By Europe Contributor, Maria Lucena Gomez. Maria is a dear friend and fellow foodie who lives in Belgium. We bonded in Brussels through our love of food and travel. She's a Venezuelan lawyer who has been living in Belgium for almost 15 years and working for an American multinational that takes her to the heartland quite often.

Pictured: The amazing city photographs and pretty candles sold at Jeff, my favorite affordable luxury concept store (Volkstraat 9, 2000, Antwerpen)

Start your day by arriving at the beautiful Antwerp Central Station (it was recently selected as The Most Beautiful Station In The World) and hit the streets right behind the commercial and popular Meir! You will be easily distracted by the sweet vanilla smell of Belgian waffles. No smell distinguishes more this tiny country than the smell of freshly-made yummy waffles. Heaven!
Walk through the South (Het Zuid), feel the breeze of the Schelde River and visit the Castle (Het Steen – Steenplein 1, 2000 Antwerpen) for a little bit of history. When you are hungry, go for one of the below, you will not be disappointed!

Where to eat in Antwerpen:

At Vis Bistro Mojo

Belgian classics: A wonderful Bouillabaisse at Vis Bistro Mojo (Kasteelpleinstraat 54, 2000 Antwerpen). Johan & Nuria run this bistro and food shop and they do so with a lot of passion for fresh products from the sea. You will find the freshest seafood in Belgium in this tiny bistro. You do need to reserve as it can get pretty crowded!
A gift of the sea: “vispannetje” (fish & seafood stew with yummy tiny North sea shrimps) at De Markt. You can shop at the market during the early hours then end up having a wonderful lunch at their terrace.
A classic “Stoofvlees” (beef & beer stew with hand peeled Belgian fries) at Home Brewery ‘T Pakhuis (Vlaamsekaai 76, 2000 Antwerpen). This dish is best eaten on a typical Belgian rainy wintery night!


Edgy:  This is certainly the prettiest hamburger I have ever eaten and it was oh so tasty! Te Kook (Vrijdagmarkt 7, 2000 Antwerpen) is a very innovative restaurant of French and Belgian cuisine with a modern twist. Pricey but absolutely worth it! Honest and innovative Matty (Brederodestraat 23, 2000 Antwerpen) and his wife Katrien offer light, creative 5 star cuisine at affordable prices. My favorite dish is the parmesan and fresh truffle risotto. To die for.

Josephine's Antwerp

Romantic Eats: I have never been disappointed by Josephine’s (Gentplaats 1, 2000 Antwerpen). You can have the most amazing cocktails (I always want to be creative but boringly end up ordering their 5-star Mojito) rightly served by the best barman of this country. Their duck dish is so perfectly executed and presented! The decor is soft, candle-y and romantic, and they do have live Jazz most nights and a charming piano in the middle. What else could you ask for?
On a budget: 100 grams of garlicky black olives, a tiny pot of fresh humous, a couple of slices of freshly sliced Belgian ham and a warm Moroccan bread at one of the amazing market stalls at the Exotische Markt (Oudevaartplaats, Theatherplein en omgeving) on Saturdays from 07h00 until 15h00). This will cost you 7 Euro and if it is sunny I guarantee you an amazing meal and people watching!

The Jane, Antwerp

Decadence all the way: Splurge with the 4 -dishes menu at The Jane. Chef Sergio Hermann (my favorite Chef ever!) and Nick Bril are true artists of food making. Their dishes are locally sourced, pretty, harmonic and they scream creativity, passion for the job and flavor! Everything is out-of-this-world good but my favorite are the desserts (and their zesty foie gras and granny smith jus!). Look at this pretty strawberry creation! Mindblowing.

Maria with Chef Sergio Hermann

Drink: Have a cold Kwak beer at Pelgrom (Pelgrimstraat 15, 2000 Antwerpen). This middle age cellar is utterly amazing and off the beaten path. Go there for a romantic drink or for a fun beer night with friends! Ideal for after-dinner drinks is Het Elfde Gebod ("The eleventh commandment") (‪Torfbrug 10, 2000 Antwerpen). The religious décor of this bar is breathtaking and peaceful. Indulge with more specialty beers or their tasty fruit-flavored Jenevers.‬

At Comptoir

SEE/EXPERIENCE/SHOP If you are travelling with kids do not miss Antwerp’s Zoo (Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerpen). It is in the middle of the city right next to the train station, a perfect combination for every member of the family. If you love art the Place To be is The MAS (Hanzestedenplaats 1, 2000 Antwerpen) Museum aan de Stroom (a landmark building between the city and the port). The current Display of Power exhibition about the world of prestige and symbols is captivating. For the fashionistas out there, do not miss the shops on the Schuttershofstraat for Wouters&Hendrix, my ultimate “affordable luxury” Antwerp jewelry designers. This city is beautiful for its diversity. I very much hope you can include it on your next Belgian stop. Enjoy the vibe of Antwerp, be curious, keep on traveleating!

Maria and I celebrating in Brussels, 2011

Thanks Maria for all the tips! It brought back some great memories of Belgium!
What's your favorite city in Belgium?

Brussels is truly magical this time to the year. I had the privilege to spend the last 72 hours experiencing the holiday charm. The photos speak for themselves. Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Fabulous 2015! 


After listening to the White House Travel Blogger Summit talk about study abroad I felt inspired to write this post. One of the main items discussed was the lack of diversity in study abroad programs. I've had the great opportunity to work and study abroad and I cannot stress how instrumental it has been in my life. A big thanks to my parents for always feeding my dreams even though their version of international travel was a road trip from Rochester, NY to Niagara Falls (a 90 minute drive). According to NAFSA (National Association of Foreign Student Advisers) only 7.6% of Latino university students studied abroad in 2013. I can only imagine the number back in 1999! 

San Juan, Puerto Rico

During my time living in Europe, I spent six years of holiday seasons in Belgium and Germany. I instantly fell in love with how the cities came to life despite the cold. I truly enjoyed how it was all about the food, artisans, and less about the commercial influences you see in the United States. My first Christmas market experience was in the city center of Stuttgart.  I was amazed with the gorgeous decorations, beautifully set wooden shacks filled with nutcrackers, smell of the wurst cooking, and the warm, spicy taste of Glühwein (German mulled wine) on my lips.


At the Grand Place, Brussels

From 2006 to 2012, I lived in Brussels. At first, the city was an acquired taste. I seem to get similar feedback from other travelers passing by the city. It took a while to figure out my favorite spots away from the Grand Place and the Atomium. For me, the best way to discover the city was having a pain au chocolat and a coffee in an anonymous square in town. Although there are some fabulous hotels in the city such as the Conrad Hotel and the Hotel Amigo, I feel an authentic experience would be to stay in an apartment to experience true feeling of the city. You can rent an apartment for the weekend at Place Flagey via a service such as House Trip.  If you stay in Ixelles, you can go for a run at Les Etangs d'Ixelles or walk to have a drink at Cafe Belga. For an extended trip, stay at an apartment near Place du Châtelain and shop at the afternoon market on a Wednesday to prepare a farm to table meal at home. Below are my tips of eating and drinking in Brussels for a short trip. You can also download the guide here for a quick reference during your trip. What is your favorite Brussels tip?