Antwerpse Handjes
Hand-shaped butter cookies topped with sliced almonds, in three sizes and an optional chocolate-shell variant. The official biscuit of Antwerp since 1934.
Where: Philip's Biscuits, DelRey
Antwerp eats like a port city that learnt fine dining from France and beer culture from its own breweries. Viki Geunes runs the country's only three-Michelin-starred kitchen on the ninth floor of the MAS at Zilte, Gert De Mangeleer pours two-star Asian-influenced menus at Hertog Jan inside the Botanic Sanctuary, and Nick Bril moved The Jane in October 2025 to a harbour location on Limastraat where the room earned two Michelin stars in the 2026 guide. Below the stars sits the everyday: Antwerpse handjes from Philip's Biscuits and DelRey, Bolleke poured at De Koninck's Mechelsesteenweg brewery, frites cooked in beef fat at Fritkot Max on Groenplaats, and the Bird Market on Theaterplein every Sunday since 1912. The diamond district feeds the city's Hasidic community kosher Hungarian at Hoffy's. Borgerhout and Zurenborg pull the maps east toward Cogels-Osylei and the multi-ethnic counters of Turnhoutsebaan.
Eat your way through Antwerp
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Map of Antwerp
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Antwerp, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Must-try dishes in Antwerp
The plates that define eating in Antwerp.
Stoofvlees met frieten
Flemish beef stew braised in dark Belgian ale, served with crisp double-fried frites. The everyday Antwerp meal, found in every brown cafe.
Where: Elfde Gebod, Den Engel, Fritkot Max
Paling in 't groen
Freshwater eel poached in a sharp green herb sauce of sorrel, parsley, chervil and tarragon. The Flemish summer-evening tradition.
Where: Bistrot du Nord, RAS
Garnaalkroketten
Crisp-fried shrimp croquettes built around Belgian grey shrimp from the North Sea, with a thick béchamel binding. Fried parsley and lemon to garnish.
Where: RAS, Mampoko
Witloof gegratineerd
Belgian endive wrapped in ham, baked in béchamel and gratinated under cheese. The canonical Antwerp winter gratin.
Where: Elfde Gebod, Marolus, Mampoko
Mosselen-friet
Belgian mussels steamed open with white wine, celery and onion, served with double-fried frites and house mayonnaise.
Where: Mampoko, Bocadero, RAS
Restaurants to know in Antwerp
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Antwerp.
Le Pristine
Le Pristine in Antwerp is Sergio Herman's modern Belgian-Italian dining room in a 1960s modernist building. Crudo, wood-grilled fish and pasta. Closes end of December 2026.
Signature: Crudo plates, Wood-grilled fish, Pasta of the day
BÚN Bar & Restaurant
BÚN in Antwerp is a Vietnamese bar and restaurant on Volkstraat, listed in the Michelin Guide for fine-dining Vietnamese on Belgian organic produce.
Signature: Bún noodle bowls, Bánh mì, Vietnamese small plates
Nage
Nage relocated from Reyndersstraat to a Congresstraat corner space in the 2060 quarter and now serves casual seasonal cooking with a natural-wine list. Koen Lenaerts runs the kitchen with partner Niki Vansant on the floor.
Signature: Seasonal small plates, Orange-wine pairings
Bar Pêche
Bar Pêche on Bollandusstraat, just off Britselei, is chef Semmy Roumans's small bistro built around seasonal fish, vegetables and natural wine. The card is short: four starters, four mains, four desserts.
Signature: Seasonal fish course, Vegetable starter of the day, Natural-wine pairing
RAS
RAS in Antwerp sits on the riverfront on Ernest Van Dijckkaai with a Scheldt terrace listed in the Michelin Guide. The kitchen leans heavily on North Sea fish.
Signature: North Sea fish, Mussels in season, Belgian seafood plates
Brewers' Kitchen
Brewers' Kitchen on Oude Beurs is a small Belgian-French dining room where the chef pairs seasonal plates with craft beers from local breweries. Tartare, lamb and house dessert are the signature trio.
Signature: Hand-cut steak tartare, Filet américain, Dame blanche
Where to eat by neighborhood
Historisch Centrum (historisch-centrum/old-town/2000)
Grote Markt, Cathedral and Groenplaats inside the medieval core. Brown cafes, frites stands and Antwerp's oldest beer halls.
Best for: Brown cafes, Frites, Beer halls, Belgian classics
Eilandje (eilandje/het-eilandje/island)
The reborn northern docks around the MAS museum. Three-star Zilte sits on its top floor; harbour-side bistros line Napoleonkaai and Rijnkaai.
Best for: Fine dining, Waterfront bistros, Sushi, Brunch
Het Zuid (zuid/het-zuid/south)
Art-district grid below the Scheldebocht. Vlaamsekaai natural-wine bars, Waalsekaai brasseries and the Sunday-quiet Museum of Fine Arts.
Best for: Wine bars, Cocktails, Mediterranean, Sunday lunch
Also: het-zuid
Zurenborg (zurenborg/2018)
Art-nouveau mansion quarter east of the centre, anchored by Cogels-Osylei and Dageraadplaats. Neighbourhood brasseries and natural-wine kitchens.
Best for: Brasseries, Neighbourhood bistros, Natural wine, Brunch
Diamantwijk (diamantwijk/diamond-district/joodse-wijk)
Belgium's largest Hasidic community lives between Centraal Station and Pelikaanstraat. Kosher Hungarian counters, bagel windows and Israeli bakeries.
Best for: Kosher, Israeli, Hungarian, Bagels
Universiteitsbuurt (universiteitsbuurt/university-quarter)
Student and gallery quarter east of the cathedral. Specialty coffee on Minderbroedersrui, vintage beer bars on Vleminckveld.
Best for: Specialty coffee, Beer bars, Lunch counters, Budget
When to come hungry in Antwerp
Peak food season: September to November for mussels and game; April to June for white asparagus from nearby Mechelen. December lights up the Christmas market on Grote Markt.
Local dining hours: Lunch 12:00 to 14:30, dinner 18:30 to 22:00. Many small kitchens close Sunday and Monday.
Tipping: Service is included. Rounding up to the nearest euro or leaving 5 to 10 percent for table service is welcome, never expected.
Antwerp food, FAQ
What food is Antwerp known for?
Antwerp's signature dishes include Antwerpse Handjes, Stoofvlees met frieten, Paling in 't groen, Garnaalkroketten, Witloof gegratineerd. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
What are the best food neighborhoods in Antwerp?
TableJourney editors map Antwerp by district. Historisch Centrum, Eilandje, Het Zuid, Zurenborg are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Where should I eat fine dining in Antwerp?
Editor picks in Antwerp include Zilte, Hertog Jan at Botanic, The Jane, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
Are there food tours in Antwerp?
TableJourney covers 4 editor-picked food tours in Antwerp, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
Does Antwerp have good vegetarian or vegan food?
TableJourney's Antwerp dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.