Your ultimate Antwerp bucket list: Best food & sights in Belgium

Diamond District Antwerp. Image from https://www.facebook.com/DiamondsAndAntwerp

Long famed for the sparkling gems and shiny stones that flow through its streets, Antwerp has been the global diamond capital since the 15th century. It was during this time that Lodewyk van Bercken invented a new kind of tool and technique to polish these gems and attracted many artisans to the city. Today, roughly about 85% of the world’s uncut precious stones pass through the Diamond District. It is a compact commercial enclave jammed with dealers, cutters, polishers, and showrooms – a fascinating tourist place to see Belgium’s centuries-old diamond trade in action.

You can browse jewelry displays, and pick an engagement ring, or other sparkly bauble. You will also witness the city’s rich multicultural heritage, as the milieu is largely dominated by the Hasidic Jewish and Gujarati Indian communities. Some Lebanese, Russian, and Chinese gem dealers do work here as well. A must-visit place is Diamondland – Antwerps largest showroom and home to an exclusive collection of jewelry. They offer guests behind-the-scenes tours to learn the diamond-making process and give expert advice on how to differentiate the precious stones.

All the glittering walk through the Diamond District would have surely made you hungry. And nothing hits the spot like a good old gourmet burger to get energy back. For this purpose, Boston Steak House is arguably the best place in the city. Situated in the heart of Antwerp, it is an American-style barbeque restaurant that offers a wide range of premium quality Argentine and Uruguayan beef, along with chicken and fish. The decor is designed like a vintage saloon, made up of dark elements, polished wooden furniture, leather, and dim lighting.

The menu features hearty specialties paired with exquisite salads. Diners can relish scrumptious dishes: grilled ribeye steak with fries, broiled rump tenderloin in peppercorn sauce, pan-fried salmon in lemon butter sauce with asparagus, spaghetti carbonara with a green salad, shrimp pasta in creamy white sauce, and grilled chicken with onion rings. Pair your meal with their house red wine, Belgian ales, or signature cocktails to elevate your dining experience.

Rubens House. Photo from https://www.facebook.com/Rubenshuis

The backbone of Antwerp’s artistic heritage, Rubens House is a stellar tourist attraction. It is the former home of Peter Paul Rubens – one of the visionary Flemish masters. He acquired this place in 1610 after marrying Isabella Brant and rearranged the building to his taste and requirements, dedicating the entire right wing to a studio.

Today, the mansion has been restored to its original glory using old documents and drawings. It is decorated with marble Roman busts and antique furniture that reflect the sumptuous lifestyle enjoyed by Antwerp’s most illustrious son. The 10 rooms contain a large collection of paintings. Among the highlights are Self-portrait, Adam and Eve, and The Annunciation, all created by Rubens. Other canvases include Self-portrait by Anthony van Dyke, and Peasant Drinking by Adriaen Brouwer. Outside the premises is the Renaissance-style formal courtyard garden with a colonnaded pergola, which makes for an excellent spot for an intimate stroll.

After visiting Rubens House, head over to another Antwerp institution nearby called Bourla café. Hidden behind the neoclassical theater of the same name, it is an inviting and historic brasserie restaurant with a majestic setting. The interiors are elegant and welcoming with a casual ambiance, created with deep-red leather booths and marble countertops basking in a bright natural lighting. When the weather is warmer, they also set up a couple dozen tables in two sections on an outside terrace in one of Antwerp’s prettiest squares facing the Bourla Theater.

The menu features classic Belgian cuisine consisting of homemade simple dishes that cater to various tastes and dietary needs. Some of the delicious items you can sample here are expertly prepared steaks, Flemish stew, tomato with gray shrimp, grilled watermelon with feta cheese, mussels with fries, whole grilled trout with bacon, beef carpaccio with pine nuts, and shrimp croquettes with parsley. Do not miss out on their decadent desserts like carrot cake and New York cheesecake.

