A couple of years ago the neighborhood around the falconplein was a different world. It was a square with dubious shops ran by the Russian mafia and Georgian gangsters. They say it was possible to buy grenades under the table, and the smuggling in fake products and girls from the east were big business then. The falconplein was/is also at the edge of the red light district.

When the city decided to ‘clean up’ the square in 2007 this was very successful. Not so adventurous anymore but today it is a more pleasant square where crime isn’t longer the most important thing.

On the first and the third Sunday of every month there is a market for biological products. And on the square you can find the nice café Bartilia. It is called Bartilia because of the former trees that stood on the square. They were all limetrees (‘Tilia’). When they redesigned the square all the lime trees had to go.

The owners of Bartilia wanted to make a statement and they named the cafe after the trees. Bartilia is a cosy cafe for young and old, but especially for the young. In weekends it can be busy but it is always nice to be there. It is allowed to smoke in there. The atmosphere is good.

On Sunday it is nice to combine the market with a coffee in Café Bartilia. But be careful, sometimes the café opens a little bit later than planned…

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Bartilia | Bars, Coffee & tea
Falconplein 43 | Eilandje | +32484157995
Autumn/Winter 15:00 – 03:00 daily | Spring/Summer 11:00 – 03:00 daily

A very black coffee, a magazine or newspaper, a free hot-spot to work a bit, good music and a pleasant atmosphere. One of my favorite places on the South side of the city is Revista (Spanish for magazine). It is a very good place to meet friends and be the first to arrive, way to early.

Revista has a big assortment of magazines and newspapers, national and international. The also offer music (USA imports) for sale. It is easy to stay and let the hours pass by. It feels like my living room on a pleasant Sunday afternoon. Even when it’s Thursday morning.

They sell fresh soup and sandwiches, so you could really stay there for days. But it closes at 20:00 so eventually you’ll have to leave…

I like it very much because I live nearby and I like places that make me feel at home. But after three coffees I have to drink something else, because the coffee is way to black for me… But they have a great sandwich (the one with Serrano ham I can really recommend!)

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Revista | Bars
Karel Rogierstraat 47 | Zuid | +327727880
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 20:00, Sat 10:00 – 20:00, Sun 11:00 – 20:00

The Witzli-Poetzli is a very small café in the center of citycenter. It is next to our great cathedral. In the summer there’s an unique terras in the shadow of the cathedral. In the winter it is a cosy place where people come to drink coffee and read a newspaper.

In the narrow street of the Witzli are no cars allowed and there are practically no shops. It is a passing-through-street. A lot of people pass by and from the Witzli-Poetzli you have a perfect view! In winter there’s a lot of wind in the street, so you can see very funny situations that happen to by-passers.

The former owner – Guido – died very suddenly in December 2008, a couple of weeks after a fight in his cafe. This was a enormous shock for a lot of people in Antwerp. And of course: what would happen to the Witzli?! Antwerp wouldn’t be te same without! We are very lucky that a former barman took over the café and that he keeps the Witzli like it was.

I visit the Witzli-Poetzli a lot. It is the most ideal spot to meet friends or to rest after a walk in the city. But the most important reason is their white coffee (café au lait). Normally I never drink white coffee, but it is such a genius form of it that I always drink it when I come there.

Don’t leave Antwerp without tasting the Witzli-coffee!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Witzli-Poetzli | Bars, Coffee & tea
Blauwmoezelstraat 8 | Meir
From 10:00 daily

I often go to café/restaurant K. Zeppos. The name comes from a Belgian tv-programme for kids: Kapitein Zeppos. It played in the years 1964 till 1968 and was very successful.

When you enter the café you see a very big picture of the actor that played Kapitein Zeppos (Senne Rouffaer).

K. Zeppos is a very ‘practical’ café/restaurant. It’s in the middle of the city, but not in the heat of the tourist-zone. It has an enormous terrace on a big square in summer and in winter it is very comfortable inside. Good atmosphere, nice food for an okay price. It’s not cheap, but also not very expensive. Only their tea is way too expensive. That’s why I never drink tea in the K. Zeppos.

It’s a perfect meeting-place for little groups. If I want to see a bunch of my friends we think easily of K.Zeppos. Especially if some people have to eat. You can eat classic Belgian food, but they have also meals from all over the world. And it’s no smoking… It’s a good place where I like to come from time to time..

