Vegan-friendly
Western
Take-out
European
Belgian

Serves two dishes each day plus a wide range of desserts, and water is complimentary. Garden seating in summer. Popular with students. Try the chocolate cake. Sources fresh produce from nearby farm market. Open Mon-Fri 12:00-14:00, 18:00-20:30.


Venue map for Lukemieke
© OpenStreetMap contributors

15 Reviews

First Review by Niels Van Och

maltman23

Points +4968

Vegan
19 Aug 2024

Wonderful vegan meal in restful setting

Lukemieke is across the street feom a park, where many people people where hanging out conversing and relaxing on the grass. Walking through the park to get here set the scene for the same relaxed setting in the back garden of the restaurant. I was greeted at the door by a nice person who gave me a complimentary Cucumber-Pinapple Salad and my fork, knife, and napkin, and asked to choose a seat. Although the à la carte menu is in Dutch, the menu of the day is in English on the way in. Today's menu was entirely vegan, and I enjoyed it all, including the optional creamy onion soup, which may have been my favorite course -- although it was all (couscous, curry, salad, lentils, and a small piece of breaded and deep-fried banana) really good, especially the small deep-fried banana. This place is a gem.

Pros: Very good, filling vegan meal, Friendly staff , Relaxing back garden

Muuuuu

Points +3230

Vegan
18 Jan 2023

Old school

I've been there twice, quite happy with the food and the atmosphere (especially the garden);
It looks like this restaurant has been there for decades and I love that kind of places (we don't have many in Belgium) I suppose it would be nice if they could switch to a more vegan menu, though.
They have good wines also. However, if you don't want to spend much money on drinks, you don't have to order a pricey fancy drink, you can just get tap water (they just charge 1 euro for the jug and the service). I appreciate that a lot beause unlike in other european countries like France or Sweden, it's very uncommon in Belgium to find basic/ cheap/free tap water in restaurants. (which is shocking, really)

Pros: good food and wines, garden, tap water

Cons: Only lunch time and on weekdays

Lieslies

Points +98

Vegetarian
12 Aug 2021

Lovely small restaurant

Very good food. On request vegan.

Pros: Price, Good service

JeroenWachters

Points +16

Vegan
07 Mar 2020

Nostalgie

Na 25 jaar nog eens uit eten in lukemieke en nog steeds even lekker en gezellig alternatief

Pros: Uitgebreid dessertenkeuze

Cons: Beperkte keuze: dagschotel en ovenschotel

peanutplans

Points +3217

Vegan
08 Jun 2019

Tasteless overpriced food

And after all these years they still do not cater easily to vegans. I waited years for them to make a vegan daily plate, but no luck. Instead they simply continued to remove the vegetarian part of the meal like main entree and sauces an that's that. And never a vegan dessert on offer. Never again, especially now that there are so many more options in town for vegan-specific food.

Cons: Expensive, Doesn't particularly cater to vegans, Bland food

GeraldineChapelle

Points +17

Mostly Veg
16 Sep 2018

very good vegetarian restaurant

It is always a pleasure to go to Lukemieke. Staff is very friendly, there is a homy, cosy, help-yourself-to-what-you-like atmosphere and food is always great.

Pros: vegan options

chb-pbfp

Points +10606

Raw
26 Aug 2017

Excellent vegetarian restaurant.

This will probably be a paradise for vegetarians, since it has it all.

It is a very nice place, the passion and love of the staff for what they are doing, is great to see and is one of the lovely points of this restaurant.

The complete concept of the restaurant is amazing and really great initiative.

For vegans it is very limited. There was only one plate and no dessert.

It would be lovely for here just have a few more vegan options as well, e.g. in the desserts.

Pros: Nice restaurant, Great vegetarian place, Lovely staff

Cons: Not really vegan friendly

vegagut

Points +126

Vegan
20 Aug 2016

Not so good anymore (for vegans)

A couple of years ago we were regular customers and very often the dish of the day was vegan. Then the owner changed and it became more and more vegetarian. And if you ordered vegan we got the impression that our plate was just reduced. On our last visit we asked before ordering if we could have more of the vegan food to replace the dairy containing parts of the dish. We received our plates and compared them to the regular plates on neighbouring tables. We actually received less of the vegan options... We complained but staff denied our claims. That was/is the last time we went there. Luckily there are by now so many other decent options in Leuven. For vegans not really recommended.

