The gorgeous Antwerp cafe Oud Arsenaal was established back in 1822. Its Art Deco style interior dates from a 1920s renovation.
Named after a mediaeval weapons arsenal that once stood nearby, it’s a friendly place with an old wooden bar, red leather benches and a curious savings cupboard with numbered slots where clients could deposit money.
Still a family-run establishment, it attracts a lively mix of locals and tourists who squeeze inside to drink red Rodenbach beer served with grey North Sea shrimps in autumn, or the local De Koninck beer served in a distinctive bolleke glass.
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.
