallonia and Brussels, "Vous faites frire à l'huile végétale?" 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 sauce ingredients separately, every time. Some chip stands in Ghent and Brussels now specifically advertise vegetable-oil frying — those are worth finding.
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 calibrates your expectations usefully: the level of awareness and accommodation you find in Ghent is exceptional, not typical. Smaller Flemish and Walloon towns will require considerably more proactive communication and direct questions about ingredients.
Many well-known Belgian ales are vegan-friendly, but fining practices vary by brewery and batch. Lambics and gueuzes — spontaneously fermented beers from the Senne Valley — are typically unfined by their natural process and are generally vegan-friendly, though this is not universal. For filtered ales and golden ales at café-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, Belgium's deep dairy culture, and rural Wallonia can make independent dining significantly harder. Outside the major cities: assume supermarket first, restaurant second.
Outside Liège, Namur, and the larger Walloon towns, the Ardennes region runs heavily on game, cream, and charcuterie. The cuisine is generous and rich by local tradition, but vegan options in smaller villages are genuinely rare. Weekend farmers' markets occasionally have fresh produce, but do not count on restaurant accommodation in small villages. Identify your nearest Carrefour or Delhaize before you travel into the Ardennes.
Belgian hotel breakfasts lean heavily on charcuterie, cheese, croissants, and dairy in multiple forms. Even where fruit and toast are available, butter is placed 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 — rather than simply saying "vegan."
A dish listed as vegetarian in a Belgian brasserie may contain butter on the vegetables, cream in the soup, butter spread on the bread basket, and cheese as a garnish — none necessarily disclosed on the menu. 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.
Traditional Belgian waffles — both the Liège 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, and toppings add more dairy. This is the most common Belgium-specific mistake visitors make: assuming a famous Belgian staple is safe without checking. The same applies to broader bakery: many standard loaves and café pastries contain milk powder or whey. Always check the wrapper on packaged bread, and treat fresh-baked café items as containing dairy unless confirmed otherwise.