Six visit Antwerp in April 2026

 

Antwerp Cafe City route plan at Cabardouche Taproom

Three sunny days in Antwerp from Thursday 23 April and six friends visited 16 beer cafes / bars / taprooms after travelling from West Berkshire by train via London and Brussels.

Tim devised itineraries for three days before a  move to Ghent on Sunday. This was a first visit to Antwerp for some so the idea was to include a variety of establishments to include traditional 'brown' beer cafes, specialist beer bars and brewery taprooms. 

Havenhuis - Photo: Rich

Apart from the busy area around Groenplaats and the cathedral there were visits to Havenhuis and MAS in the docks area on Friday and the 'improved' environments around KMSKA and Zuidpark in the Zuid / South district on Saturday.

Tim was able to add Cabardouche Taproom, Cafe Beveren and Quinten Matsijs (above) to his Antwerp tally and this post will only feature these three establishments in any detail.

Some of Tim's favourite Antwerp beer cafes were revisited including De Ware Jacob (bottom left photo with Jeff, Mike, Pat, Tommy and Rich), De Vagant (bottom centre photo with Bart behind the bar), Jazz Cafe de Muze and Paters Vaetje.

 

Unfortunately, the timing of our visit coincided with a temporary closure of Oud Arsenaal so it was only possible to get a photo of the historic brown cafe's exterior. With Tim's plan for the first pub of the trip stymied, we headed instead to De Kroon van Hopland a corner brown cafe that is another of his favourites.

L to R: Tommy, Mike, Tim, Rich & Pat

De Kroon appears to be under recent new ownership but the original furniture and decor remains and the barman was happy to take our photo holding up the delayed first beer of the trip, De Koninck Bolleke, brewed in the city. (Jeff had travelled on a later train and arrived at De Kroon, for his first Bolleke, after the photo above was taken.)

Cabardouche Taproom

On Saturday morning, with Rich on his way back from Breda after Waterakkers Parkrun (no local Belgian park run) and Tommy heading to Rotterdam for a Feyenoord v Groningen football match, only four of the group reached Cabardouche taproom initially.

Situated at Engelselei 254 in the multicultural Borgerhout district, we found a table inside the Taproom underneath a railway arch. There is a mix of seating options with a raised level on the inner side and big windows facing the street. It was nice to see plenty of (real) greenery and hear some funky music playing.

Flat white coffee

We were impressed by the industrious lone staff member who served us excellent (Caffenation) coffees and later beers while also attending to customers enjoying the sunshine outside.

A blackboard lists the current draught beers. The first beer we enjoyed here was Cabardouche Blonde Stoot (left, 5% ABV) with a minimum 33cl serving for €4.50. Tim's second beer was the brewery's Woeste Angela (right, 5% ABV), pleasantly sweet and costing €5 for 25cl. 

As with the Speciale Belge taproom in Antwerp first visited in March 2026, Cabardouche taproom is also an independent Antwerp brewery taproom that Tim now recommends and will surely return to on future trips. 

Cafe Beveren

At Vlasmarkt 2, Cafe Beveren enjoys a corner setting with views towards the river Scheldt.

On Saturday afternoon, after lunch of Croque Monsieur etc at Entrepot du Congo and a walk across Zuidpark to reach Scheldekaai Zuid 'linear park' by the river Scheldt, we were able to find a table inside Cafe Beveren next to the impressive 1937 Decap Jazz Organ. The decor is retro with photos and cartoons of Elvis Presley and others on the walls.

The jukebox was playing except when money was placed in the slot for the Jazz Organ to play a single tune. However, the fun was only just beginning as a hen party group arrived, recognisable by their white rimmed sunglasses, and some got up to dance on the furniture to the tune of 'You're the one that I want'.

Meanwhile our group had beers to drink from the limited beer list that includes draught Corsendonk Kriek Belgique (3% ABV). Cafe Beveren is usually only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. This is a popular bar with locals and you may find it too busy or noisy at times so be prepared to revisit at a quieter time for the special experience of hearing and seeing the Jazz Organ playing (bring one euro coins for the slot).

Quinten Matsijs

At Moriaanstraat 17,  Quentin Matsijs, a traditional family-run restaurant bar, was busy on Saturday but a reservation was made for 8pm in person and we spent the intervening time at nearby Cafe de Kat.

Our group was given a table on the left of the entrance and well spaced from other customers. Three opted for Stoofvlees (Flemish beef stew) cooled with Trappist beer and served with chips or potato croquettes.

The draught beer range includes De Koninck Bolleke, Maredsous Tripel, La Chouffe and Cherry Chouffe (above). Bottled beers (16) include Duvel, Gouden Carolus and Cornet in addition to Abbey beers (2) Corsendonk and Trappist beers (5) Westmalle, Orval and Chimay. Originally an inn, the building dates back to 1565 and has colourful stained glass windows.

