The rooms worth a reservation in Antwerp, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Antwerp. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
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
Order: The crudo of the day and a wood-grilled fish; the pasta course rotates with what was shopped that morning.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The Cafe two doors down is the better-value breakfast and lunch option.
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
Order: The bún noodle bowl with grilled pork and a glass of natural wine from the Vietnamese-leaning list.
Tip: The smaller Little Bún noodle shop is the takeaway sibling for quicker counter eating.
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
Order: A spread of small plates paired with the natural-wine flight; the list leans into orange wines and Loire growers.
Tip: Open Friday to Monday only; reserve a week ahead for weekend service.
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
Order: The day's fish main, paired off the list with a glass of natural white; the vegetable starter shows the kitchen's understated hand.
Tip: The intimate dining room books up fast; reserve a fortnight ahead for weekend tables.
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
Order: Whatever is in season from the North Sea; the chalkboard rotates with the day's catch.
Tip: The Scheldt-facing terrace fills first in summer. Reserve the inside river view for sunset dinners.
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
Order: The hand-cut steak tartare to start and the dame blanche to finish, both house signatures.
Tip: Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The chef works the room and the stove, so the pace is unhurried; book the early sitting on busy nights.
Hiro in Antwerp is an informal Japanese izakaya on Napoleonkaai overlooking the MAS. Chef Prakash Lamichhane runs the open sushi counter and a craft-sake list.
Signature: Sushi, Japanese-inspired small plates
Order: The omakase counter seat; the chef builds plates around the day's fish and a short list of Japanese-inspired hot dishes.
Tip: Sit at the counter to follow the knife work. The basement room is louder; reserve upstairs for a quieter dinner.
Bocadero in Antwerp is a beach-bar brasserie at Rijnkaai 150 on the Eilandje waterfront. Outdoor seating, casual plates and a long summer aperitivo.
Signature: Fish and chips, Bowls, Burgers
Order: The fish and chips; the harbour terrace fills mid-afternoon on sunny days.
Tip: Open seasonally with shorter winter hours. Reservations only on the indoor side; the beach is first-come.
Marolus in Antwerp is a lunch restaurant on Hendrik Conscienceplein, a tree-lined square between the cathedral and the Carolus Borromeus church.
Signature: Belgian lunch plates, Pasta, Salads
Order: The Belgian dish of the day; the kitchen rotates a stoofvlees, a fish plate and a vegetarian option.
Tip: Lunch only, no dinner. The square's terrace seating is the better seat in summer.
Camino in Antwerp is a Korean kitchen on Muntstraat in the old centre. The room serves traditional Korean BBQ alongside sibling outlets Osaka and Tap Out.
Signature: Bibimbap, Korean BBQ, Bulgogi
Order: The bibimbap and a portion of bulgogi off the grill menu.
Tip: The Muntstraat room is the calmer of the two Antwerp Caminos. Reserve, especially Thursday to Sunday.
Patine in Antwerp is a wine bistro on Leopold de Waelstraat in Het Zuid. The kitchen pairs short, ingredient-led plates with a deep cellar list.
Signature: Charcuterie, Belgian wine-bar plates
Order: The charcuterie plate and a glass from the orange-wine page; both rotate daily.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The small kitchen runs four mains a night; arrive before 19:30 for full choice.
Felix Pakhuis on Het Eilandje is a brasserie set inside a restored Sint-Felix warehouse on the Scheldt quay. The menu runs brasserie classics with an Italian streak; the Sunday brunch is the room's signature.
Signature: Vitello tonnato, Brasserie classics, Sunday brunch spread
Order: The vitello tonnato to start, then whatever fish is on the day's main list; reserve ahead for Sunday brunch.
Tip: Closed Monday to Wednesday. The waterfront terrace fills first on warm evenings, so book a fortnight out for outdoor seating.
Dôme in Antwerp is a French brasserie under an 1893 rotunda in Zurenborg. Frédéric and Evangeline Chabbert run the room on Grotehondstraat.
