Fiera — Restaurant in Antwerp

People keep asking if I’m back, and I haven’t really had an answer. But yeah, I’m thinking I’m back.”

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not comparing myself to John Wick, but the first time I heard him say this, I was dying to use it for when I’d pick up my reviews again. But I also knew it had to be a really, and I mean REALLY, great place to get me to pick up my digital pen and take the time to write.

As you can see, I’ve been inactive for the better part of 4 years, with only one review, when before that I did several. To be honest, I did miss it, but I hadn’t been triggered enough to start again... until now.

So, let me tell you about Fiera. It’s hard to find the perfect point to start since everything was just, and I’m not saying this lightly... Perfect! And to think I came so close to not even going in. As I stood at this double old wooden entrance with only a small sign saying “Fiera,” I thought the place was closed, so I was already looking on Google Maps to see if there was another establishment that could fulfill my culinary craving. Just to be sure, I pushed against the door, and... it opened.

First impression? WOW. You enter an old stock market building with high ceilings, beautifully restored, and with impeccable taste in decoration (that’s Perfect No. 1). Please, take your time to let the place sink in. Look at the plants, trees, lighting, music, and be welcomed by staff who know what they’re doing and who know how lucky they are to be working here. I sat down with a smile on my face, which grew bigger with each passing hour.

Now, I can tell you about the starter I had, but (although it was wonderful) I don’t want to influence your choice. What I can say is that the bread, olive oil, salted butter, and the in-house pesto condiments were out of this world. For the main, I had, and again, don’t let me influence you, cod. But not just any cod—cod on baby spinach with a bit of this and a bit of that, all presented on a beautiful plate. Ughh... thinking back to that makes me just want to go back.

Now, before I tell you about my dessert, I want to—no, NEED to—tell you about the Old Fashioned I had with my meal. There are some things in life that I’m fussy about. It’s a short list, mainly things like a good bed, a decent shower, the amount of sunny days in a summer, the presentation of a crème brûlée, and how strong I like my Earl Grey tea (not too strong, if you're asking). On that list is also the taste, presentation, and smell of an Old Fashioned cocktail. Call me picky, but I’d say there are very few places that actually master this. One in ten, maybe? Too often I’m just sending it back or asking if they can try again.

Well, at Fiera they have a cocktail master... a cocktail black belt, 8th Dan samurai! If, like me, you love an Old Fashioned, ask for his signature “Japanese” version. We tried to come up with a name for it, but let’s just call it “Old Fashioned, Kyoto style!” (Don’t know if it’ll catch on, but you read it here first!)

Back to the dessert... Now, you can pick any, really, and I’m sure it’ll blow you away, but I chose the Havana Cigar. It’s fun and beautiful. If you love chocolate, if you love licorice, and you’re not afraid to experiment a bit, then choose this one.

I am terrible with names, I mean, really, and I’m so sorry that I can't remember the name of the waiter who fit into the whole scene like he was specially selected for this place. I thank you for making me feel so welcome. To the prized cocktail master, thank you for one of the most perfect drinks in years. And thank you to everyone in the kitchen and restaurant for making this a memorable evening.

Or to end in John Wick style... Thank you for being my Antwerp...

Leaving aside the fact that the Lange Nieuwstraat is currently a construction site and a bit of a watch out for ladies in high heels. From the moment you open the beautiful front door, leave the small airlock behind you and enter the entrance hall, your experience begins.

A friendly welcome, to enter a beautiful example of architecture that radiates the Schippersbeurs from the 19th century. The whole looks phenomenal and for such a large space you do not get the feeling of being lost.

The menu has a well-balanced offer, with correct prices for such an establishment. We chose a starter, main course and dessert. (Vongole, French artichoke, sweetbreads and Millefeuille & Dirty Chai Latte) A great choice it appears to be, heavenly flavours, beautifully served and a feast for the eyes. Even the potatoes dauphinoise with flavour of truffle made the taste buds sparkle. The vongole and sweetbreads really stood out, this was another level. The artichoke was tasty, but didn't blow us away. (the dip could have been a bit stronger)

No shortage of cocktail choices. The wine offered with the main course was well chosen.

This is not your everyday restaurant, more to build a nice memory. Since it was my partner's birthday, we got a dessert on the house on top. All this rounded off with a personal card from the team.

An incredible...

Amazing location but an overall underwhelming and annoying experience. We had super high expectations, but I felt annoyed and disappointed within minutes… We would probably have had a better time and service at Quick burgers…

Waited +30 minutes before being attended to. We were just about to leave. The personal excused themselves with that it was busy, but the restaurant was obviously at less than 2/3 maximum capacity... The music was also too loud and it was almost impossible to have a normal conversation. The strange chairs we sat om also made you feel uncomfortable and a bit locked up. No place to rest your arms.

The menu was difficult to understand and honestly a bit boring, with descriptions such as “chicken, spinach and potatoes” (how exciting, hé?)… The prices were frankly offensive. Expensive even in comparison to Scandinavian ones. 31 euros for a mediocre pasta… 16 euros for a basic drink? To the restaurant’s defence, you were probably paying 15€ extra per dish for the historic location, which I can sympathise with. We would have opted for the 4 course menu, which had a more resonable price than the individual dishes alone, but since we had to wait for such a long time. That was out of the question.

I’ve had way better culinary experiences in Ieper, Durbuy, or even Belgian Limburg. Step...