The decor, furniture, atmospheric lighting and personal service make a reservation worthwhile to ensure a beer and a meal in historic surroundings. However, a reservation may not be necessary at quieter times.

Antwerp 2023 - first visits

Arriving in Antwerp on Thursday 29 June, after travelling from London to Brussels by Eurostar, the first bar we visited, with our luggage, was De Kroon van Hopland located between the impressive Antwerpen Centraal station and Hostel Pulcinella.

Arriving slightly before the 16:00 hrs opening time, we could watch Thomas perform the daily set up routine involving placement of the outdoor furniture followed by moving the chairs and stools off the marble table tops and onto the hard floor inside the corner bar.

As always, the first beer in Antwerp has to be a locally brewed Bolleke De Koninck. The complimentary nibbles were appreciated by David, Mark and Tim (photographer).

Before we left there was a chance for Tim Thomas to present Thomas T with West Berkshire CAMRA Ullage magazine and appreciate the coincidence of our shared initials. 

The bar has lots of interesting features including a steel sculpture over the entrance and the front of a Volvo car with illuminated headlamps hanging inside. A Threads post by @timofnewbury has more photos from our visit.

On Friday 30 June 2023, after a tram ride to 'Dublin' stop and a look at one of the tram 'traction' buildings (Brabo 2) designed by Van Belle & Medina architects, our group walked to Gaarkeuken 110 at Vosseschijnstraat 21. 

As mentioned by Regula Ysewijn in 'Belgian Cafe Culture', Gaarkeuken 110 is the last of the workmen's kitchens in the Port of Antwerp'. It is not open at the weekend so this was our last chance to visit on this trip.

The entrance is on the other side from the road used for port traffic and there is a large patio area outside the entrance.

Inside there is a long narrow space for tables with a long bar on most of one side. Decor includes dock related images and there is a group of framed drawings of ships on beer mats. Regula Ysewijn writes 'Britt tells me that they are a drawn by a ship's mechanic called Dante'.

Again tradition dictates that Bolleke De Koninck should be the first beer of the day! We had to wait a while for our beers to be served as the staff were constantly busy serving their regular customers. As steak and frites were delivered to an adjacent table it was hard not to feel an appetite for a keenly priced meal. Gaarkeuken 110 deserves a second visit and one timed to include a meal!

For more photos of this unspoilt institution see Tim's Threads post https://www.threads.net/t/Cuh1Zx3sUwL

On Saturday 1 July, after Les and I walked through the Botanical Gardens and the Saturday market on Theaterplein we met up with Simon to ride the escalators up to the top of the distinctive Museum aan de Stroom (MAS) for panoramic views of the city and docks on a dull and damp day.

On David's recommendation, our first bar visit of the day was to nearby Dr Beer at Adriaan Brouwerstraat 31. Instead of a Bolleke we chose from a beer menu which includes a wide range of bottled and canned beers as well as draught beers. Regular beers are listed under the headings: Alcohol free, Spicy, Fruity, Hoppy, Caramelly, and Sour.

Dr Beer is also a beer shop where CAMRA books can be found including Beer Breaks by Tim Webb.

There is a spacious and light interior that features oak beams, a colourful bar and real plants. There are large and smaller tables and distinctive flat cushions for the chairs.

Mark, David and Graham arrived later and in time to miss a heavy downpour after which the weather improved. Tim provided our helpful part time barman Dries with Ullage magazines and persuaded him to pose for a photo. On this occasion, we didn't get to meet Jeroen Peeters, the proprietor of Dr Beer, remembered by David from his December 2019 visit.

Find more photos of Dr Beer in Tim's Threads post: https://www.threads.net/t/CuktGTwtbD- 

It was good to see the Havenhuis / Port House with the Zaha Hadid addition from a closer viewpoint than in previous years on the way from Gaarkeuken 110 to Taverne 't Kerkschip on Friday 30 June. We were also able to climb the steps around another Van Belle & Medina designed tram traction building, partly visible on the left of the photo, taken from Straatsburg / Strasbourg bridge. 

Houtdok is halfway between Havenhuis and Cadix stops on the 24 tram route. Kerkschip St Jozef constructed of concrete during WWII is now permanently moored on the north quay of the dock. The ship now houses a church, a chapel and Taverne 't Kerkschip. 

Inside the tavern is a bar that looks as though it was made from a wooden lifeboat. Draught and bottled beers including the nearby Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie range are available at the bar. After our beers, we were kindly invited to view the chapel in stern of the ship and appreciate the thickness of it's concrete hull. The ship's church is only open for the Sunday service.

For more photos see Tim's post on Threads: https://www.threads.net/t/Cuo7dlxMrer

After a visit to the estimable Cafe Kulminator on Thursday 29 June, we headed to Dansing Chocola for an evening meal of Stoofvlees, witloof slaw and frites. Dansing Chocola is situated at 159 Kloosterstraat, at one corner of Willem Lepelstraat with Heilig Huisken on the other corner. We hadn't booked but were greeted and shown to a table inside near the bar and provided with a basket of bread and butter.

