Explore the best hangouts, cafes, galleries and cool spaces in Antwerp where creatives tend to spend their time.
Het Archief
Het Archief was voted best wine bar in Antwerp two years running (2023 and 2024), and it's set inside a stunning 19th-century cast-iron building that used to house the provincial archives. The wine list is well-curated, the Belgian craft beers are a bonus, and the no-reservations policy keeps it refreshingly spontaneous.
inhetarchief.beCobra
Cobra is a restaurant inspired by the CoBrA art movement, with colourful pop art paintings covering the walls. The menu is a creative shared dining concept with food by chef Orlando Schuitema. Chic but casual, it's the kind of place you can go for a quick lunch or linger over dinner.
cobra-antwerp.comBlueness
Blueness is chef Sergio Herman's seafood-focused spot in Antwerp's fashion district. The menu is built around seasonal Belgian produce with a Japanese Izakaya sharing approach. The space, designed by Space Copenhagen, feels considered without being precious. Book ahead.
blueness.comAxel Vervoordt Gallery at Kanaal
Kanaal is a former 19th-century gin distillery turned art complex on the outskirts of Antwerp. Axel Vervoordt transformed it into a mix of residences, studios and gallery spaces, with permanent works by James Turrell and Anish Kapoor alongside a rotating program. Open to the public on Saturdays.
axel-vervoordt.com/galleryJazzcafé De Muze
Jazzcafé De Muze has been a fixture in Antwerp since 1964. Red brick walls, a long wooden bar, and live bands every night from 10pm with free entry. John Lee Hooker and Memphis Slim played here. It nearly closed in 2014 but regulars rallied to save it. Long may it last.
jazzcafedemuze.beFaber Makerspace
Faber Makerspace is an urban workshop where designers and makers can actually build things. The space has a laser cutter, CNC milling machine, 3D printers, a screen print corner and a vinyl cutter. It's set up as a co-working space for makers, so you're surrounded by people building physical things.
fabermakerspace.beKolonel Koffie
Kolonel Koffie is a specialty coffee bar and micro-roastery that's been part of the Antwerp coffee scene since 2010. They roast their own beans in small batches and serve them across two spots in the city. Straightforward, quality-focused, no fuss.
kolonelcoffee.beLuddites Books & Wine
Luddites is a wine bar with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves set in a beautiful old townhouse. The ground floor is the city's best English-language bookshop; head upstairs and you'll find a relaxed wine bar with a good selection by the glass. The kind of place you accidentally spend four hours in.
luddites.beMoMu - Fashion Museum Antwerp
MoMu holds the world's largest collection of contemporary Belgian fashion and mounts sharp rotating exhibitions on fashion, culture and identity. The city that gave the world the Antwerp Six has a fashion museum that lives up to that legacy. Worth a visit even if you're not a fashion person.
momu.beHet Bos
Het Bos is a converted warehouse near the MAS that the artist collective Scheld'apen turned into one of Antwerp's best cultural hubs. During the day there's a relaxed café terrace and workspace. By night it fills up with concerts, exhibitions, theatre and parties. It's the kind of place where you bump into the most interesting people in the city.
hetbos.beSt Vincents
St Vincents is a gallery and design store in one where everything is for sale. The mix of new design pieces, antiques, ceramics, lighting and furniture changes regularly and the owners have a genuinely good eye. It also doubles as an event space for private dinners and openings.
stvincents.coDomestic Bakkerij
Domestic is a bakery and café that grew out of the kitchen of Antwerp's beloved restaurants Dôme and Dôme sur Mer. Thick-crusted breads, buttery croissants, tartines and pastries done exceptionally well. The city center location also does high tea in elegant salons decorated in sugary pink and golden yellow.
domestic-bakkerij.beFoMu - Photography Museum
FoMu is one of the best photography museums in Europe, tucked into a 19th-century building in Antwerp's south. The program mixes major retrospectives with emerging photographers and there's a classic film cinema in the basement. A genuine gem for visual creatives.
fotomuseum.beAnd/Or
And/Or is a plant-based restaurant built around local and wild ingredients, with a genuine commitment to pushing what that kind of cooking can be. The menu rotates with the seasons and the ethos is about exploration rather than restriction. One of the more interesting restaurants in Antwerp right now.
andorantwerp.comWunderkammer Stad Leest
Wunderkammer Stad Leest is part bookshop, part design shop, right in the center of Antwerp. They carry a solid mix of stationery, prints, homeware and books with a strong eye for good design. The kind of shop where you go in for a card and come out with three things you didn't know you needed.
wunderkammer.be
