Snacks

This is actually not one of the spots I visit often, but every once and a while when a friend is visiting from out of town I take them here. The view from the second floor café/brasserie is just breath taking.

The food is good, service is good but the view is the thing you should come for. From behind the big windows you have an excellent view over the river and the left bank of Antwerp.

There is also a big terras outside, but most of the time it’s quite windy, I prefer the inside.

My mother works in the Antwerp diamond district, so from the time I went to university, I used to visit her every now and then at the office. I would try to aim for lunch time and then she would always ask me if Id like some falafel while I was there. Rachel’s falafel is a very small restaurant/snackbar which has been in business for more than 25 years. Even though Rachel herself is no longer running the place, they still seem to know what they’re doing.

They don’t serve much more than falafel, don’t bother with wine because they don’t serve that. But that’s more than enough when your ‘signature dish’ is this good. What I like is that it’s not this ready made stuff. They scoop the balls right there. They also serve it with sauerkraut, which I’ve never seen anywhere else. A spoon or two of smooth hummus and some hot green peppers and you’re good to go.

Literally, around the corner from my house . I love to go here on a day off, to enjoy the sunshine and read a book on the terrace. The waitress makes sure my table is never empty (they have some kind of hibiscus tea you can drink either warm or cold, jummy!).

In the evening, I gather up some friends and we play one of the available boardgames, accompanied with some pretty good salsa and tortilla chips or big slices of garlic bread. I like the atmosphere, my friends like the fact that the owner has ‘Karmeliet’ (strong blond beer) on tap. Everybody’s happy .

During Spring and the beginning of Summer, around the time school’s out, you will find kids running around here and at the playground in front, and the parents having a drink and a chat.

Around dinnertime, tables fill up with neighbors and other locals and plates filled with salads, hamburgers and lasagna are served. They have a fixed menu and a daily specials board, but if you want something on that board, be sure to come in early. Everything on the menu is fresh and when they’re out, they’re out. And although the kitchen is tiny, the wait is never long. 

After having been the barwoman in café De Welkom, Femke decided to do something completely different. A few steps away from Park Spoor Noord, she opened a new place and she called it ZUM. In a fastly changing neighbourhood, ZUM for me is the ideal place for breakfast or lunch. I like the personal details here: the little chocolate balls you can add to your cappuccino, the cool postcards on the wall, the homemade muffins and pies, the smiling faces of the people serving you …

If I need a place to spend a lazy afternoon (like the day after a wild party), I come here and order the antiox Arizona iced tea and a blueberry muffin. If I’m not meeting friends, I bring a book and install myself for a good read. ZUM has free wifi so sometimes I even get some work done.

If you’re hungry try the “bokes”. Slices of freshly baked bread with all kinds of toppings, the yummie Belgian way to eat bread. Be careful, if you don’t keep an eye to the beautiful clock hanging on the wall, you might end up spending the whole afternoon here.

What do you think of when I say I Belgium? Belgian chocolate, yes. Belgian beers, yes. Belgian waffles, oh yes! They remind of my childhood when my grandmother treated us with waffles and a hot chocolate after a long walk in the city or at the seaside.

Waffles come in all shapes and sizes and all of you have them in your own country. But there’s only one perfect waffle: the Brussels Waffle of Desire de Lille. 

This waffle is very light. And it’s also super crispy. Have one with fresh cream or with sugar. And yes, you should be covered in sugar after eating. It’s meant to be like that. You can order take-away waffles at the corner of Schoenmarkt or you can sit down a little further in Schrijnwerkersstraat.

Don’t be scared by the amount of old ladies sitting here enjoying their waffle (or pancakes or other delicious stuff). After all, it’s the old ladies who know best, right?