There are large windows on two sides of the room and plenty of unusual decor to provide interest while we waited for beers to arrive from the bar. Thanks to David for suggesting a visit to Dansing Chocola as we enjoyed good food, beer, service and value in a relaxing atmosphere.

Only 50 metres away from Dansing Chocola as the crow flies, but about 150 metres away on foot, we met up with Paul and Jennie at Cafe de Vischmijn on a street corner at Riemstraat 20. They had arrived in Antwerp on a later train and dined at Bier Central before this rendezvous.

The interior looked interesting especially the ceiling but we sat outside in a sheltered area and enjoyed glasses of cold tank fresh Duvel 666.

The owner found time to chat with our group. Yves Van Roy introduced tank beer at Cafe de Vischmijn in 2016 and his customers tell him that he serves the best Stella Artois and Bolleke De Koninck in Antwerp.

On Friday 30 June, after a second visit to Cafe Kulminator on this trip, and a meal at Paters Vaetje, we moved on to The Northerner, which Simon rates highly but this would be Tim's first visit.

Saison Dupont was our beer of choice here. Previously, Tim had asked Yves Van Roy if Cafe de Vischmijn stocked a Saison like Dupont but he was not aware of it. After checking he explained that Antwerp is a long way from Tourpes which is only 50 km from Lille and he prefers to stock locally brewed beers.

Enjoying his first visit to The Northerner, Tim chatted to Joachim who had served our beers. As a souvenir of our visit he accepted a copy of West Berkshire CAMRA Ullage magazine. 

Traditionally, our group would be in Antwerp for the Beer Passion Weekend festival in Groenplaats. The festival date was a week earlier in 2023 so another first for this group was to see Groenplaats (above) without the usual barriers enclosing the festival site. 

On Saturday 1 July, after a meal at a small Syrian cafe on Hoogstraat, our group headed to Cafe Ernst by the river Scheldt at Ernest Van Dijckkai 18. Cafe Ernst specialises in 'Craft Beer and Natural Wine' and has a contemporary style. 

We found a large table at the rear, near a spiral staircase. The draught beer list is on a blackboard and the full beer menu is on the pub's Untappd page. After a draught Zinnebir from Brasserie de la Senne, Tim enjoyed a fruity bottle of Viven Master IPA while sitting across from Jennie and Paul.

Simon's plan was to visit nearby Cafe Pardaf but as it was closing we continued past Brabo's Monument in the Grote Markt to Den Engel.

Loud music and a lively interior made it sensible to sit outside but at the cost of inhaling cigarette smoke in the breeze. We enjoyed glasses of La Chouffe Blond as demonstrated by Graham, Simon and Les above.

Writing about Den Engel in Belgian Cafe Culture, Regula Ysewijn mentions 'Den Engel is the only cafe in Antwerp to have a traditional Geuze corkscrew (geuzestoppentrekker)'. A daytime visit might be a better time to have a close look at the bar and interior of this popular cafe. One more reason to return to Antwerp!

Petra's Cafe was included in Regular Ysewijn's book as 'an institution in the port of Antwerp ... the cafe is the living room of the dockworkers waiting for work'. However things have changed, there are new exterior signs, new furniture and music with a North African sound. The beer range is minimal but Les and Tim enjoyed a morning coffee, served with a complimentary Belgian chocolate, before heading to MAS on Saturday 1 July. A panel on the end wall shows Petra's cafe as it was when frequented by dockworkers.

On Sunday 2nd July, their last day in Antwerp, heading for De Duifkens, Tim and David chanced upon the bronze sculpture of Den Deugniet (the rascal / naughty boy) on a concrete plinth. The rascal's cheeky image also appears on the Den Deugniet beer bottle label. The 7.5% ABV Blonde is brewed by Brasserie du Bocq, near Dinant. The small sculpture is on Korte Gasthuisstraat, a pedestrian street that runs north from the eastern end of Oudaan passing Frites Atelier. The original sculpture was by Luc Verlee (1976). Apparently often stolen, the current sculpture may be more recent. 

At De Duifkens, David chose an outside table with a pleasant view of tree-lined Graanmarkt and the sound of birds from a market stall with caged birds for sale.

The first beer since breakfast at the hostel had to be a Bolleke De Koninck. 

The interior of the pub has dark wood panelled walls and a floor with tiles of several colours. The lighting and clumsy placement of posters on the walls did not enhance the character of De Duifkens. David discovered that this is the Flemish word for pigeons and a wooden pigeon perches on the pub's exterior along with the artificial geraniums. 

Tim's Threads post has more photos including a doll whose face peers down from a hole in the ceiling and a beer menu: https://www.threads.net/@timofnewbury/post/CusE40Os5UQ