Antwerp 2022 - Het Steen area

Het Steen, a medieval stone fortress is an Antwerp landmark on the banks of the river Scheldt. A statue of Lange Wapper, a Flemish folklore giant, stands at the entrance to Het Steen. Free pedestrian ferries cross the river from a nearby quay to Linkeroever.

Suikerrui (Sugar street) is a broad straight street that runs inland from the riverside road towards the Grote Markt and the Cathedral of Our Lady.

Het Steen and Brasserie Stadscafe - viewed from Cafe Pardaf

Brasserie Stadscafe is on the northern corner and Cafe Pardaf is on the southern corner of this junction.

Cafe Pardaf

Cafe Pardaf

An earlier recommendation from John and Sue Thirlaway, led to Cafe Pardaf being chosen as the rendezvous for Friday evening (1 July). The interior features a stylish curved bar, stage lighting over large windows facing the river and contemporary furniture. 

There is a pinball machine and the stairs to the upstairs toilets are accessed under the Stella Artois sign. Cafe Pardaf is one of the bars that formed the Antwerp Craft Beer Route on 28 November 2019, immediately before Billie's Craft Beer Festival.

Simon and Tim were first to arrive and chose a table on the Suikerrui pavement giving views of the river and Het Steen. The thick beer menu binder includes 11 beers on tap, and bottled beers divided into styles starting with 'IPA & hops'. The 'in the spotlight' section included Black is Beautiful, a stout from Bristol's Left Handed Giant. Tim's ZinneBir, from Brasserie de la Senne, came in a bottle with a new '20 years' label design for the 'The Brussels People's Ale' (5.8% ABV / 33cl / 3.80 euros).

The remaining 'usual suspects' would join us and our group of six needed two tables. It was comfortable sitting outside Cafe Pardaf on a warm evening watching the sun set and the moon rise. 

Reader, I may have drunk one too many strong Belgian beers at Cafe Pardaf and will not be tempted by the Troubadour Magma Triple Spiked Brett (9.8% ABV) again! 

Cafe Pardaf is recommended for its location, range of beers and good service. Twilight on a warm evening is an especially good time to visit.

Paters Vaetje

Previously visited, photographed (above) and featured in Belgian Beer Trip 2017 blog post, Paters Vaetje, Blauwmoezelstraat 1, near the cathedral, was the second rendezvous on Thursday 30 June (after 'T Half Souke). It had been raining and the tables inside were the only ones occupied this year. 

There was a free table near the entrance door and a Bolleke De Koninck was a good local beer to start with while I waited for the 'usual suspects' to arrive. Music playing included Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade of Pale.

There was time to peruse the beer menu and pick out the next beers to enjoy. Pages 2 and 4 (not pictured) feature 10 Trappist beers, 11 Blond beers, 6 IPAs, 4 Oude Bruine beers (including Duchesse de Bourgogne (6.2%, 4.5 euros) and Rodenbach Grand Cru (6%, 4.7 euros), Oesterstout and 2 Gueuzes. The Antwerp beer section (page 1) includes several beers from Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie, including Seefbier, Cadix and Bootjesbier.

Having ordered Zeezuiper, from Scheldebrouwerij, I would convince Andrew, Richard (both pictured) and Keith to do the same. Simon's Eurostar train was delayed but Dave would join us later. We considered moving to an upstairs table for more space but decided against.

I later enjoyed Strandgaper golden ale from Scheldebrouwerij. Note that this bottle still had the old label design but all the brewery's beers now have colourful new labels and the branded glasses feature the crab design. 

Scheldebrouwerij had a stand at Bierpassie Weekend in Groeneplaats this year.

Cafe Den Engel

Den Engel is one of the iconic cafes featured in Regula Ysewijn's Belgian Cafe Culture book. It is on the northern corner of the Grote Markt and can be seen on the left of the photo above, behind the illuminated Brabo fountain. 

On this visit, I took another photo of Den Engel but have yet to visit. Another reason to revisit Antwerp in 2023!

For more Antwerp background material please see Antwerp - The Usual Suspects 2022 and other linked posts from there.