Two brothers opened the relaxed Bar Bakeliet in 2018 on a quiet square in the heart of Antwerp’s Borgerhout district.
The interior is furnished with a classic Belgian 1950s mix of Formica tables, shiny beer advertising signs and an old jukebox.
The bar sits in an old neighbourhood behind Antwerp’s Centraal Station that tourists almost never discover. It’s a casual spot to drop in for a coffee, or a lunchtime soup, or an afterwork drink. Then you can head on to the beautiful De Roma for a concert.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
