Carolien's travel blog!

Exploring the world one bite at a time

Page 30 of 41

M – Museum Leuven: “Beautiful architecture, interesting exhibitions”

This museum is rather new (it opened in september 2009). When you are visiting Leuven, M is a must see. The building is a stunning compilation of old and new. Combining old buildings with modern architecture. When it is sunny you can relax in the peaceful garden with the lovely tree.

The exhibitions change frequently, so make sure to return now and then.

M – Museum Leuven, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 28, Leuven 3000, Belgium
http://www.mleuven.be/en
+32 16 27 29 29

Visited February 2015. You can find my review about M – Museum Leuven also on TripAdvisor.

University Library & Bell Tower: “Stunning view on Leuven”

The university Library looks like an old historical building, but don’t be mistaken, this libary was built after WWI. The construction was funded mostly by American money. A visit to the tower gives you an overview of the tragic history of Leuven during both World Wars. The rather small exhibition shows some historal images of the destruction.

The highlight of your visit is the gorgeous view from the tower balcony. Absolutely stunning. Be mindful though, you are quite close to the tower bells and the sound they produce can be very intense.

University Library & Bell Tower, Monseigneur Ladeuzeplein 21, Leuven 3000, Belgium
http://www.visitflanders.com/en/things-to-do/attractions/top/university-libary-and-bell-tower.jsp
+32 16 32 40 10

Visited March 2014. You can find my review about University Library & Bell Tower also on TripAdvisor.

Central Station: “One of the most beautiful train stations in the world”

When you’re visiting Antwerp I highly recommend spending some time in this wonderful building. The architectural combination of new and old will blow you away. It is definitely one of the most beautiful train stations in the world, so don’t forget to take your camera!

Central Station, Koningin Astridplein 27, Antwerp 2018, Belgium
http://www.belgianrail.be/en/stations-and-train/search-a-station/6/antwerpen-centraal.aspx
+32 2 528 28 28

Visited December 2014. You can find my review about Central Station also on TripAdvisor.

AB Cafe & Resto: “Ideal for a quick lunch or a dinner before the show”

We come here often for a quick lunch with the colleagues. The café offers a good value lunch menu.

Last week I went to a show in the AB with some friends, so it was a no brainer to have dinner in the café before the show. The café serves Jacob’s Creek, my favorite Australian sparkling wine. A nice starter for the evening. I went for a classic: tomate crevette (tomato with shrimps). The tomato was peeled (as it should be, but not many restaurants do this), served with lots of shrimps in a light sauce with home made french fries. I drank an excellent glass of white wine with my meal. Very delicious indeed.

The café can get a little crowded and service is not that good, but the food is always nice.

AB Cafe & Resto, Boulevard Anspach 110, Brussels 1000, Belgium
https://www.abconcerts.be/nl/cafe-resto/2/
+32 2 548 24 55

Visited December 2014. You can find my review about AB Cafe & Resto also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, atmosphere 3/5, service 3/5.

Hoffy’s Restaurant and Catering: “First time trying kosher food”

Hoffy’s is located walking distance from Central Station in Antwerp right in the middle of the Jewish neighbourhood. First thing you see when you enter this dated looking restaurant is the huge counter with lots of different precooked dishes. If you’re looking for a quick take away place, Hoffy’s will offer you a broad variety of choices.

We visited the restaurant with friends. For me it was my first time eating kosher. We decided to have the discovery menu. We started with a variety of four different entrees which were all very nice. My personal favorite was the “stuffed fish” (not quite sure if I understand this correctly). The patron explained us the meaning of kosher food and also some typical customs from orthodox judaism. Lots of rules to follow!

Main course was really nice, even though the food was precooked and heated in an oven. Especially loved the more sweet taste of the dishes (the chicken with prunes and raisins was lovely). The stuffed eggplant was also very nice. Food looked delicious and tasted great.

We drank some Israelian red wine with our meal, which was just ok, nothing special.

The interior of the restaurant felt very dated and not that cosy. But if you want to try a different kind of food, this is your place to be. If I lived in this neighbourhood, I would definitely stop by to buy some precooked dishes.

Hoffy’s Restaurant and Catering, Lange Kievitstraat 52, Antwerp 2018, Belgium
http://hoffys.be/
+32 3 234 35 35

Visited December 2014. You can find my review about Hoffy’s Restaurant and Catering also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, atmosphere 3/5, service 4/5, food 4/5.

Enoteca Da Valentino: “Nice Italian restaurant”

We had dinner here on a friday night with friends. Loved the interior of the restaurant with beautiful wooden panels and decorated with lots of different bottles of wine. The atmosphere was really relaxed.

Food was typical Italian: I started with a carpaccio, to proceed with home made pasta with mushrooms and ended my meal with lemon sorbet and wodka. To finish it of I ordered a limoncello, which was nice but not served cold enough to my taste. The wine was very nice (as it should be in an Enoteca).

