Zurenborg Antwerp – All our local tips

In a small alley next to the St Vincentius Hospital you can find this quiet and cosy day time lunch-bar. It’s quite new but that doesn’t change its charm.

The interior feels warm & cosy. The food is homemade with care and you just take it out of the counter and pay at the counter.

A very down to earth place and ideal for a relax lunch or just to read your newspaper during lunch.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
22b | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Lunch) | Meal € 10.00
Sint-Vincentiusstraat 22B | Zurenborg | +32475674930
Mon – Fri (check website for hours)

Just a little bit outside of Antwerp, 10 minutes by metro, this little park can be found.

This park is very well maintained and has lots of activities inside. There is a free swimming lake, a volleyball field, a tennis field, … and most of all it’s just nice to walk there and escape from the busy city for a while.

There is also a small natural historic museum inside. (€ 1.00 entrance fee)

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Boekenbergpark | Relaxing | Free
Gouverneur holvoetlaan | Zurenborg
08:00 – 22:00 daily

Ask any Antwerp local to name some typical things from the city of Antwerp and there will always be “De Koninck” in the answer. Brewery The Koninck was founded in 1827 and has been making great beer ever since. You know we Belgians know how to make beer… well our Antwerp beer is a great one! If you enter any pub and ask for “A Bolleke” you will get a “De Koninck”.

So if you like the beer then you should visit the brewery as well. They’ll guide you trough it’s rich history and brewery secrets. It’s worth a visit!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Brewery De Koninck | Art & culture
Mechelsesteenweg 291 | Zurenborg | +3232184048
Check Website

When you are wandering through Antwerp you’ll notice that there is wide variety of architecture and styles. You can find old and authentic houses next to the most modern structure imaginable. But… there is one neighbourhood and especially one street where almost all old houses are in their original form or restored in the original form.

On a beautiful day it is interesting to walk from the train station in Berchem (outer city) towards the Draakplaats, a square with several restaurants and café’s. The development of this neighbourhood coincided with the peak of Art Nouveau popularity and has some other influences as Gothic Revival, Neo-Renaissance, Greek Revival, Neoclassical, and the “cottage style” that coincided with British Tudorbethan architecture…

Anyway… despite all this culturally loaded architectural info… it’s just a nice walk with great bombastic houses from another era. Wander around in the nearby streets as well… and take your time to absorb the details of these magnificent buildings. Even I still find new things every time I pass  there . And you can end with a nice breakfast or lunch at café Wattman.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Cogels Osylei | Art & culture
Cogels Osylei | Zurenborg
24 hours daily

Somewhere deeply hidden in the Zurenborgh area is a little store that sells high quality food. Locals come here to fulfill their little Sunday morning needs at the breakfast/lunch table. Fruit, bread, vegetables or a variety of delicious home made items…

But there ’s more. If you walk to the back of the store you’ll find a cozy and calm place to enjoy breakfast or lunch. It’s a great environment with a great service. And everything in this store is for sale: the food, the plates, tea cups, tables, chairs, …

And there’s even more: they also have a bead and breakfast service upstairs. So actually, this could be your ideal base to start your Antwerp citytrip from!

Worth a visit when you’re in the neighborhood!

The website is still under construction but will be online soon.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Frais Divers | Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Breakfast/lunch) | Main € 16
Grote Hondstraat 5 | Zurenborg
Tue – Fri 08:00 – 18:00, Sat 08:00 – 16:00

Cures homesickness (guaranteed!)

It does not matter where you travel to, it is almost imperative for any traveler to eat something from their home country. Just like rice is to Chinese, fries to Belgians, chili to Mexicans, hamburgers to Americans… the Graré American Food Store offers locals and travelers with a wide selection of original American and Mexican products (yes, you read it right, Mexican!)

From sweets to the-perfect-hamburger spices, from sauces to cereals, the store offers the most known brands at above market prices (for obvious reasons). It is located outside the city, but it is really easy to reach with the bus.

Another advantage is that it is open on Sundays, and it is also possible to order the product you would like them to sell.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Graré | Shopping, Snacks | Grocery from € 1.00
Prins Boudewijnlaan 175, Wilrijk | Zurenborg | +32034494118
Tue – Thu 12:00 – 18:00, Fri – Sun 14:00 – 18:00, Sat 10:00 – 18:00

If you’re looking for a quick dinner or a casual location to dine, Marie is the place to be!

Marie is a small restaurant near “De Zurenborg”. Very cosy and well decorated interior. And the food is exactly what you expect from a place like this.

It looks plain and simple but it tastes just great. Very down to earth and honest, just as the people who work there. I like places and people like this. Check it out, that’s all I have to say!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Marie | Restaurants (Mediteranian/French) | Main Meal € 25
Boomgaardstraat 42 | Zurenborg | +32475804022
Wed – Sun from 18:00 – …

It’s a park… no it’s a museum… no it’s a park… anyway, who cares! This park is a museum as well. Throughout the park you will find many statues of famous and less famous artists. So while you are walking through the park you can enjoy a wide variety of statues.

Statues aren’t really my cup of tea so whenever I’m there I just look at the trees and enjoy the nice environment.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Middelheim Museum | Art & culture, Relaxing
Middelheimlaan | Zurenborg | +3238271534
Winter 10:00 – 17:00 daily, Summer 10:00 – 20:00 daily

A friend of mine started this restaurant a few years ago. I try to go there as much as i can, just because the food is so good and it’s not expensive at all! And it gives me the opportunity to catch up with Soufian (the owner).

my perfect dinner at Pastamore begins with the Vitello. Then the veggie lasagna and if i still have a little bit of space left, the tiramisu with a lovely café latte. My boyfriend adores the carpaccio di tonno and the Ossobucco… mmmm I think I’m gonna make a quick call for a reservation for tonight…

Pastamore is a great restaurant to go to after you explored Zurenborg. you can easily take tram 11 or 8 back to the city centre. I already took so many people there, and they all loved it!

When you go there, please say Hi to Soufian from me!

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Pastamore | Restaurants (Italian) | Main meal € 9.00
Draakstraat 12 | Zurenborg | +3232944981
Wed – Mon 18:00 – 22:00