Bistro Estelle is a fusion restaurant in Borgerhout, Antwerp.
Bistro Estelle in Borgerhout is an intimate fusion kitchen on Laar. The room is small, the menu is fusion, the wine list runs natural and organic.
Signature dishes: Fusion small plates, Natural-wine pairings
Must order: The chef's fusion tasting; the kitchen leans into organic Belgian produce.
Tip: Borgerhout sits east of the ring road. The 1, 7 and 24 trams stop two blocks away.
Address: Laar 10, 2140 Borgerhout, Antwerp
Witzli-Poetzli in Antwerp is a bohemian artists' cafe-restaurant on Blauwmoezelstraat in the shadow of the cathedral. Candle-lit, vintage, late-running.
Signature: Salads, Tartines, Belgian beer
Order: The tartine of the day with a glass from the long Belgian beer list.
Tip: The room is small and dim. Reserve the rear table for groups of four or more.
Elfde Gebod sits in a 16th-century building beside the cathedral, walls covered in religious statues. Belgian classics with beer sauces and a list of more than a hundred brews.
Signature: Rabbit stew in beer sauce, Mussels in white wine, Flemish carbonade
Order: The rabbit stew in beer sauce or the Flemish carbonade, both built around Belgian abbey ales from the bottle list.
Tip: Open daily noon to ten. The Suikerrui sister-room on the Scheldt is the same kitchen with a different view if Torfbrug is full.
Frites Atelier in Antwerp is the premium Belgian frites concept on Korte Gasthuisstraat. Skin-on frites cooked in beef fat with a long list of sauces.
Signature: Premium frites, Stoofvlees fries, Belgian sauces
Order: The classic frites with stoofvlees on top; the beef-fat fry is the point.
Tip: Counter service. Take the cone for a five-minute walk to the cathedral steps and eat with the spires above.
Bistrot L'îlot in Antwerp is a 30-seat seasonal bistro on Eilandje. Chef Sander De Saegher runs the kitchen with a tight short-menu approach.
Signature: Seasonal small plates, Natural-wine pairings
Order: The four-course seasonal menu with a natural-wine pairing; the kitchen leans Loire and Burgundy.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book a fortnight ahead; only 30 covers per service.
BÚN in Antwerp is a Vietnamese bar and restaurant on Volkstraat, listed in the Michelin Guide for Vietnamese cooking on Belgian organic produce.
Signature: Bún noodle bowls, Bánh mì, Vietnamese small plates
Order: The bún noodle bowl with grilled pork and a glass of natural wine.
Tip: Little Bún is the smaller takeaway sibling for quicker counter eating.
Marolus in Antwerp is a lunch restaurant on Hendrik Conscienceplein between the cathedral and Carolus Borromeus church.
Signature: Belgian lunch plates, Pasta, Salads
Order: The Belgian dish of the day; the kitchen rotates stoofvlees, a fish plate and a vegetarian option.
Tip: Lunch only, no dinner. The square's terrace seating is the better seat in summer.