Signature: Sole meunière, Côte de boeuf, Classical sauces
Order: The côte de boeuf for two with béarnaise; the wine cellar runs deep across Burgundy.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book the round table directly under the dome.
Berlin in Antwerp is an all-day brasserie on Kleine Markt. The kitchen serves breakfast through to late-night plates, popular for unbookable weekend brunch.
Signature: All-day breakfast, Brunch plates, Burgers
Order: The brunch plate with eggs and the in-house granola; the kitchen runs it from open until 16:00.
Tip: Walk-in only on weekends. Arrive before 11:00 if you don't want to queue.
Mampoko in Antwerp is an all-day brasserie in a restored corner building on Amerikalei. The kitchen serves bistro plates from breakfast through to late dinner.
Signature: Brasserie classics, Mussels in season
Order: The mussel pot in season and a glass of Bolleke from the De Koninck tap.
Tip: The corner terrace opens with the weather. Lunch is busier than dinner with the local office crowd.
Hoffy's in Antwerp is the city's best-known kosher restaurant, on Lange Kievitstraat in the diamond district. The kitchen serves Hungarian-leaning kosher classics.
Signature: Cholent, Schnitzel, Hungarian goulash
Order: The Friday-night cholent slow-cooked overnight; the schnitzel and gefilte fish are the everyday staples.
Tip: Take-out at the front, dining room at the back. Supervised by Machzike Hadas; closed Friday afternoon and Saturday.
InVINcible in Antwerp serves traditional Gallic bistro fare on Haarstraat. The kitchen has run since 2004, listed in the Michelin Guide for classic meat preparations.
Signature: Seabream in sea salt crust, Veal kidneys, Holstein entrecôte
Order: The Holstein entrecôte with bone marrow; the veal kidneys are the chef's enduring signature.
Tip: The wine cellar runs deep across Loire and Burgundy. Book ahead, the room is small.
Soixante in Berchem is a Michelin-listed bistronomie room near Antwerp Centraal-Berchem station. The kitchen pairs unexpected combinations like leek with onion ketchup and bottarga, leaning hard on seasonal vegetables and seafood.
Signature: Turbot, beurre blanc, trout roe, Mussels with pumpkin and crispy polenta, Lunch menu
Order: The five-course menu at 83 euros, or the 48-euro weekday lunch; the turbot in beurre blanc with trout roe is the room's defining plate.
Tip: Tables are tightly packed; reserve well ahead. Two tram stops from Antwerp Centraal makes it an easy out-of-centre dinner.
Bistrot Benoit on Zirkstraat is a modern Franco-Belgian bistro on a quiet square at the edge of the old centre. The owners cook playful, ingredient-led plates that read traditional but rarely are.
Signature: Vol-au-vent, French onion soup, Menu Benoit
Order: The Menu Benoit, a three-course tasting at 57.5 euros with optional wine pairing; the vol-au-vent and onion soup show the kitchen's classical side.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Friday and Saturday dinner is Menu Benoit only; book a weeknight for a la carte.
Buchbar in Antwerp is a cafe-restaurant on Scheldestraat in Het Zuid. The kitchen runs all-day brunch, lunch plates and pours small-batch coffee.
Signature: Brunch plates, Lunch counter dishes
Order: The brunch plate with eggs and bread from the in-house counter; the filter coffee is roasted in Antwerp.
Tip: Closed Monday. The patio fills first in summer; book ahead for the weekend brunch.
Otomat in Antwerp on Van Schoonbekeplein serves pizzas built on Belgian beer-dough and beer-paired toppings. Each pizza is matched to a specific Belgian brew.
Signature: Beer-dough pizza, Belgian craft beer pairings
Order: The Lupulus pizza; the kitchen pairs every pie with a specific Belgian brew named on the menu.
Tip: The Antwerp branch is the original; chain expansion came later. Walk-in friendly mid-week.