De Pelikaan is an old brown cafe in the heart of Antwerp that dates from 1870. But like many local bars it was spruced up a little in the 20th century.
It has all the elements of an old Belgian cafe including a beautiful tiled floor, marble table tops and mirrors.
You come across older locals reading the Gazet van Antwerpen, alongside students from art school clicking through their phone messages.
Most people come here for a perfectly-poured De Koninck. But it’s also the perfect spot for a coffee served with an Antwerp handjeskoekje (a biscuit in the shape of a hand).
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.