Chocolate Nation. Photo from https://www.facebook.com/chocolatenationBE

Located near Antwerp’s Central Railway station, Chocolate Nation is a must-visit sugary spot for anyone with a sweet tooth. The love story between this small country and the cocoa beans-based delight has been thriving for generations. The museum takes you on a journey through 14 themed rooms to reveal the secrets of Belgian chocolate. The tour starts in the cocoa plantations of the equator and follows the bean to the world’s largest storage port in Antwerp. Then, a gigantic fantasy machine demonstrates how chocolate is made, and where the velvety smooth taste originates.

During the excursion, visitors are introduced to every step of the making process through multimedia presentations and interactive exhibits, while also learning about the chocolate traditions, history, brands, products, and innovations. The best part is you can relish samples of this sweet nectar to your heart’s content and later buy more at the museum’s shop. If your cravings are not satisfied, you can also sign up for a workshop that includes take-home goodies.

Nestled inside the same building premises as the Chocolate Nation, Octave is a premium Belgian restaurant that fuses classic cuisine with contemporary influences. It is one of the most stunningly designed fine-dining establishments in the country. The overall interior concept comes from Antwerp-based creative studio Real Space agency and follows the chocolate theme all through. The ambiance is a tropical mix of cocoa beans with botanical elements combined with white marble, dark wood, and industrial materials, such as steel, brick walls, and concrete.

The unique striking point of the place is its central open area on the ground floor with a bar made of expressive ceramic tiles by Agrob Buchtal. Executive Chef Thomas Van de Weyer presents a delicious high-class menu of comfort dishes like seared scallops with Jerusalem artichoke, linguine pasta with truffle, chicken vol-au-vent with calf sweetbreads, monkfish with oxtail risotto, pork cheek stew with fries, and Uruguayan flank steak with ruby chocolate in Merlot sauce. Round up your gastronomic experience with wines from Belgium, France, Austria, and South Africa, or simply order a refreshing bottle of local craft ale.

Plantin-Moretus Museum. Photo from https://www.facebook.com/museumplantinmoretus/

In the 16th century, Antwerp, along with Paris, was one of the leading lights of the Northern Renaissance. Among these bright stars at that time was Christophe Plantin, who established a printing workshop in his townhouse called De Gulden Passer, or the Golden Compasses, and also created one of the most popular fonts still in use today. The building has become the Plantin-Moretus Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed display of early book publishing, as well as a supreme example of Flemish Renaissance architecture.

Visitors can tour the premises and explore the wide range of exhibits showcasing graphic anatomical drawings, a vast collection of prints by masters dating to the 16th and 17th centuries, and view a library of 30,000 rare volumes. If you are short on time you can go straight to Room 7 – devoted to the history of books, the process involved in their production, and archeological manuscripts. Finally, do not miss Room 24 where you will find the jewel in the crown – a priceless 1455 36-line Gutenberg Bible.

The brainchild of Antwerp-based Chef Benjamin Somers, Native is a vegetable-forward bistro that embraces sustainability on all its fronts. This hidden pearl is a local-favorite lunch spot that celebrates organic quality food made using the freshest ingredients. Chef Somers' goal was to make the interiors as original and inviting as the treats served. Therefore he incorporated a design space, pared down and eco-friendly, outfitted with reclaimed furniture and fixtures, recycled glassware, dried flowers, and a vintage shelf to create a homey feel.

On the menu, you will find a particularly large number of vegetarian foods with an addition of some fish and meat dishes to share. Start your brunch meal with a brioche sandwich of portobello mushrooms with sage, or quinoa salad with fresh goat cheese. Move on to main items, such as sweet potato pesto with cashew, roasted eggplant in white beans with lion’s mane mushroom, and yellow beetroot with lentils in a green celery sauce. Finish strong with their dessert items like brûlée cheesecake.

MoMu. Photo from https://www.facebook.com/momuantwerp

If you are a fashionista, then this next attraction should not be missed out on. The iconic Antwerp Six – Walter Van Beirendonck, Dries van Noten, Dirk van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs, Marina Yee, Ann Demeulemeester, and Martin Margiela, took the international catwalks by storm back in 1980. This helped the country firmly cement its place in the global fashion market. Since then, Antwerp's Royal Academy of Fine Arts has become one of the world’s leading design schools, and the city – synonymous with cutting-edge trends.

