So I recently went to Antwerp (in Belgium) for a couple of days, during which I ate a couple of waffles. And then a couple more waffles. Mmm, waffles…
But as much fun as it is to eat waffles, it was even more fun to photograph and write about the noms. And so, here we are!
Antwerp has a cathedral. And also waffles.
Desire de Lille (take away)
Liege waffle with chocolate sauce. €3.
Freshly made from batter on the spot, with the chocolate sauce being warmed up separately. The Waffle Man was pretty friendly. Served in a little waffle pocket thingy, which was pretty cute, though it made eating the last bits of waffle difficult without getting chocolate all over my face. The texture of the waffle was pretty good: soft and crunchy in all the right places, and deliciously warm and fresh. However, the sauce wasn’t quite chocolate-y enough for me.
Waffle: 4/5
Topping: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5
Aesthetics: 4.5/5
Overall: 4/5
Waffle Truck on Mier (near the building with The Chocolate Line)
Brussels waffle with chocolate sauce. €4.
Pre-made waffle was re-heated, and for some reason, it took quite a while to re-heat. The Waffle Lady was friendly enough, but she gave me whipped cream instead of the chocolate sauce I’d asked for, and then proceeded to scrape off the cream into the bin, and then spread on some chocolate… Texture and taste of the waffle itself was okay. The chocolate sauce looked a little strange/lumpy/like a spread from a jar, but it tasted rich and quite delicious. Served on a disposable waffle plate with a fork (which I used as a skewer).
Waffle: 2.5/5
Topping: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Aesthetics: 3/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Desire de Lille (sit-in)
Brussels waffle with Dame Blanche (whipped cream, vanilla ice-cream, and chocolate sauce). €6,80.
The place was empty/practically closing when I walked in, but they assured me they were still open, so I took a seat. Took quite a while to get served, but the Waffle Lady was okay. The waffle itself, though expensive, was absolutely delicious, and I’m quite certain it was freshly made from batter. It was the first proper Brussels waffle of my trip, and it was delicately crispy on the outside, and soft and a little gooey on the inside. The topping was also wonderful—ran out of waffle before the Dame Blanche was gone, and I seriously considered ordering another! (But alas, they’d closed the kitchen by then…) My only qualm (apart from the service) is how pricey the whole thing was!
Waffle: 5/5
Topping: 5/5
Service: 3/5
Aesthetics: 4/5
Overall: 4.5/5
Waffle Cart at Antwerp Central Station (street level)
Liege waffle with chocolate sauce. €2,80.
This Waffle Man didn’t like the fact that I took a photo of his waffle cart without asking, but he kept being really mean and nasty after I’d apologised profusely. He was completely entitled to be irked at first because of the photo-taking, but it was just not on for him to be so belittling and nasty afterwards. Anyway, there was a Waffle Lady who was a lot nicer, and the waffle itself was okay. Re-heated pre-made waffle, with a nice chocolate sauce. The best price and value for this type of street waffle.
Waffle: 3.5/5
Topping: 4/5
Service: 1/5
Aesthetics: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
Australian (near Antwerp Station)
Liege waffle with dark chocolate sauce. €3.
I’ve no idea why the place is called “Australian”, but, uh, I’ll roll with it… Unfortunately, this was the worst waffle I’d had so far, possibly because I’d chosen a dark chocolate topping, which perhaps wasn’t the most suitable for a waffle! The waffle was pre-made and re-heated and a little below average, but the topping itself was really weird and syrupy—it didn’t taste at all like dark chocolate, and was just…a strange, strong, dark syrupy thing.
Waffle: 2.5/5
Topping: 2/5
Service: 3/5
Aesthetics: 3/5
Overall: 2.5/5
The Smallest Waffle Shop
Liege waffle with chocolate sauce. €2,50.
This was a hole in the wall, and served the cheapest waffle in town. Pre-made waffle, quite a bit smaller than the usual fare (which probably explains the price). Chocolate was okay, but nothing extraordinary. I guess you get what you pay for.
Waffle: 3/5
Topping: 3.5/5
Service: 3.5/5
Aesthetics: 3.5/5
Overall: 3.5/5
De “Zoete” Verleiding (sit-in)
Brussels waffle with chocolate sauce. €4,80.
This is a sit-in, family-run business where all their pastries and breads are homemade and delicious. The waffle was very obviously freshly made from batter—it was so beautiful and had the perfect texture: crispy and light on the outside, with the right softness on the inside. Chocolate was a little too sweet, which over-powered the delicate flavours of the waffle. Presentation was top-notch, and I was especially impressed that they served it on a warmed plate. Owner was very lovely too, and made the experience super enjoyable. And all this sit-in goodness for only €4,80—this is perhaps my favourite waffle place in Antwerp so far!
Waffle: 5/5
Topping: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Aesthetics: 5/5
Overall: 4.75/5
Australian (near Antwerp Station)
Liege waffle with chocolate sauce. €3.
Decided to try this waffle place again right before I caught my train leaving Antwerp, thinking that perhaps going for a milk chocolate topping would make it better. Unfortunately, this time, the waffle itself was pretty awful—the reheated pre-made stuff looked/tasted/felt like it’d be in the shop since last year… The chocolate sauce was good and generous, though, which helped drown out the awfulness of the waffle.
Waffle: 1/5
Topping: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Aesthetics: 3/5
Overall: 2.5/5
And finally, I had a waffle when I was in Bruges (would’ve had more, but I’d already eaten two in Antwerp earlier that day):
The Old Chocolate House Tearoom (sit-in)
Brussels waffle with chocolate sauce. €5.
A bit of an introduction first: the Old Chocolate House is one of the best chocolatiers in Bruges, and has an amazing selection of chocolates in their downstairs shop (where I may have splurged quite a bit…). Upstairs, there’s a tearoom where their specialty lies in a range of delicious hot chocolates made by pouring and stirring a little pot of chocolate pellets (with different intensities and origins) into hot milk. You can buy bags of those pellets in the shop (I may have grabbed a couple), in which case your homemade chocolate can be as chocolate-y (or milky) as you’d like.
Now, for the waffle. Apparently, it’s based on the server’s “grandmother’s recipe”, and it has an unusual shape for a Brussels waffle. The waffle itself is flower-shaped and rather thin—almost pancake-y—and was dusted with icing sugar, served with a pot of melted chocolate. The texture was lovely and delicate, with the right balance between crispy and soft, and the chocolate sauce was absolutely amazing (although that came as no surprise). The serving was also quite generous, and the waiter was very knowledgeable, if a little curt, but I appreciated that he made the time to help me with my order despite the place being rather busy (I wasn’t sure if I’d wanted a waffle initially). Overall, it was pretty fantastic for €5!
Waffle: 5/5
Topping: 5/5
Service: 4/5
Aesthetics: 5/5
Overall: 4.75/5
Bonus: The main at the next table didn’t want one of the free chocolates he was served and gave it to me. Yay!
There were a few other waffles places in Antwerp I wanted to check out, but alas, lack of time (but not stomach space—there’s no such thing as lack of stomach space when waffles are concerned!)… On the bright side, I now have an itinerary for my next Antwerp trip!
