A foodie feasting tour of Antwerp
TRAVEL GUIDE2 January 2024
Cathedral in Antwerp Belgium
With around 170 nationalities calling Antwerp home, it’s no surprise that Belgium’s second city is a thriving culinary metropolis. The perfect place, then, for a food-filled weekend. These are the highlights according to Orazio Scelsa…
To eat

Known as the city on the river, Antwerp’s seafood is a highlight on any trip. The minimally decorated Osaka wine bar, in the city centre, serves up a delicious tapas menu, featuring fresh oysters on a bed of salt. Meanwhile, you can tuck into steaming bowls of mussels and clams, topped with pickled onion, at the laid back Camino restaurant. Also towards the port end of the city is Zilte – a fine dining restaurant that takes inspiration from the taste and smell of the sea.

Lunch at Camino
From the sea

Le Creuset

Exploring the Village
TOP TIP

Continue your foodie tour at Maasmechelen Village. This winter, the Village welcomes Casa Paglia’s La Posta. Dishing up a taste of la dolce vita, you’ll find the finest in Italian food products to take home during your next visit.

You must try the mussels, oysters and waffles!

Orazio Scelsa

Content creator

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449 €

359 €

Polo Ralph Lauren

Hooded jacket
CITY HIGHLIGHT

Friend of The Bicester Collection, @OrazioScelsa, loves the history Antwerp offers: “It’s one of the few places where, when wandering the streets, you can admire Flemish architecture from the 15th century.” This jacket is the perfect accompaniment.

To stay

Despite its place in the centre of Antwerp, Hotel Flora feels like another, greener world. Perhaps named after the courtyard garden at its centre, the hotel is filled with plants and blooms – giving a fresh, calm vibe to the fifteenth-century architecture. With bold colours, fringed lampshades and plush velvet textures everywhere: it’s stylish and cosy in one. Settle down in the hotel’s welcoming lounge after you’ve explored the city.

Hotel Flora, Antwerp
Feels like home

Modern cafés are mixed with historic restaurants, boutiques and thrift shops. Everywhere you walk, you want to raise your hand to take a picture.

Orazio Scelsa

Content creator

A camera is a must-pack because this city is just amazing on film!

Orazio Scelsa

Content creator

To see

For a break from the freezing temperatures, stop by ModeMuseum in the very centre of the city, which tops the to-do list for fashion lovers. Founded in 2002, the contemporary museum collects, studies and exhibits Belgian fashion. This winter it has partnered with the Dr. Guislain Museum in Ghent for its exhibition, Mirror Mirror, which examines the connection between style, psychology and identity.

ModeMuseum in Antwerp
The most fashionable show

Calvin Klein

Men's rubberized backpack with clip side
INSIDER TIP

After a wander around MoMu, Orazio Scelsa recommends heading towards the river if the weather is nice. “A coffee at Butchers Coffee, for an alternative vibe, and then you can even cycle along the riverside,” he said. For that, a sleek backpack is a must.

Get the look

545 €

365 €

Zadig & Voltaire

Bowel nylon material parka

199 €

138,95 €

HUGO

High-top trainers with colour-blocking and branding

Calvin Klein

Men's comfort knit tapered elastic trouser

479 €

320 €

BOSS

Grey plated chronograph watch

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