Lunch in Antwerp | Mokkakapot

Mokkakapot might be one of the most colourful places in Antwerp. Although it's quite near to where I live, I had only been there a few times before.

I got bored of the having lunch at home. Although I think of myself as the master of hummus-making, I decided it was time to go and eat someone else's hummus elsewhere. I hopped on my bike and headed over to Mokkakapot. 

About the interior... 
As I said before, VERY colourful. It's a challenge to pick a table, because they're all so cute. You can sit at a large wooden table together with other people or at one of the vintage-school desks. 

About the food...
I had a very hard time ordering only one thing of the menu. And this time it wasn't because I couldn't decide whether I was going to pick something healthy or not. I couldn't decide between one healthy thing and another healthy thing. There's a first time for everything they say... In the end I decided to go for the sandwich with hummus, beetroot, mint leaves, sesame seeds and honey. Hmmm... I'm craving one right now!

About the drinks...
I'm trying to drink less milk so I went with a regular coffee, which I normally find boring and a little too strong, but I have to say that I truly enjoyed this one! And it was not only due the pretty glass it came in...

I highly recommend you to go to Mokkakapot. You're missing out if you don't!

x Jeanneke

Coffee in Antwerp | Normo

I felt kind of stupid asking the people from Normo if I could write about them on my blog. Most of the time I write about places that are not that known. Normo is very popular and I doubt that my little blog with its few readers will make them even more successful, but I thought "what the heck". It's so damn good, cool and cosy that I felt like writing about it. The people who work there are so nice and the coffee is so good that I just couldn't risk any tourist to miss out just because I was too shy to ask them if I could take some pictures.

Normo is very well located. It's near the city center and close to the university and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts which makes it very tempting to stop by and grab a coffee after a long day of shopping or a long day at uni. I had a delicious latté and my friend went with a flat white. They also have their own brand, so if you're lazy and don't feel like going out for a coffee everyday you can simply purchase a bag of their delicious Normo coffee and do it yourself at home. 

Apart from the location, coffee and people that work there, I also love the interior. If you love the cofeebars in London and New York, but can't afford to go there every weekend, you should definitely try out Normo. There are many ways to sip your coffee at Normo; you can sit on one of the benches outside and enjoy the sun, do some work on the large wooden table, sit on a high chair staring out of the window, have a talk with your friend at a marble table or enjoy a good book in one of their sofas. 

I haven't tried their cakes and pies yet, but I'll do that once I've lost that extra christmas weight.

Let me know if you are planning on visiting Normo, or if you've already been... Let me know what you think.

X Jeanneke

NORMO
Minderbroedersrui 30, 2000 Antwerp
http://www.normocoffee.be/

Breakfast in Antwerp | Coffeelabs

I don't really dare to say that I'm creating a little guide about breakfast in Antwerp, because as soon as I try to commit to something I give up. But I have to admit that I love writing these articles! 
I feel like tourists always seem to get lost without even knowing they're lost. I mean that they think they've seen Antwerp, but in fact they haven't seen anything. You won't find treasures "op de Meir" or "rond de Grote Markt". Don't get me wrong; I do love our waffles, chocolate and fries, but the real good and cozy places are a little bit hidden. Tourists or maybe even people who live in Antwerp probably have been only 20 meters away from Coffeelabs without even knowing it's there. 

Coffeelabs is a place where you can go for breakfast, lunch, sweets or drinks. They're mostly known for a place to go when you feel like taking things out of the office. You'll see many laptops and Iphones there, but also people reading books (like me) or friends getting together. 

They've got a pretty big breakfast menu and I can't wait to try everything out! This time however, I asked the lady, who very kindly served me, what the best thing on the menu was, to make sure that it'd be worth telling you guys about. She told me that the cappuccino and the avocado on toast were the best selling breakfasts. I obviously ordered what she recommended and even though I have a major sweet tooth in the morning, I really enjoyed this healthy breakfast. She even served my cappuccino together with my toast, so that I could take pictures without my cappuccino getting cold! 
The next time I go there I will probably try something else (sweeter) like their granola, vegan scones or french toast!

In summer, Coffeelabs is located on the top floor with a rooftop terrace. Now that it's getting colder they've moved downstairs and I have to say that I like this location better. It's so cosy!

So if you ever find yourself with a hungry stomach on the Meir, think about the little side streets!

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoffeelabsAntwerp/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/coffeelabs_antwerp/

Breakfast in Antwerp | Loes & Krikke Express

As I told you in my previous post; many nice restaurants and coffeeshops have recently opened their doors in Borgerhout. I love how I can go for a nice breakfast only five minutes away from me. Today my friend and I went to Loes & Krikke Express. I've been there quite a few times for a coffee, but I was always drooling over the granola they served. Today I finally decided to go and try one. We set ourselves by the window and enjoyed our granola, hot chocolate (with real melted chocolate), flat white and not to forget that little piece of brownie that comes with your drink. It's even worth just going there for that little piece of brownie you get. It's the best ever! The people who work there are very nice, and it's fun to watch all the people who sit there with their children before dropping them of to school or after picking them up. 

Everything is also very reasonable priced! I paid €7,50 for my sweet hot chocolate and big and beautifully served granola. 

They also serve spelt sandwiches, salads, brownies and other sweet goodness. There's also a small range of chocolate, coffee, postcards and little notebooks for sale. I really love this place and I think you should definitely pay a visit even if you're not in the neighborhood. 

Some of the pictures were taken by me, but the best ones are Renée's work. Check out her website here: http://reneevanzadelhoffphotography.tumblr.com/

    

Breakfast in Antwerp | September.

