Mechelen
Food & Drink
The Belgians are renowned worldwide for their love of fine food. There’s a market every Saturday on the Grote Markt, so if you’re staying in Mechelen over the weekend it’s a great way to experience a bit of traditional Belgian life and culture and see all the wonderful fresh produce on offer, from cheese, bread, fruit and vegetables to fish, meat and even live animals.
One of Belgium’s other famous products is of course its beer. If you’d like to find out more about how it’s made, the Het Anker (Anchor) Brewery, housed in a former Begijnhof building dating from the 17th century, offers an excellent guided tour. Its star product is the dark ale Gouden Carolus.
To sample Belgian beer in traditional surroundings, visit d’ Hanekeef on Keizerstraat, Mechelen’s oldest pub. Its extensive beer menu is divided into sections, from trappist beers and lambic beers to Kriek (fruit beer), and there’s also a large wine and genever menu.
Some of the best restaurants for traditional Belgian cuisine are the Gasthof Kwaadmechelen on Sluisstraat, and the Theatrium Mechelen on Onder den Toren.
For something a bit different, the Atlas (Nauwstraat) serves specialities from every continent of the world. Dishes include Cajun stews, Mexican enchiladas, Indian rogan josh curry and Italian lasagne.
One of Belgium’s other famous products is of course its beer. If you’d like to find out more about how it’s made, the Het Anker (Anchor) Brewery, housed in a former Begijnhof building dating from the 17th century, offers an excellent guided tour. Its star product is the dark ale Gouden Carolus.
To sample Belgian beer in traditional surroundings, visit d’ Hanekeef on Keizerstraat, Mechelen’s oldest pub. Its extensive beer menu is divided into sections, from trappist beers and lambic beers to Kriek (fruit beer), and there’s also a large wine and genever menu.
Some of the best restaurants for traditional Belgian cuisine are the Gasthof Kwaadmechelen on Sluisstraat, and the Theatrium Mechelen on Onder den Toren.
For something a bit different, the Atlas (Nauwstraat) serves specialities from every continent of the world. Dishes include Cajun stews, Mexican enchiladas, Indian rogan josh curry and Italian lasagne.