Eat well in Antwerp for under €15 a plate: the locals'-budget edition.
Eat well in Antwerp for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Fritkot Max in Antwerp has fried frites on Groenplaats since 1842. The beef-fat cone with stoofvleessaus is a 5-euro Antwerp lunch.
Try: Belgian frites with sauce
Tip: The cone with stoofvleessaus is the canonical order; the fryer museum sits on the first floor.
Frituur 't Stad in Antwerp on Melkmarkt serves frites, frikandel and bitterballen from a corner counter. The mitraillette is a full meal under 10 euro.
Try: Frites, frikandel, bitterballen
Tip: Order the mitraillette for a baguette-loaded frites sandwich; takeaway only.
Frituur No. 1 in Antwerp on Hoogstraat near the cathedral fries hand-cut potatoes in beef fat. Andalouse and samurai are the canonical sauce orders.
Try: Belgian frites
Tip: Cash works fastest. The cone holds heat for the 10-minute walk to the Cathedral steps.
Philip's Biscuits in Antwerp bakes hand-shaped butter cookies on Korte Gasthuisstraat. A tin runs eight euros and lasts most of a week.
Try: Antwerpse handjes butter cookies
Tip: The tin doubles as the canonical Antwerp souvenir; the chocolate-coated version packs flatter for travel.
The Exotische Markt on Theaterplein every Saturday serves Mediterranean and North African plates from a row of stalls. Lamb tagine, lahmacun, falafel.
Try: Saturday market street plates
Tip: Bring cash. The food stalls clear by 14:00; arrive before noon for the freshest plates.
Marolus in Antwerp on Hendrik Conscienceplein runs an under-15-euro lunch plate of the day. The square between cathedral and Carolus Borromeus seats the terrace.
Try: Lunch dish of the day
Tip: Lunch only, no dinner. The square's tree-lined terrace is the better seat in summer.
Berlin in Antwerp runs lunch from 12:00 with brasserie plates from 12 euros. The Kleine Markt corner is the budget weekend brunch entry.
Try: Brasserie lunch plate
Tip: Walk-in only on weekends. Lunch is calmer mid-week before the post-work crowd.
Otomat in Antwerp on Van Schoonbekeplein serves beer-dough pizzas under 18 euro. Each pie pairs with a specific Belgian brew named on the menu.
Try: Beer-dough Belgian pizza
Tip: The Lupulus pairing is the canonical first order. Walk-in works mid-week.
Bakker Aldo in Antwerp bakes slow-fermented sourdough on Lange Leemstraat. The lunch counter sandwich is under 10 euro and built on the day's bake.
Try: Sourdough sandwich
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. The Geefstraat city-centre branch keeps the same lunch lineup.
Barnini in Antwerp on Oudevaartplaats serves NYC-style bagels under 14 euro. The smoked-salmon and cream-cheese build is the budget weekend lunch.
Try: Bagel sandwich
Tip: Closed Sunday. Bagels run out by 14:00; arrive before lunch.