Pubologi in Gamla Stan (Old Town)
Part of the fun of being in Stockholm is visiting all of the islands. For dinner we headed to the Gamla Stan, Old Town, for dinner at Pubologi. This is again a recommendation from a colleague who lives in Stockholm and she said the menu is always changing and super creative. We weren’t disappointed. I loved the seasonal ingredients and innovative combinations! I especially enjoyed dessert – I’d never eaten pine needles before!
Rabbit
I love visiting Chelsea whenever I’m in London – so many great restaurants as well as my favorite museum, the Victoria & Albert. This trip we made reservations at Rabbit. From their website:
“Our ever changing menu champion’s local and wild British seasonal produce. We use all things wild, foraged, and locally grown, including sustainable livestock from the Gladwin’s own family farm in West Sussex. Plus we have a range of English Wines from our own vineyard.
Dishes are presented as “small plates” designed for sharing or to enjoy individually. Our team will guide you through the menu to help you make a balanced selection of dishes.”
The food was really delicious and I loved that we were able to share all of the plates. Standouts were the smoked butter and the partridge nuggets.
Ciro’s
Entering Ciro’s is like walking into the past. There’s a sense of nostalgia in the air – like nothing has changed since it opened in 1962. Koen and I are always looking to try the best steaks, so Ciro’s was recommended to us as a must-try! If steak’s not your thing, the menu is full of classic Belgian fare. Make sure to make a reservation at least a few days ahead of time – this is a favorite place of many in Antwerp!
Izumi
Ever since we’ve been back from Japan, we can’t help but crave the Japanese kitchen. One night we had friends over for soba dipping noodles and tempura veggies and started discussing the best Japanese restaurants in Antwerp. When Izumi came up, there was disbelief that we hadn’t been there already. So we set a date!
Lombardia
When my sister-in-law Barbara came to visit we had to decide where to lunch. I have a long (and growing) list of restaurants I’d like to try and Lombardia was on it! Lombardia serves organic, natural, eco-friendly food and drinks and is most known for it’s drink Ginger Love. The Wall Street Journal even listed the drink in its top 5 to-do list for Antwerp! Barbara and I enjoyed huge sandwiches loaded with vegetables and I of course ordered a Ginger Love!
Bourla, the building with the orange awning and outdoor seating
My colleagues and I finally celebrated Christmas dinner! Although the late dinner is attributed to scheduling conflicts, we wound up really enjoying the sunny weather by eating outside. The Bourla is located in the Graanmarkt, alongside many other cafés and restaurants – it’s nice area to relax for a drink, lunch, or dinner. Because the weather was warm outside, my menu consisted mostly of North Sea Shrimp!
My mother-in-law, outside The Glorious
To celebrate Koen’s first paycheck from his new job, we invited Koen’s parents out for dinner at The Glorious. The Glorious’s sommelier, Jurgen Lijcops, who is often on Flemish TV speaking about wine, has created a winelist for the restaurant that is always evolving, depending on the month and season. For any wine lover, a trip to The Glorious is a must! I had been there once before for Christmas dinner with my colleagues and really enjoyed the food. Because of the wine and food, Koen and I thought this would be a great restaurant for celebrating his first paycheck! It was a bit more eventful than we expected (we were brought the wrong wine, the waiter spilled soup on my father-in-law, and a glass broke), but we still enjoyed the wine, food, and company!
Last Sunday we celebrated Els’ birthday in Antwerp. We started out with drinks at the winebar Baravin, followed by Italian at La Tarantella.
Baravin
An American in Antwerp 
