Caroline Dhont (1983)

If you’re up to some Belgian food in a stylish atmosphere, this is the place to be!

‘Berlin’ is right in the city centre, and ideal for breakfast, lunch or dinner, i.e. a break from shopping. You can try typical Belgian specialties here, but you can tell the cook isn’t afraid to be influenced by -well- the world. For the many times I’ve eaten here, I was always very satisfied by the food. I once ate a roasted cherry tomato soup and to be honest, I sometimes still dream about it…

On Friday and Saturday evenings this place turns into a meeting place for the young & clubbing. The DJ gets you ready for the party. There are few cocktails on the menu, but they’re oh so tasty!

After a rough weekend you can go have a ‘lazy Sunday’-special: an all-you-can-eat menu to get rid of your hangover.

When I feel like a treat, I go to my favorite Thai restuarant in Antwerp: Mai Thai.

It’s located in the touristy neighbourhood, but when you step inside, you enter a white, silky world of Thai delight.

There’s only space for about 20 people, so go early or make reservations ahead. Upon entry you get welcomed by the pretty hostess. For me, it’s always hard to resist ordering a refreshing house-cocktail to go along with the free appetiser you get.

Although this restaurant isn’t pricey at all, you feel like you’re eating in a high-class resort. Every detail is being looked after: spotless table-wear, a pink orchid flower in your drink and excellent service.

The hardest part is picking your main dish: every Thai classic is present on the menu (about a hundred different dishes) and everything I’ve tasted here so far, tastes authentic and is equally delicious. There’s a wide variety of not-too-spicy dishes, if you’re not up to some fire.

After Antwerp, Thailand is my favorite place in the world. So you can imagine what a great combination ‘Mai Thai’ is for me!

The Antwerp city centre is a shopping Walhalla. However, allow yourself to wander off the beaten track to discover unique little shopping paradises. Or in this case, a real shopping ‘palace’!

Here you can find everything to fit in with the fe/male Antwerpians: Shoes, clothes (from pretty dresses to tough lumberjack shirts) and accessories. And of course -my trademark- all very affordable.

The staff are very friendly. They always say hello, but they leave you to your shopping. But when you need some help to squeeze into that skinny jeans, they’re right at your service! Be sure to ask for a ‘Paleis kaart’ and you’ll get a 10% reduction right away. Also, you always get a cute reusable shopping bag that has come in handy for me about a million times.

On top of all that, they often have mid-season sales and late night shopping with free drinks and snacks. You should check their Facebook page for that.

In the heart of the Zurenborg area, there’s an amazing square called ‘Dageraadplaats’. It’s a meeting point for everyone who lives in the area and far beyond. It’s always buzzing with activity, and at night a starry sky is lit (you’ll have to see it to believe it!)

The square is completely surrounded by bars and restaurants which all have great qualities – a mediocre bar wouldn’t survive in this critical area- however the ‘king’ of them all would be ‘Het Zeezicht’.

It’s what we Belgians call a classic ‘brown bar’, which means it’s furnished with mirrors, sansevierias and dark wooden tables and paneling. However, the deeper meaning of it is that everybody’s welcome here: from the big group of young hipsters to the older men sitting lonely at a table, deep into thought. This bar is so popular it even has their own cigarette lighters and a bicycle-team!

They serve a wide range of local beers, and also some very tasty snacks (try their Feta Croque Monsieur!). In the summer this bar has a gigantic terrace, which usually spreads out through the night, conquering most of the ‘Dageraadplaats’.

Criée isn’t just a food store, but actually a market hall roofing Antwerp’s best butchers and a gourmet supermarket.

I always had a hard time finding a butcher in Antwerp, there aren’t too many, until I discovered this place! It’s like in the Middle Ages where all the craftsmen of the same trade are located in the same street. You wonder how all the different butchers don’t drink each others blood (no pun intended), but they all have there own specialty. So for a dinner party, this is where I buy good quality poultry, lamb or game. And don’t be shy to ask advice how to prepare the meat, these are the real specialists! The shops also have a real crafty feel to them.

So whenever you feel like going to a market, and rain is pouring down (which happens quite often in Antwerp) be sure to make a stop at Criée.