Dogma — Restaurant in Antwerp

Been to dogma multiple times during the last 5 years. On the first visit, they surprised me with an incredibly creative and good tasting cocktail which was probably the best one I ever had. The second time at dogma a while later was more disappointing: service and ambiente were still decent, but the cocktails were only mediocre. They lacked creativity, looked boring, devoid of any decoration except a single floral patel, but the taste was still okay, still lots of booze in there. So I decided to give Dogma another chance this week, and things have only gotten worse. The Negroni I ordered filled the glass not even 2/3, and it's only decoration was half a slice of an orange. My girlfriend's fruity cocktail was at least 50% ice, also had one orange slice as decoration, and overall looked like a 5€ cocktail you get served in plastic cups. The taste was okay, but I wasn't blown away by it. Considering dogma once was THE cocktailbar in Antwerpen, I can only guess why it went downhill in the last couple years. did the personnel or the owner change? Is it the guests, many party groups from Holland wanting to get drunk? I don't know the answer, but what I know is that I won't pay Dogma another visit again when there are better, lesser known and cheaper cocktail bars...

BY FAR the best cocktail bar in Antwerp. I'm talking leagues ahead, miles ahead, leaps and bounds ahead, a cut above, the cream of the crop, the primus inter pares, the nec plus ultra, whichever expression you like most to express something being far superior to the rest is applicable here.

The owner is one of the most dynamic, friendly and yet still professional people you'll ever meet in a cocktailbar. The whole bar is designed to resemble a blind tiger (a speakeasy) from the interior to the uniforms, with fitting plants, seats, music and lighting.

The menu is unique, divided into sins and does not disappoint. All bartenders know their craft to a fault and will make anything on the menu flawlessly. If you think you know better however (and if it's not too crowded), you can deviate and throw them a challenge they will rise up to [barring party tricks like a B-52 or a Long Island].

Seating is divided into three levels, with access to the third being a treat best left discovered for yourself.

The prices could be considered a bit on the heavy side but are easily matched by the quality of the drink you get for it. If you do want to treat yourself to a cocktail (or two), indulge yourself. Go to Dogma....

This place didn't speak to me very much for a couple of reasons: First of all, there's no cloak-room or other facility to hang up your coat, so you have to sit with it stuck under your butt or in your back. There's a funky smell hanging in the downstairs-part. Cocktails start from 13€, a friend had a meany-sized Martini for 16 bucks, which wasn't special either, and you don't get a single peanut with it... Music is not subtle, we had to speak at the top of our voices to be able to understand eachother. Broken furniture, another friend almost fell over with her chair. Waiters, exclusively very young ones, rushing up and down the place or standing around with their elbows sticking out. I'm sorry, I expect more refinement and better service from a place in that price range. One positive point was the decoration, nice vintage pieces and an eye for detail. Conclusion: if you look for a place with real class,...