Service was very friendly. Our waiter proposed the wine after enquiring about our taste and we really liked it.

Not the best Italian food I’ve had in my life, but very enjoyable none the less. Would definitely go back here.

Enoteca Da Valentino, Rue du Champ de Mars 13, Brussels 1050, Belgium
http://www.enotecadavalentino.com/
+32 2 511 84 35

Visited December 2014. You can find my review about Enoteca Da Valentino also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, atmosphere 5/5, service 4/5, food 4/5.

Hostellerie Vijfwegen Bis: “Pleasant stay”

In november we stayed one night in this hotel. Staff was friendly, the room and the bathroom were very spacious and clean. Shame about the twin beds though. In such a big room I would expect a Queen size double bed. The bed could have been more comfortable, but all in all in slept ok. I liked the way the room was decorated with a touch of originality.

Breakfast was excellent. Many options to choose from and we were served superb scrambled eggs. Really enjoyed this breakfast on a quiet sunday morning. It was very nice that the staff allowed us to sleep in untill 10 o’clock, so we could take breakfast a bit later after a night out with friends.

Hostellerie Vijfwegen Bis, Hoogstraat 166, Roeselare 8800, Belgium

Stayed November 2014. You can find my review about Hostellerie Vijfwegen Bis also on TripAdvisor. My scores: location 3/5, rooms 4/5, service 5/5.

De Kleine Kauter: “Family friendly restaurant with great staff”

We visited this restaurant because it was close to our friends house. From the outside the building looks like nothing special, but inside, you’ll find a nice, cosy and classical interior. We went there during christmas seasons, so the rooms were nicely decorated with christmas trees.

Our company consisted of six persons and a small child. There is a seperate room for the children to play in, so they won’t get bored. Staff was super friendly and really helpful. One of our friends had some allergies and an other friend was pregnant, so when we opted to go for the menu, we had to make some modifications. This wasn’t any problem whatsoever. Our excellent waiter even offered the allergic friend a totally different menu for the same price. Included with the menu came a bottle of red and a bottle of white wine. Both were of good quality.

The menu consisted of four courses, which were all excellent. The food was very nice and prepared with care. Not fancy, but just nice and honest food. Portions were huge! I especially loved the lobster. One slight remark: my entrecote wasn’t saignant as I ordered, but cooked a point.

The four course meal was just too much, so I couldn’t finish my desert. Really, really impressed by the friendlyness of the staff and the quality of the food.

De Kleine Kauter, Leuvensesteenweg 82, Boutersem 3370, Belgium
http://ww5.dekleinekauter.be/
+32 16 72 09 44

Visited December 2014. You can find my review about De Kleine Kauter also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, atmosphere 5/5, service 5/5, food 4/5.

Le Meyboom: “Old fashioned restaurant with great pasta”

Ideal place to have a quick lunch with colleagues. The pasta is really great, but be warned, the pasta is not Italian at all. Most pasta’s are served quite heavy and spicy sauces. Bolognaise and Savoyard are personal favorites. If you can’t choose, you can try the trio. The pasta is cheap and well worth the money. I always go for the normal portion, which I personally find quite large, but my male colleagues prefer the big portion.

Service is efficient, but only speak French. Atmosphere is typically Brussels, with nice wooden panels on the walls and cute and colorful tiles on the floor, which gives it a really authentic vibe. In summer you can sit outside. The location isn’t that great as it is somewhat outside of the touristic center of Brussels. Not a typical neighbourhood to go for a meal.

Be sure to make reservations when you want to go there for a lunch, because at noon the place is full of people who want a quick lunch.

Le Meyboom, Rue des Sables, Brussels, Belgium
679041844

Visited December 2014. You can find my review about Le Meyboom also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 5/5, atmosphere 3/5, service 4/5, food 4/5.

VIVEL Patisserie: “Nice place to stop for tea or coffee”

It can be a little chilly (and wet) in Geneva in November, so when we were looking for a place to warm up, we found this charming Salon de Thé in the old town center. So many different flavours of tea that I couldn’t choose, so I ended up with the Chocola Chaud Maison Rohr, with wipped cream, of course. The hot chocolate was excellent, as was my apple cake. Although I was a little bit jealous of the chocolate cake my boyfriend chose.

Service was very friendly. The interior of Vivel Patisserie was bright and inviting and our drinks and food were beautifully presented. Would love to come back when the weather is better to sit outsite on the little terras.

Tea lovers, don’t miss out on this one!

VIVEL Patisserie, rue d’ Enfer 1 Rue d’Enfer, Geneva 1204, Switzerland
http://www.vivel.ch/
+41 22 312 23 33

Visited November 2014. You can find my review about VIVEL Patisserie also on TripAdvisor. My scores: value 4/5, atmosphere 4/5, service 5/5, food 5/5.

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