Pros: used to have a decent dish at a reasonable price, good balance between veggies and stable food, healthy dish

Cons: mostly vegetarian, uncreative replacement of non-vegan options

Cam

Points +2089

Vegetarian
28 Mar 2016

Leuven's vegetarian restaurant

I went to Lukemieke for lunch. They had 3 menus items: a soup, an hot dish or a plate with a lot of dfifferent things (curry, rice, lentils, salad, mushroom croquettes). Plate was 14 euros and was very delicious.
I also tried a piece of one of their cakes, also a success!

Lukemieke is a very good option for vegetarians in Leuven, moreover if you want to try something else than the chains (Greenway, Loving Hut)

Pros: Nice atmosphere, Delicious and balanced, Staff

Cons: Limited choice

Gauxie

Points +23

Vegetarian
09 Dec 2014

Daily dish + cake = superbe meal

Great place to persuade your friends to eat more vegetarian, because of the daily dish. There are always the best salads and vegetables in it, together with some seitan or tofu. I alwys discover new tastes myself!
Of course the best comes last: the cakes!

Pros: Dessert, Always different vegetable receipts, Atmosphere

hl_morrissey

Points +32

Vegan
07 Aug 2014

Great atmosphere

I am not sure why so many people are saying that the vegan option is just the vegetarian without some items - I have been to this place three times and they have always added something to replace whatever they took off. I have always eaten the daily board and really enjoyed it. I feel like they could make it clear whether the free appetiser is vegan, and maybe a vegan dessert would be nice (these are not labelled and it is not clear either way). The food is simple and wholesome and the atmosphere is great. I really like this place, although it is true that the food is not "gourmet" - but what do you expect in Belgium for 15 euro?

Pros: accommodating of vegans, great atmosphere

Cons: closed on weekends, service can be confusing

wgroeneveld

Points +34

Vegetarian
16 May 2013

cozy and small but a bit unusual

We did not quite know what to expect when we entered the small house which actually turns out to be a restaurant. The menu is very weird: you only get two options: the baked version of the meal of the day or the default version (which seems to contain a portion of the baked one?).
Water is free, you have to fill it yourself outside. It's small scale and cozy, and relatively cheaply prized. I was quite stuffed and couldn't handle a piece of the self-baked pie.

I'd recommend it to others who like something alternative but warn them first :)

Pros: free water, unique take, one choice, cozy, next to the park

Cons: a bit too "unique"/weird?

TrudiBruges

Points +23259

Vegan
07 Jan 2011

fair, but no gourmet restaurant

I've lunched here a couple of times, and find there to be not too much variation. It's good veg food, but no gourmet experience.
They offer a vegetarian soup and dish of the day, that will be accomodated for vegans upon request. That however means leaving out the dairy and egg preparations on the plate and replacing them with more rice or grains. Which made it dull.
Prices are reasonable.
There were many desserts on offer (cakes) and they looked fine, but none of them were vegan when I lunched there.
The place is spacious, also has outdoor seating. Free tap water, which you can go get yourself on a tap outside.
Updated from previous review on Friday January 07, 2011

Pros: outdoor seating, free tap water

Cons: few variation in main dish for vegans

Paopao

Points +29

Vegan
13 Feb 2010

Good for vegetarians, not so good for vegans

I had lunch there only once, I don't think I'll get back as as a vegan the choice is limited. The dish of the day made vegan consisted on taking away the dairy bits and left it half empty charging me the same price as the usual which I thought was a bit weird. I found the service was a bit strange too: there's a lot of self-service going on, which I didn't get at the beginning. The food was ok, not as good as I expected it to be honest.

The restaurant is popular with the local academic community as Leuven is a big university pole in Belgium. For a vegetarian it can actually be a good choice, for vegan, a bit less. I had not the chance to experience the other dishes, maybe there are more vegan options but it wasn't made clear to me as when I asked for vegan options I was delivered the veg dish of the day made vegan.

The bread they made is very nice though.

Pros: informal crowd

Cons: small

Niels Van Och

Points +84

Vegetarian
12 Jul 2009

Best vegetarian food in Leuven

My girlfriend and I dined here once, and enjoyed it thoroughly!

The service system is somewhat unusual: you collect your cutlery yourself, and you can choose to fill a caraffe with (free) tap water. The rest of the food (except dessert) is served at the table though.

The menu was limited: a plate of the day which consists of about six small dishes, an oven dish, or a few salads were the only main courses. However, the plate of the day was definately worth it.
There were three possibilities for first courses, including a soup of the day, and a few desserts. Try one of the homemade pies!

The price is quite reasonable: for a soup, main course and dessert, I paid 17 euros, and it was an excellent meal.

As a final note: the restaurant also provides take-away food (in reusable containers) and a catering service.

Definately a place worth visiting if you're in Leuven!

Pros: free water, good service, tasty food

Cons: limited choice




This page has been viewed 8043 times.