Must-see restaurants in Antwerp

  • The Jane

    Antwerp

    In a stunningly repurposed old military-hospital chapel, the Jane's sublime two-Michelin-star dining is such an overwhelmingly fabulous experience that…

  • Life Is Art

    Antwerp

    Loose cushions on bench seats, brocante mirrors, an old piano and a dangling canoe-skeleton all conspire to create a casually quirky venue for super-fresh…

  • Fiskebar

    Antwerp

    For years, locals have sworn that this bustling, fashionably dishevelled former fishmongers’ shop serves the best seafood in town. Finally the owners are…

  • Elfde Gebod

    Antwerp

    In the heart of the tourist zone, this ivy-clad medieval masterpiece has an astounding interior decked with angels, saints, pulpits and several…

  • Het Gebaar

    Antwerp

    Celebrity TV chef Roger van Damme's Het Gebaar occupies the romantic former caretaker's house at the entrance to Antwerp's petite botanical gardens,…

  • Domestic

    Antwerp

    The Dôme's renowned Zurenborg bakery-cafe now also has an old-city address whose two upper rooms are lavished with mouldings and camp colours. Perfumed…

  • Little Ethiopia

    Antwerp

    Discover a veritable museum of African artefacts in a historic old Antwerp house while perusing the multilingual menu supplement that helpfully explains…

  • Dôme sur Mer

    Antwerp

    In a classic Zurenborg building with an interior that's all white but for a mirror-topped blue stripe of an aquarium, this professional seafood outfit…

  • Ciro's

    Antwerp

    Ciro's is an authentically nostalgic restaurant that dates back to 1962 and sports an almost untouched mid-century interior. The well-reputed cuisine…

  • Le John

    Antwerp

    Sit at 1960s-style school chairs in a pair of artily sparse shopfronts while the chefs perform in a glass-fronted show kitchen. The short, monthly…

  • LOA

    Antwerp

    Overlooking St-Jansvliet square, this tiny shop-cafe and takeaway peddles an interesting selection of good-value, international street food including veg-…

  • De Broers van Julienne

    Antwerp

    Serving all-vegetarian dishes apart from a couple of fish offerings, this enticing place opens with a deli section purveying huge takeaway quiche slices…

  • Mission Masala

    Antwerp

    The look, the flavours, the punning menu and even the authentic masala chai (Indian-style tea) all buzz with the colourfully spicy verve of a Kolkata…

  • RAS

    Antwerp

    Whether in the upper-market glass box of a dining room or at one of the summer tables fanning out along the walkway, RAS is a superb place to be dazzled…

  • Chinatown

    Antwerp

    There's a fancy Chinese-style gateway on Van Wesenbekestraat, but otherwise its numerous East Asian restaurants are mostly bland-looking box-rooms…

  • Nimmanhaemin

    Antwerp

    Good-value, richly flavoured Thai food served in airy, paired-back, high-ceilinged rooms within a classic step-gabled old house. The mains dishes include…

  • Chez Fred

    Antwerp

    Join the brocante dealers and local families for typical Belgian fare (croquettes, stews, chicken supreme) and bistro specials (steak, tuna with wasabi…

  • Marcel

    Antwerp

    In a delightful 1920s dining room with art nouveau touches, Marcel offers a classic French menu made with top-quality ingredients and a lot of love.

  • Miró

    Antwerp

    If you're looking for something a little special in Borgerhout, try this excellent little family-run bistro, which gives local cuisine a fresh elegance…

  • Aahaar

    Antwerp

    An unpretentious little place that's well known for its basic vegan/vegetarian Jainist buffet with four mains, two sweets, simple salad and rice.

  • Arte

    Antwerp

    While it looks tourist-centric and is hardly the most fashion conscious of places, Arte has a decades-long reputation for cooking highly reliable Italian…

  • L'Entrepôt du Congo

    Antwerp

    Unsophisticated yet atmospheric, the interior here features marble tabletops, chequerboard floors, mirror panels and carved wooden beams, all surveyed by…

  • Civiltà del Bere

    Antwerp

    Come here for authentic Italian food, either bar-stool lunches or dinners of carpaccios and thin-crust pizza, all in a casually stylish setting surrounded…

  • Empire Shopping Centre

    Antwerp

    This soulless 1970s mall keeps the diamond trade in equipment and repairs but also feeds the workers every lunchtime from a number of unpretentious…