Amazingly delicious, from the sparkling cava to the olives, chicken and vegetarian tagines! Take a break from the typical Belgian fare and cleanse your palate with new age Moroccan. The atmosphere is calm, the decorating is eclectic and the service is friendly and welcoming.
I rarely write reviews when on vacation because I am trying to live in the moment. However, I had to make an exception tonight when stumbling upon Ryad. It all began very simply: I was craving hummus & Shy had caught a cold and needed broth-based soup. The sign for organic vegetarian-friendly Indian/Middle Eastern food caught my eye and after asking the owner about the selections of the day, I was sold. I could tell that he cared deeply about the quality of food he offered and told me the selection of hummus they had available, including the many spices in each (there were THREE types, more than I knew existed). As we entered, I was enticed by the middle eastern music, eclectic furniture, soft lighting, and art history books just waiting for me to read them. We both chose the hummus sampler and Shy found a vegetable soup with spices. We also ordered loose leaf mint tea. I paged through the books as we ate. Let me tell you: we have never tasted hummus like this!! One had a lentil base with tomato+creamy+paprika+garlic flavor (and many more spices I'm sure) and the other had a classic chickpea base with curry and many spices I don't know. Shy and I could not believe how tasty something as seemingly simple has hummus could be. He served it atop crusty wheat bread and a side of greens with an olive oil and mustard dressing. Even the mint tea was delicious, with a slight sweetness. Shy loved her soup which was very flavorful and light-perfect for fighting a virus. After devouring the food and two art books, I raved to the owner and thanked him for making organic, vegetarian food taste delicious. The total for our meal was 24€. I realized that it felt so good to be intellectually and physically satiated-a rare feeling at many restaurants. If you are in Bruges, I highly recommend thus culinary journey.