Charlie's — Restaurant in Antwerp

We visited Charlie’s on a Wednesday morning for brunch because of a recommendation (we were on vacation). We arrived around 10.30am and it was packed inside, but we were offered a table outside. It was cool but sunny outside so we had no problem being outdoors. They offered some blankets which was a nice gesture. Outdoor chairs are not the most Comfortable haha. We ordered and our drinks came first: probably one of the best flat whites I’ve ever had! Perfect balance between milk and the espresso. Our plates were beautiful! Definitely worth some pictures and Instagram stories hahaha. The flavor was good, but nothing extraordinary to be honest. However the quality of the Ingredients and the presentation were amazing. Also, the creativity on their dishes is certainly worth the highlight. In terms of price - quality, Charlie’s is pricey and I was not 100% full to be honest, I could’ve had another dish, but I didn’t because I don’t like the “super full” sensation, but just wanted to mention in case you’re an avid eater. I do recommend this place for the experience which was overall, really good…...

Meh. We had to wait 15 min for our table to be ready (ok, it happens). We picked breakfast formulas. The waitress told us that they were not available (could be nice to precise before since the place is known for its brunches and breakfasts and it was 1pm). She was really annoyed by us asking for classic stuff to replace the breakfast formula (like bread and jam or only egg whites in the scrambled eggs) and did not want to "overload the kitchen". The food was meh. If two people order breakfast formulas, they just bring the food in the middle. The portions are then really small (probably similar for 1 person). They also tried to charge us for a bread supplement. Like really?!?! Eggs Benedict’s are just a soft boil egg on bread (for reminder they are usually an English muffin with a poached egg). Service was very slow, 35 min between order and getting the food. Insanely overpriced. Nothing in the plates was worth the price. I do not understand...

This was probably the most disappointing meal I’ve ever had. Ordered the eggs Benedict, and was expecting great things based on recommendations from friends. However, the Benedict was served stone cold. The Hollandaise sauce, egg, and spinach tasted like they had just come out of the refrigerator. When I told the waitress it was a bummer and that everything was cold, her response? ‘Every restaurant makes it different, we make ours cold. It’s cold on purpose.’ It does not say this anywhere on the menu and I was shocked at being treated with such contempt. Charlie’s made no attempt to make things right, I was simply told ‘next time you come, tell us you want it warmed up.’

I shouldn’t have to request my food to be warmed! So disappointing. Never again, Charlie’s. Avoid this place...