The hidden Antwerp bar Waagstuk occupies a 16th-century warehouse on a cobbled square where the city weigh house (or Stadswaag) once stood. The name Waagstuk means a risky venture.
It used to be a risky venture to go there because it was a fire hazard. The city finally ordered it to close in 2016. The problem has now been sorted. The cafe is open again.
The new owners kept the original murals and long wooden counter. They stock about 100 rare bottled beers including the house brew Zeppelin, named after the German airship that bombed the square in 1914.
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.
