Parking near your stay

About the hotel

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The Notary on the Moerstraat is housed in a nineteenth century former notary house that was transformed into an intimate, luxurious city palace. Behind the discreet façade, there are only a handful of suites, good for around sixteen sleeping places, so that the stay consciously remains small and personal. Each suite has its own character with themed interiors that combine antique furniture, soft fabrics and art objects with contemporary lighting and modern comfort features such as air conditioning, spacious beds and high-end bathrooms.

The rooms and suites bear names such as Hermitage Suite, Cloister Suite and Belfry Suite, which refers to the religious and historical layers of Bruges. Inside, you'll find parquet floors, high ceilings, decorative paneling and carefully chosen color palettes that evoke the grandeur of a city home without becoming distant. Bathrooms include walk-in showers or bathtubs, soft bathrobes and care products, which is in line with the idea of a peaceful retreat in the middle of the city.

One of The Notary's most remarkable assets is the enclosed city garden with a natural swimming pond. This green outdoor area, with a water feature, terraces and seating areas, gives the house almost an suburban character. On sunny days, the garden becomes an extension of the lounge and bar, where guests can have breakfast, relax or have an aperitif. The feeling of returning to a quiet garden filled with water and greenery after a day in the historic city center is exactly what sets The Notary apart from more classic city hotels.

Culinarily, The Notary focuses on refinement in a small-scale context. Breakfast is famous for its extensive selection, combining local specialties, hot dishes, patisserie and sparkling wine. During the day and in the afternoon, there is room for high tea in a salon-like setting, with shelves full of savory and sweet dishes. In the evening, on selected days, guests can opt for a Signature Menu, a multi-course dinner that is served in a limited circle and developed in collaboration with chef Kurt Tombeur. The emphasis is on French and Flemish classics with slight international accents, accompanied by carefully chosen wines.

The general atmosphere in the home is that of a discreet, almost homely form of luxury. There is no big lobbying; instead, personal reception, leisurely pace and attention to detail are key. If desired, the team guides guests in planning hikes, restaurant reservations and trips, but at the same time leaves plenty of space for those who just want to enjoy the silence of the rooms or the garden.

The surroundings

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The Notary is located in the Moerstraat, on the edge of the Ezelstraat Quarter and the Sint Jakobswijk, a part of the historic center that lies just outside the busiest shopping axes but still a few minutes' walk from Markt en Burg. The neighborhood is characterized by narrow cobblestone streets, facades from different centuries and a mix of homes, small boutiques and discreet places to stay. It feels like a transition zone between the lively core around the main squares and the quieter residential areas a little further north.

A short distance away are some of the most famous sights in Bruges. In five to ten minutes, you can walk to the Markt with the Belfry, the Burg with the City Hall and the Basilica of the Holy Blood, and the canals around Jan van Eyck Square. In the other direction, you can easily reach the Ezelstraat Quarter with its creative entrepreneurs, small-scale restaurants and lesser-discovered alleys. This location makes The Notary particularly interesting for those who want to explore the center intensively but would like to return to a slightly quieter street at the same time.

The atmosphere in the immediate vicinity changes throughout the day. In the morning, you see local residents on their way to work or school, while the tourist flow slowly starts. Later in the day, day trippers and city trippers take over the streets, especially near the squares and along the canals. In the evening, peace largely returns to the smaller streets, although there is always a restaurant, bar or café open somewhere for a late drink. The combination of residential rest and urban facilities makes this part of Bruges particularly suitable for a stay of several days.

Things to do in the area

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• Follow a walking route via Sint Jakobsstraat and Jan van Eyckplein to the canals around the Groenerei and Spiegelrei, where the medieval street pattern, bridges and watercourses together form one of the most photogenic parts of Bruges.

• Visit the Frietmuseum and Choco Story, two museums that focus on Belgian fries and chocolate while explaining the country's wider culinary and cultural history, ideal for those traveling with children or as a foodie.

• Continue to the southern part of the center for a combination of art and heritage at the Groeninge Museum, St. John's Hospital, and the Church of Our Lady, where painting, religious history, and urban architecture come together.

Restaurants & cafes

Restaurants
• Signature Menu at The Notary
In-house itself, The Notary offers a culinary program on certain nights with a multi-course menu in a very limited setting. The Signature Menu is about sophisticated French and Flemish dishes with subtle worldly touches, served in intimate salons where tables are spaced wide apart and the garden often remains visible as a decor.

• Brutal
Bruut, on the Groenerei, is a small-scale restaurant that works with a fixed menu based on seasonal products from the sea and the polder. The kitchen puts a modern twist on classic flavors, with great attention to texture, contrast and tension on the plate, while the small number of tables and the view of the water create a very personal atmosphere.

• Locale by Kok au Vin
Locàle in the Ezelstraat is a contemporary restaurant that starts from local and often organic ingredients, which are processed into colorful dishes to share or order à la carte. The interior is modern but warm, and the menu combines pure flavors with creative accents, for example in dishes with North Sea fish or seasonal vegetables in surprising combinations.

