Stationsbuurt Antwerp – All our local tips

The Central Station in Antwerp is one of the most complete stations, I would say, in the world because it has gorgeous architecture, interesting destinations in Belgium and the Netherlands, travel and tour services, restaurants, souvenir, news papers, grocery, and diamond stores… everything you need actually. Yes, even bikes; underground you can rent a bike for a day or more.

Oh! I almost forgot the one thing that actually inspired me to write about this diamond piece: the free internet access. It might not seem much, but for people like me who need to stay connected constantly, having a free Internet spot means a lot.

So you can actually send that e-mail to your mum while you buy the wedding ring for your fiancé. Or you can check your favorite traveler’s site, Spotted by locals, to see what is new in Antwerp… well the only thing you need is a computer (big or small, size does not really matter).

And this takes me to the recommendation part: enjoy the train station.

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Antwerp Central Station | Art & culture, Relaxing, Shopping
Koningin Astridplein 27 | Stationsbuurt
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There’s only one restaurant in Antwerp that serves real biological and macrobiotic food. Honest food with an honest taste. You can find it in the Cullinan.

Restaurant Cullinan (named after the biggest diamond ever found) lies in the Jewish quarter in Antwerp. This is by the way also an interesting part of the city that is worth seeing… But now we’re talking about food and this little restaurant offers the best. It’s a simple kitchen, no haute cuisine, but the quality is great and you’ll get the most healthy pumpkins, carrots and beans. Vegetables are not only decoration here: it is the most important thing on the plate. And: it tastes great!

The cook – Jan Lansloot – and his wife Lutgard have 35 years of experience with macrobiotic cooking and they still love good and biological food. They guarantee that the food is 95% biological. They serve meat, fish or vegetarian dishes and everything is very fresh. They don’t have a microwave and try not to use deep-frozen food.

The furnishing in the restaurant is not very hip or funky, but the food is so good that – after a while – the salt lamps don’t matter anymore. You even start to like them…

The vegetarian vegetable dish is my favorite. This plate variates every time because they follow the vegetables of the season. It is a surprise every time I go there. They cook really surprisingly…

They have also delicious desserts: cakes and pastry with or without sugar…
Mmmm. Why can’t I cook like that?

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Cullinan | Restaurants (biological) | Main meal € 16.00
Isabellalei 1 | Stationsbuurt | +3232301660
Tue – Thu 12:00 – 14:00 & 18:00 – 21:00, Fri 12:00 – 14:00 & 18:00 – 21:30, Sat 18:00 & 21:30, closed on holidays

Girls and boys listen carefully because I am giving you one of the keys of having a cheap and yet fancy holiday, but to have it, you must first get your hands dirty: Buy the Flair magazine.

Flair is one of the most popular women magazines in Belgium, there are the Dutch and French version and they can be a lot of fun (if you understand anything), and a new edition is in the stores every week.

For travelers, the useful thing about this magazine is the periodic supplement book. If you are lucky you will get the chance to have dinner for two in a nice restaurant, or have a very fulfilling and fancy breakfast for less than 10 euro.

The conditions are indicated in the book and if you do not understand ask your favorite Belgian, they may even want to join.

So, are you ready? Take a pick at the news stand for the newest number and see if you can take advantage of the promotions like a local!

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Flair | Shopping | Magazine € 2.10
Bookshops | Stationsbuurt
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Every season i go to secondhand store Pardaf to sell a bunch of clothes. While I wait, I look around and every time I find the coolest things, for no money at all!

When you enter the shop, you might think ‘oh my god, all this stupid clothes’, but the art is to look real good and find some great pieces. Don’t forget to look at the clothes behind the desk where people drop off their clothes. That’s were I found my dress and jacket.

Long live Pardaf!

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Pardaf | Shopping
Gemeentestraat 8 | Stationsbuurt | +3232326040
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 18:00

It smells good, looks excellent and tastes even better!

I am not a big pro-sweet person, but there are certain things you cannot let pass by (for breakfast, lunch or supper), and those are found in the Patisserie Schoenaers.

From the outside it looks just like an upper-class bakery in the Jewish neighborhood, but do not let looks deceive you because prices are market average. The only issue: you might leave with the feeling of wanting more.

Let me explain: The bread, pastry, and ice cream are so delicious that I am pretty sure you will like (if not almost) everything you see there. If you cannot get enough you should consider requesting beforehand the ‘Diplomaat’ (`the diplomate’) cake, which really lives up to its name.

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Patisserie Schoenaers | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Pastry (shop) from € 1.00
Belgielei 109 | Stationsbuurt | +32032307198
Tue – Fri 07:30 – 18:00, Sat 07:30 – 17:00, Sun 07:00 – 16:00

A five minutes walking distance from the Antwerp Central Station take you to the Van Wesenbekestraat. This is the street with the biggest concentration of the Chinese community in Antwerp, and of course this is the place to eat the most sincere Chinese food in the city.

But restaurants are not the only good thing you will find here, there are also big grocery stores with Asian products: from tea to candies, games, magazines, newspapers, DVDs… Most of the merchants speak English so it is relatively easy to find your way.

It is indeed one of the busiest places in Antwerp and I strongly recommend it to adventurers who like to experience and taste something different.

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Van Wesenbekestraat | Art & culture
Van Wesenbekestraat | Stationsbuurt
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