Monday 6 August 2012

antwerp: brasserie gustav



Yesterday we went to our old city Antwerp and ate at one of my favourite places, Brasserie Gustav. The brasserie is next to the Opera house in the city centre, close to the Central Station. The place has that nostalgic feel and the friendly waiters wear long white aprons. It is spacious with French windows, large mirrors on the walls, marble columns and a high ceiling, but it looks cosy and very French. Next to it is the F. Rooseveltplaats square, which is the city's main bus station. That view isn't anything special, but it never bothers me because Gustav has a wonderful atmosphere and the food is excellent. By the way, that is my salmon sandwich and rosé in the top-right photo. Delicious.


Brasserie Gustav
2018 Antwerp

We had thought about spending the day in either Brussels or Namur, the capital of the Wallonia region, but at the last minute we chose Antwerp.

Being spontaneous paid off. It was a beautiful day and the city looked its best. It felt like coming home, without the feeling being bittersweet in any way. I felt no regret for having left Belgium  for Luxembourg.

I have to add here that the area around the Central Station hasn't exactly been my favourite area, but as we wanted to go to Gustav, that's where we went. To our wonderful surprise one side of De Keyserlei, the street that leads from the station, had already been given a facelift (photo to the right). It used to be rather unattractive, but I knew they had plans for improvement. The area for pedestrians is now much wider and the restaurant area looks so much better. Even though the other side is still under construction everything looked nice and charming.

This made my Antwerp heart very happy and I look forward to returning when they have finished.

photo credit:
Lisa Hjalt

20 comments:

  1. Thank you for that wonderful tip!
    I try to eat there next week!

    ♥ Franka

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  2. There is always some beautiful place to discover in Antwerp! Have a fabulous Monday.

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  3. The salmon sandwich looks absolutely delicious! I'm sure it tastes the same. :) Glad to hear you spent such a wonderful day in Antwerp. :)

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  4. I love how you are able to travel from one country to the next within a couple of hours! This little café looks like a perfect spot for Sunday lunch (or a latte)!

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  5. Love these photos and love Antwerp! Looking forward to trying Gustav out next time I go.

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  6. Gorgeous photos!! LOVE them. Looks like a perfect afternoon. xo

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  7. great photos :)I hope I can remember all the places you recommend...

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  8. Your pics are amazing as usual Lisa + the food looks so good! I still can't get over how easy it is for you to just pop in and visit another country on the weekend; how wonderful that must be xx

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  9. That sandwich looks yum! And I'm sure the glass of Rose was good too? hmmm....? Sounds like a lovely visit. Hope you're having a great start to the week:)

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  10. oh, so French and so nice, I love this brasserie

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  11. It looks llike a wonderful place and I am glad you had some lovely time there : )

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  12. Beautiful, beautiful images!! i love Antwerp too, such a great place to visit! and the location you've visit looks amazing!

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  13. Hi Lisa, This looks like a great place. I've told D about it who is in Antwerp for the rest of the week and hopefully will stop by!

    Hope your week is wonderful. xo

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  14. What a wonderful place, the buildings are so beautiful.
    Have a lovely week:)
    Wendy x

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  15. These photos are just gorgeous Lisa! Must have been so nice to go back to visit. And such a gorgeous day too. I hope I get to visit the beautiful Antwerp one day. Glad you had such a wonderful weekend :) xoxo

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  16. Such a beautiful old building, I love the entrance! Sounds like a wonderful visit x

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  17. That looks stunning - just like a place to have lunch ;o)) Ohhhh yes - its cold to be back in Denmark - our summer sucks ;o) we have a couple of days with sun but maybe windy - and in between 3 days with rain and greyness - it is not fun ;o( but we all enjoyed America - it is a fantastic land with lots of amazing things to see - so we are already saving for next years vacation over there ;o)
    Hope you did have a nice holiday too and everything is fine with your new house ;o)
    Nice to hear from you again ;o) hugs Tina ;o)

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  18. Beautiful photos and that sandwich looks delicious! xxoo

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  19. What a beautiful restaurant and your food looks amazing!

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  20. Dear Lisa, thank you for this suggestion! I'm certainly going to try it next time we go to Antwerp! And please, if you plan a trip to Brussels, let me know and I would love to catch-up over a coffee (I know a place that you would like a lot...)!

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