Archives for “Snacks” tag

Antwerp is a shopper’s paradise, from international brands to fashion designer stores: it’s all here. The Meir is the main shopping street and always very crowded. It’s also the connection street between the Central Station and the historic city centre so, like it or not, you will eventually have to walk down this street.

If you’re fed up with the crowds and you feel like a rest then Escobar is just the place for you. They take the word ‘unwinding’ very seriously here. The people serving you are a bit slow but they are also very friendly. The music they play here (old swing, soul and jazz) takes you back in time. They serve an excellent cappuccino Escobar with apple crumble and fresh cream. I always have the same sandwich here: the one with bacon and feta cheese. Add the lecture of a weekend newspaper and I’m ready to face the shopping crowd again. 

When I’m looking for a decent yet quick meal, I go to Lunch Cafe Walrus.

It has a very good kitchen with honest prices. The service is mostly with a smile and you just get what you want here: something to satisfy your hunger!

Whether for breakfast – brunch – lunch or dinner … they’ve got what you need! Don’t expect haute cuisine, but expect to be satisfied!

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 and 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 relaxed lunch or just to read your newspaper during lunch.

Located near Park Spoor Noord on the North side of Antwerp this is quite a new Bistro/Resto. It’s built in an old apothecary, but that is only the outside. Inside you’ve got a mixture of styles and different tastes. A bar, tables, some couches and even a room for kids. Many locals visit “De Caravan” on the weekend, for brunch or lunch on their way to the park or on the way back.

You can go for a quick coffee or a good meal with friends. And even better, you can come and fetch a genuine picknick basket to have a picknick in the nearby Park. How cool is that!

Anyway, it’s a cozy place and you’ll be served by two very nice ladies who run their place with great passion! Just go there and enjoy!

They organise a lot of thematic evenings and parties every month. More about that on the Facebook page (below) and soon to be launched website.

As soon as the first sunrays hit the city, my thoughts go out to Gritje Kokx. As a child I lived close to this little ice cream parlor. So for me it is surrounded by childhood memories. They are closed during winter but on a nice spring day, I love to go out for a ride on my bicycle and make this place one of the stops. 

They serve only two or three flavors and to be honest, the scoops are not so generous as I would like them to be. But yummy! I’ve tasted ice cream throughout Italy – famous for their ‘gelato’ - but nowhere was it as good as here. I keep it simple: two scoops of vanilla, two scoops of chocolate (okay, three if it’s been a while ago), whipped cream and chocolate sauce. I’ll find myself a quiet spot in the park right next to the ice cream parlor and for at least 5 scoops long, I am perfectly happy.