Details about this spot (Show on map)
K. Zeppos | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.) | Main meal from € 15.00
Vleminckveld 78 | Meir | +3232311789
From 10:00 daily

Antwerp’s Damplein used to be a very grey and desolate square next to the railway where you would only go if you wanted to buy a cheap table or chairs at Belgica Furniture. But the coming of Park Spoor Noord changed things. Coffee bar Zum and restaurant Caravan were the first to see the potential of this square next to Park Spoor Noord. Bar Zeppelin is the latest newcomer.

Like Bar Leon in Borgerhout they serve an interesting mix of excellent beers, cocktails and great coffees. That makes it an ideal stop no matter the time or occasion: there is always a great drink to be discovered. Also great and quite unique for Belgium: they serve you free tap water. There is plenty of reading material and free wifi so you won’t feel bored. And when the sun shines, you can take your drink, magazine, laptop, … outside. I’m already curious what the next thing will be on this rapidly changing square …

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Zeppelin | Bars, Coffee & tea | Coffee € 3
Damplein 13 | Stationsbuurt | +3236891662
Wed – Sun 11:00 – 04:00

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.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Berlin | Bars, Restaurants (Belgian) | Main meal € 15
Kleine Markt 1 | Meir | +3232271101
09:00 – 02:00 daily

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’.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Het Zeezicht | Bars, Snacks | Beer € 1.80
Dageraadplaats 7 | Zurenborg | +3232351065
Daily from 12:00

This is one of the oldest -over a century old- bars in Antwerp. The old harbour used to be here, and every bar had its own organ for the sailor’s entertainment. And guess what? All the other bars have disappeared, but ‘Café Beveren’ still exists, including a magnificent 75-year old organ, called ‘De Cap’.

For those who have no idea what an organ exactly is; it’s a magical auto-instrument playing saxophone, drums, piano… all at the same time! True, that’s a really crappy description, so you should definitely go check it out yourself! And while you’re at it, order a simple beer (‘een pintje’ or even better: just raise your pinkie finger and the bartender will know what you mean) and enjoy the atmosphere.

The sailors are long gone, you should go about 2 kilometres up north for that, but this bar is still a magnet for people from every layer of society. So don’t be surprised if your camera shows pictures of you dancing with an 80-year old granny the night before. ‘De Cap’ does that to you, and maybe also the pinkie-ordered beers .

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Café Beveren | Bars, Music | Een pintje (beer) € 1.80
Vlasmarkt 2 | Meir | +3232312225
Thu – Mon from 13:00

When this bar/restaurant opened about 3 years ago, it was exactly what the neighbourhood needed: a cosy, relaxed, non-smoking place where you can grab a bite, read the newspaper and chat up with friends.

Everyday there’s a new menu with about 5 dishes: a couple of classics, pasta, a vegetarian dish and something oriental. Tasty, honest, not too pricy, almost like how your mother would make it, but with a surprising twist to it! As a late-night snack, you can always grab spaghetti or a fresh bowl of soup.

As for drinks, you’ll have a hard time making your choice: a couple of local beers on tap, as well as a monthly special, great wine and cava. A must-try is ‘roomer’: a flowery liquor that will enlighten your senses. For great karma, drink an organic tea or fruit juice.

The owner always carefully picks the music, a great way to discover new things. He’s even started a graphic novel collection.

This place can be very relaxing as well as really crowded. Either way, I always feel right at home here!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Café Stanny | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Home-made) | Main € 10
Stanleystraat 1 | Zurenborg | +3232895467
Mon – Sat from 12:00

You could call ‘Vertigo’ a real ‘all-round’ bar: Here you can grab breakfast, read the newspaper, meet with friends, drink cocktails at the bar, eat a great burger and best of all: enjoy a free jazzy concert at night.

The bar has a dark, chic yet cozy interior. You almost feel like you’re in New York in the fifties. Take a seat in one of the comfortable chairs and enjoy the live music. I believe I once saw the reincarnation of Jacques Brel here.

Check their website for music events, but I don’t know if you’ll ever see Jacques again… That’s the magic of Vertigo!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Vertigo | Bars, Music, Restaurants (Belgian) | Main meal € 15
Draakplaats 3 | Zurenborg | +3232724500
Daily from 10:00