Between the port and the city centre of Antwerp, Bitterpeeën is a restaurant and café with a nostalgic retro interior and a brown café at the front for a drink. I suggest it for an afternoon break, a business lunch or an atmospheric dinner. It opened in 1995 and takes its name from chicory, once made in a factory opposite. The mood is cosy and easygoing.
Despite the retro setting, the cooking is contemporary and of high quality. The menu leans on Belgian and French classics: steak tartare, carbonnades, sole meunière and oysters. To start, there is house-smoked salmon, house-smoked eel, escargots and a foie gras terrine, and seasonal suggestions come on top of the regular menu.
Bitterpeeën is known as an ambiance restaurant, thanks to its live events and private parties. Bitterpeeën Live, held regularly for over 20 years, brings well-known Flemish artists on stage after a three-course dinner. The ground-floor room seats up to 80 for lunch or dinner, and up to 200 for a walking dinner or reception. Upstairs, the first floor takes up to 40, or 50 for a walking dinner or reception, while a maritime-style room for up to 10 guests suits meetings or small family dinners. Catering at your own location is possible too.
Heading to a concert at the Sportpaleis? Transport there and back is free; please mention it when booking. Same-day reservations are by phone only, whereas online bookings receive an email confirmation. Parking and gift vouchers are available.
