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Berlin
Spacious brasserie underneath the police tower in St Andries, with bold design features and black and tan décor. Attracts an eclectic crowd from jeans-minded teens to the old lady who lives round the corner. Simple honest bistro fare is served, including homemade shrimp croquettes. Great place to drop in at any time for a drink, snack or meal.
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Bourla & Mares
Excellent bistro-restaurant on a pedestrianised backstreet in the shadow of the Bourlaschouwburg. Ultramodern with a touch of antique and Art Nouveau. The cuisine is predominantly Italian with a seafood slant. Pop in any time - the kitchen is open from noon to midnight.
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Dansing Chocola
Things get loose at this old-fashioned café, with staff grooving behind the bar or vaulting Tarzan-like up to the wrought-iron mezzanine railing to take orders from upper-level tables, while busking violinists serenade diners. Dishes - Belgian and a few international options like spicy Thai soup - are simple and incredibly filling (go for the 'small' portions unless you're ravenous), and there are sensational fries (around €3 for a bowlful). The kitchen closes at .
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De Kleine Zavel
De Kleine Zavel Gezellig (cosy, convivial atmosphere) bistro-style décor and an informal atmosphere belie this restaurant's standing as one of the most sought-after and reliable eateries in the whole country. Fusion cooking with an accent on fish and Mediterranean flavours are the go. For wine lovers there's an extensive world list, and those into beer will find old wooden crates incorporated into the rustic décor. Parking is handy on the nearby quays.
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De Peerdestal
One of many restaurants in this atmospheric cobblestone quarter. This one caters to tourists keen to sample the house speciality - horse (paard in Flemish).
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Den Draak
Den Draak Café and community centre, also known as Het Roze Huis (the Pink House), for Antwerp's gay and lesbian community. It's located in the Zurenborg (take tram 11 direction Eksterlaar).
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Eethuisje De Stoemppot
Granny would feel right at home in this place. Big portions of stoemp (mashed potatoes) are slapped onto plates and paired with a boerenworst (sausage) or a spiegelei (fried egg).
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El Pintxo's
Antwerp's first pintxo (the Basque version of tapas) bar has a cool, sober interior lorded over by a big red bull. The pintxos variados dinner menu includes five cold and four warm servings - great for satisfying those who want to test the lot.
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Façade
Unpretentious little restaurant that occupies two quaint houses on one of the most delightful public squares in Antwerp. Comprises two rooms plus a tiny mezzanine and an outdoor terrace. The French-Belgian cuisine is well priced and beautifully presented - the scampis in look (garlic prawns) are divine. Love the modern touches around the bar, and the gorgeous lamps suspended from the old timber ceiling.
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Faites Simple
Organic vegetables, hormone-free meat and artisanal products are the mainstay of this stylish (mainly) vegetarian restaurant. The interior is an arty blend of glass, light and Art Nouveau. In summer the garden terrace at the back makes a welcome respite in this busy part of town.
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Frituur No 1
Makes the city's finest frites (fries). Close to the Grote Markt.
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Gin Fish
Didier Garnich knew it was risky closing his seafood restaurant De Matelote and relinquishing its Michelin star. But he longed for the pre-Michelin days, when an open kitchen allowed him to laugh with the people whose meals he was preparing, and there was no mandate to slavishly follow classic formulas. So he took the gamble and opened Gin Fish. Same address, same attention to quality, same devotion to fish… only this time he's doing it his way.
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Goossens
One of the city's best bakeries. It's teensy, so you'll probably have to join the queue on the street. Try its rye-and-raisin bread or a suikerbrood (sugar bread).
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Grand Café Horta
Encased in glass with views from the basement bar up to street level, this café-restaurant has outsized iron girders - relics salvaged from Victor Horta's much-mourned Art Nouveau masterpiece, Maison du Peuple. Stop for a drink, snack, or a full meal, with Mediterranean-inspired choices like asparagus risotto or ravioli with polenta, or that brasserie classic steak-and-chips.
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Het Dagelijks Brood
This bakery/tearoom, located in the heart of St Andries, is part of a successful chain. The house speciality is boterhammen (slices of bread with exotic toppings), but there's also a good range of soups and salads.
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Het Nieuwe Palinghuis
Seafood restaurant well known for its attentive service and seasonal food.
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Het Pomphuis
Monumental restaurant-brasserie-bar that occupies an old pump house located on a spit way to the north of the old city centre in the surreal world of Antwerp's mammoth harbour. Inside it's one big glassy space, overseen by eclectic architectural features, including Art Nouveau elements. Enter and come face-to-face with a 7m deep pit where the pumps once turned. The restaurant does Belgian and world cuisine, and the service is friendly and attentive. If you're without a car, a taxi's a must.
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Hungry Henrietta
Fashion buyers cut deals over seafood bisque, crispy-skinned ray with capers, and seared scallops on a bed of mashed potato in Henrietta's glossy black-lacquered and polished-concrete interior or on the outdoor terrace. Call ahead as it's periodically closed during school holidays.
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L'Entrepot du Congo
The first bistro to open in 't Zuid and it still pulls the locals. Occupies a renovated stone warehouse and is noticeably less pretentious than other eateries in this area. Drinks are reasonably priced and the bistro-style food - sandwiches, pasta dishes, steaks and salads - is a cut above the average. The kitchen closes at .
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La Cuisine
The cheapest eatery in town is run by youth learning the trade.
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Lamalo
For many years this kosher Mediterranean restaurant was one of the area's best-kept secrets. Relocation and an image (and price) hike means it's now well known outside this quarter. The cuisine is from Israel, Lebanon and Morocco. The plate of 10 assorted meze (for two people) is excellent. Décor-wise it's warm but suffers no nonsense.
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Lombardia
A legendary health-food shop and café located at the heart of the pedestrianised Quartier Latin shopping district. It's run by a hip crew, the décor's way out and the food's all bio (organic). Sells a bit of everything, has English-language newspapers, snappy service and a few tables for diners (plus a huge summer terrace under a shady tree). Bio milkshakes (either beastie or vegan), fresh juices, and there's a range of salads, vegetable pies and sandwiches.
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Patine
Give minimalism the flick in this bohemian little wine bar-restaurant-tearoom that also doubles as a B&B. The décor is warm and soothing, the clientele's a mix of everyone (including poodles), and the cuisine is light and healthy - salad, quiche and pasta dishes.
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Pottenbrug
Vintage posters, cosy tables and a lovely alfresco terrace make this old bistro an enduring favourite for authentic and hearty local dishes.
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Sir Anthony Van Dyck
Hidden in a tiny, cobbled laneway in a 16th-century building, this exquisite restaurant is among Antwerp's finest for Flemish cuisine with flair, best appreciated over its four-course 'gourmet' menu (around €45 ).