Cafes & bars
• Kottee Kaffee
Kottee Kaffee in the Ezelstraat is a living room-like coffee bar where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, cake and coffee in a warm, intimate setting. The place is known for its breathing space just off the busiest routes, comfy seats and a tendency to stick around longer than you had planned.

• I Love Coffee Espresso Bar
I Love Coffee in Sint Jakobsstraat is a specialty coffee bar that roasts its own beans and focuses on espresso and filter coffee in various variants. In addition to the classic cappuccino, there are creative coffee drinks, and the lively but relaxed atmosphere makes this a great stop when walking between The Notary and the Market.

• Mey's Art Café
Mey's Art Café combines an art gallery and coffee bar in Sint Amandsstraat, within walking distance of Moerstraat. Here you can drink coffee, tea or a refreshing pint between paintings and antiques, with the choice of seating in the gallery or on the terrace, which provides a special mix of culture and relaxation.

Lunch shops
• Vero Caffè
Vero Caffè is located on Sint Jansplein, which developed into a brunch and lunch shop with a strong focus on honest products and colorful dishes. The menu includes pancakes, salads and vegan options, always focusing on organic and local ingredients, making it an ideal spot for a late brunch or light lunch.

• The Republic
De Republiek is a cultural house and grand café in the heart of Bruges, serving a daily changing lunch in a lively but accessible setting. You can go there for daily specials, vegetarian and vegan options and a drink on a spacious terrace that is a favorite meeting place for both locals and visitors, especially when the weather is nice.

• Bean around the World
Bean around the World in the Genthof serves as a coffee bar and light lunch spot, offering a range of coffee specialties, cakes and simple sandwiches or snacks. The location near Jan van Eyckplein makes it a convenient stopover while walking along the northern canals, with a more international atmosphere than many other addresses in the area.

Accessibility

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• You can travel by train to Bruges station, which is well connected nationally to Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp and the coast, among others. From the station, you can reach The Notary in about twenty to twenty-five minutes on foot, or faster by taking a city bus to the center followed by a short walk through the historic streets.

• By car, follow the ring around Bruges and choose one of the access roads into the city center, for example via the direction of Ezelpoort or via the southern approach to King Albert Park. In the core of the city, a lot of street parking is regulated, so it is usually easiest to park the car in an underground car park and walk the last part to Moerstraat.

• For travelers arriving by plane, the airports on the coast and around the capital are logical gateways. From there, you usually travel by train to Bruges or combine a rental car with a peripheral car park, then a short bus ride or walk takes you to the center.

Parking

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The Notary does not communicate a large private guest car park, so most visitors use public car parks and peripheral car parks in and around the city center. There is space for short-term street parking in the immediate vicinity, but due to the regulation in the center, this is mainly suitable for loading and unloading upon arrival or departure, not for a full day or multi-day stay.

A practical option within walking distance of Moerstraat is Parking Langestraat, an underground garage under the State Archives that is about five minutes' walk from the Markt. This car park offers paying spaces with a clear tariff structure, facilities for electric cars and reserved spaces for people with disabilities, and connects directly to pedestrian routes to the historic center.

Those entering the city from the south can opt for Parking Katelijne, an underground car park on the southern approach route, close to major museums and the canals around Dijver. From here, you can walk through picturesque streets including Sint Janshospitaal and Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk to the heart of the city center and on to Moerstraat. This car park is chargeable but well structured and very useful if you are planning a museum program at the same time.

For those who want to park at a more favourable rate for a longer period of time, the city's peripheral car parks are an interesting alternative. P plus R Coiseaukaai and P plus R Boogschutterslaan are located just outside the core and offer aboveground parking spaces where you can leave the car free of charge. From these car parks, buses run regularly to the center, often with a free ticket formula, or you can choose to continue on foot or by bike.

Because parking rates and conditions in Bruges are subject to updates, it is wise to check the city's current information shortly before arrival. Travellers with an electric car, a higher car or specific accessibility needs would do well to check in advance which car parks are most suitable in terms of height, charging points and infrastructure.

Summary

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The Notary in the Moerstraat is an intimate, luxurious city hotel in a former notary house, where historic architecture and contemporary comfort reinforce each other. With a limited number of suites, a sophisticated culinary experience from breakfast to Signature Menu, a private bar and a green city garden with a natural swimming pond, it feels more like an elegant private residence than a classic hotel.

The location in the Ezelstraat Quarter and the Sint Jakobswijk means that Markt, Burg, museums and canals can be reached within a few minutes on foot, while the immediate area remains just a little quieter than the busiest shopping axes. The area has a wide range of restaurants, coffee bars and lunch shops, ranging from fine dining on the water to creative brunch spots and cultural houses with grand cafes. Public car parks in the city center and well-organized peripheral car parks make it relatively easy to come by car and still walk through the pedestrian-friendly core in a relaxed way.

For travelers looking for a small-scale, stylish stay with a lot of attention to gastronomy, personal service and an almost hidden garden environment, The Notary is a particularly attractive base from which to discover Bruges in a quiet but at the same time intensive way.

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