To showcase what Antwerp has to offer they created MoMu – a museum that puts the spotlight on the industry by its vast permanent collection of over 25,000 items. The clothing and fabrics include pieces from as far back as the 16th century, with intricate lacework and embroidery, tools for artisan textile processing, and ethnic costumes, along with a library of over 15,000 books, catalogs, and magazines.

Sitting on the ground level of the historical MoMu building, Renaissance is a stylish establishment located in the heart of Antwerp. Presenting traditional Italian cuisine and international designs by Acne, Helmut Lang, Jil Sander Navy, T by Alexander Wang, Closed and Carven, the 800-square-meter-space is not only a restaurant but also a chic department store for renowned fashion accessories. The remarkable interiors were created by Glenn Sestig – a celebrated Belgian architect. By simply using high-quality materials of wood and white marble, he managed to set up one of the most visually stunning venues in Antwerp.

Besides the beautiful decor, Renaissance boasts a menu prepared with fresh products and served with extraordinary professional hospitality. Visitors can indulge their taste buds in gastronomic delights like shrimp croquettes with parsley cream, sea bream tartare with nectarines, fried scampi in tartare sauce, beef carpaccio with rocket leaves, goat cheese tartlet with smoked salmon, and veal with lemon caper sauce. At the end of your feast, immerse yourself in the art of the Italian digestivo and enjoy delicious herb cocktails or a nice glass of wine.

Antwerp Zoo. Photo by Jeroen Roegist from Unsplash.com

Situated behind the city’s glorious railway station, Antwerp Zoo is one of the oldest nature preserves in the world. It houses more than 5,000 animals across 950 species. Regardless of the weather, people can see 80% of the inhabitants year-round, thanks to specially designed enclosures. Some of the highlights include the Valley of the Great Apes with gorillas and chimpanzees, the Skywalk – a place from which you can soak up panoramic views, the aquarium – with a floor-to-ceiling observation window, the Egyptian temples – enhanced with hieroglyphic covered structures for elephants, and the Flemish Garden – home to two fluffy koala bears.

Right across the road from the zoo is Aquatopia, a marine habitat in a biscuit-colored art deco building that aims to educate and entertain people on life in our oceans. It has seven maze-like themed exhibits ranging from rainforest to mangrove swamp. There are 10,000 fish and reptiles from over 250 species housed in 40 aquariums. Guests of the place walk through glass tunnels and get up close to sting rays, eels, sea horses, sharks, and striking angel fish, as well as watch turtles lumbering through the water.

Named after its owners, the three Hoffman brothers, Hoffy’s restaurant is a staple of the Antwerp Jewish community. It is a kosher eatery that started in the year 1985 as the first of its kind in the city, hiding in plain sight from everyone else. Today, it is a place where gourmet meets tradition in an unforgettable dining experience that will excite your senses. The ambiance is very pleasant and simple, adorned with fine Jewish writing on the walls, and a quiet background music.

If you have never tried Yiddish cuisine before, we recommend you start with gefilte fish, a crowd-favorite dish of ground deboned white fish. Other must-try items include stuffed cabbage with minced veal, grilled schnitzel with vegetables, matzo ball soup, lamb liver with sautéed onions, light pink salmon with coleslaw, and calf cutlet with boiled potatoes. Complete your kosher meal by savoring authentic desserts like apple strudel and sweet noodle kugel.

Antwerp is a wonderful tourist destination with a lot of historic heritage. Its pretty cobbled lanes, medieval architecture, and waterfront fortress magically transport you back in time. In centuries-old squares, you will find modern-day fine-dining establishments and cafés celebrating both local and international flavors. Whether you are into culture, fashion, entertainment, or art, there is something to satisfy everyone in the city of Antwerp.

What kind of attractions would you plan your trip to Antwerp around? Share your ideas with our community in the comments section below. And for more ideas, check out our latest guides highlighting Belgium’s unmissable Michelin-starred and Bib Gourmand-awarded restaurants.