People are often afraid to go somewhere by themselves. Me, however, I love a little me-time. When you travel alone, you have no choice but to go eat somewhere by yourself. That's how I learned to love it. A beautiful interior, good music, delicious food, warm drinks and a good book is all I need not to feel lonely. Seriously, I think you should try it. Just make sure not to get too antisocial and ask a friend to join you from time to time.

I grew up in Borgerhout. In my eyes it used to be a neighborhood where you would only come if you lived there or came to visit someone. But they recently took things to another level. Small events, markets, coffeeshops, restaurants, bakeries and parties began to show up. One of these restaurants / coffee places is September.

You can go there for coffee, tea, wine, breakfast, lunch or pie on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. And they serve dinner on Mondays and apericena on Fridays. Check out their website for the Monday evening menu (vegetarian every other week). It's just around my corner so I often get tempted to grab my books and go study at September. I think anyone would pick studying on a marble table over studying at home.

This was the first time I went there for breakfast and I will definitely do it again. I got a rose tea and granola with lime and ginger confit which was delicious. Everything is also very reasonable priced which is always a beautiful bonus.

I strongly recommend paying a visit to September for those of you who live in Antwerp or those who are planning to visit this beautiful city.

Info:
Webiste
Facebook

TRAVEL | LISBON

Since I grew up spending my summer holidays in Italy or France, I'd never considered going to Spain. Let alone going to Portugal. I didn't know anyone who lived there nor had I ever heard stories about the country. But since both my sister and I had only visited not so warm cities this year (she went to Copenhagen, I went to London), we decided to go and get our tan in Lisbon. 

It was a great decision, since it's easy to combine city-life and going to the beach without having to rent a car. You can easily take a train from Lisbon to Cascais for only €2. 

You might have noticed that I haven't written in a while. That's because I kind of got tired of the internet and everyone knowing so much about your personal life. But since many people were complementing me on my article about London, I decided to continue writing about the subjects that really interest me. We'll see how that goes.

I especially love writing about the trips I make because I think it is so important to know where to go to when you're in a city you've never been to before. Especially in a city like Lisbon where it's full of tourist traps. 

Don't you love the feeling when you finally settle down in a restaurant after a day of walking? That feeling when you take your first bite and roll your eyes at your travel partner because it's so damn good? I'm here to tell you about the places in Lisbon that will make you want to stay there.

I can not thank my sister enough for making this trip with me, and most of all taking all the pictures for my blog. She dragged her heavy camera all over Lisbon, which was so worth it. Make sure to follow her on Instagram @eileenvancr for more of her lovely work. 

A Ginjinha 
This little shop serves only one drink. Ginjinha is a sweet and fruity drink you'll find all over Lisbon, but I recommend you going to A Ginjinha because it's so cute and very cheap. After one small glass, I spent the next couple hours feeling very funny. A nice twist to your city trip!Largo São Domingos 8, Portugal

Bairro Alto
The place to be for late night music and drinks! 
Metro station: Baixa Chiado

Pharmacia
They call themselves a tapas restaurant, but let me tell you it's way more than that. The portions are way bigger than regular tapas and it's so damn delicious. The staff is super friendly, the interior is original and the food will make you want to go to Pharmacia every single evening.
R. Mal. Saldanha 1, Portugal

Cascais
It takes a 40 min train ride to go from Lisbon to Cascais. If you're looking for an escape from the city, this is a great beach to visit. Don't forget your bikini!
Take the train from Cais do Sodré to Cascais

Tram 28
We loved taking the old fashioned trams! Sometimes we would just hop on a random tram with nowhere to go. It's very entertaining and great for sightseeing. 
Take tram 28 at Martim Moniz

Pizzeria Casanova
BEST PIZZA I'VE EVER HAD. Coming from someone who visits Italy every year. They had my favourite combination on the menu: Figs, ham and mozarella. If it's not too cold outside you can set yourself on the terras and enjoy a view over the sea.
Av. Infante Dom Henrique Loja 7, 1900-264 Lisboa, Portugal

Manteigaria
You can find Pasteis de Nata all over Lisbon and it's the best euro you'll ever spend. The best bakery is supposed to be the one in Belém where you'll find yourself queuing with many other tourists. Yes, we went all the way to Belém to try them out, but I have to admit that the best ones I've tried were the ones at Manteigaria. Where you can admire the way your Pastei de Nata gets made while you sip a coffee and stuff you face with your second Pastei de Nata.
Rua do Loreto 2, Portugal

La Bottega Piadina
If you're looking for a quick but delicious lunch, La Bottega is the way to go. A cute little snackbar that only serves Piadina's. Unfortunately we were too full to try out the Nutella one.
Calçada do Combro, 8,Bairro Alto, Lisboa 1200

Moules & Gin
My sister and I both didn't really like mussels. We basically went to this restaurant for the interior and the Gin Tonics. We left the restaurant as mussel addicts. In fact, we went back the same week. The first time I had mussels with curry and mango and the second time I chose mussels with pesto. Don't forget to order a glass of white wine after your Gin Tonic! The wine is delicious, and since most of the mussels are only €11, you can spend more money on the drinks.
Rua Nova da Alfarrobeira, nº 14, 2750-452 Cascais

Mercado da Ribeira
Of course we had to visit Lisbon's food hall! We spent an hour deciding which stand to order from, but at the end I ordered something, which I believe is a shrimp burger (everything was written in Portuguese) from O Prego da Peixaria which I loved! Av. 24 de Julho 50, Portugal