Belgian waffles in Antwerpen?
 

Taking a day trip to Antwerp from Amsterdam next month, and Belgian waffles are the top priority. Snacks are just that important :) Anyone know a good place? Doesn't have to be fancy -- a favorite street cart works for us. Because of our limited time there we'd like to stick to the area between the train station and the port. Thanks!

don't have a specific recc. but fyi waffles off a cart are thicker and imbedded with bits of sugar and when you get them from a cafe they are light and crisp and sometimes still doughy on the inside. so go to a cafe!

They aren't different just because they're from a cart-there are 2 (or more?) different types of waffles. Somebody else will come along and explain it better!

~Liz

There are indeed two types of waffles: gaufres de Bruxelles and gaufres de Liège. The first ones are rectangular, light and crisp. I prefer them with strawberries and whipped cream. They are served warm.
The gaufres de Liège have rounded corners, they are smaller and more square. They come with pearls of sugar and are pretty heavy, and served either warm or cold. It's this kind of waffles that you can buy from street carts.
Here they are: http://www.belgiumwaffle.com/Design/...s-imagette.gif
The upper one is a gaufre de Liège, the lower one a gaufre de Bruxelles. The gaufre de Bruxelles needs some topping!
I second the recommendation of jck4: go to a café!

Good places in Antwerp for waffles (the Brussels style) are Crèmerie Van Dijck at Oude Koornmarkt and Désiré de Lille at Schrijnwerkersstraat.
There is a waffle stand on the corner Schrijwerkersstraat/Schoenmarkt.
All three are in the historical centre.

Any recs for the best places for waffles in Bruges?

How about crepes in Amsterdam, Delft, or Bruges? Sweet or savory?
Any suggestions? If you like waffles I'm guessing you'd like crepes. I had great ones in Delft, but that was 2004 and I can't remember the name of the cafe.

bookmarking

Myriam, thanks so much for the rec's and the waflle tutorial! The gaufres de Bruxelles look tastier to me, but I'll be more than happy to try both. :-P I marked both of those cafes on my Antwerp map.

"The gaufres de Bruxelles look tastier to me"

Just a personal opinion, but I prefer (by far) the gaufres de Liège - when they are freshly made of course. Sweet and hot and sticky, studded with crunchy pearls of sugar, and with a pillowy soft interior, they are the perfect street snack IMO!

I can't give any recommendations for Antwerp, but my usual way of telling whether Liège waffles will be good is to check whether they are being made using dollops of fresh dough placed onto the waffle iron (= good sign), or whether there is just a pile of ready-made waffles being heated up (= bad sign).

Well, there is no accounting for tastes. Give me the gaufres de Bruxelles anytime! It's exactly the sticky texture of the gaufres de Liège that I don't like, even if they are freshly baked. They're a bit heavy on my stomach, too.

ttt

This is an LONG SHOT question:

I must eat "gluten free". That means no wheat, barley, or rye>
I make pancakes at home using alternate flours, ie, rice flour, tapioca flour , potato flour etc.

Any chance of finding a "gluten Free" waffle is either Brussels or Bruges?? Will be there in May 2009.

Thanks

I was in Antwerp last week. My focus was mussels. Had a delicious bucket and a half liter of pils at restaurant Bacino. Good service and ambience.

nannibray i don't think you will fins gluten free wafels - cetainly not at any street vendor. maybe in a supermarket by the health foods, but they would not be the same thing at all. Sorry.
I have a friend who misses out on a lot because of her gluten free diet. It is quite hard to find gluten free food, certainly here in the Netherlands. Restaurants will cater for her if we tell them in advance, but she has to go to a health food shop for most of her gluten free products.
Luckily for me Ikea do some gluten free cakes. It is my birthday today and she is coming round later - a quick trip to Ikea means she can have a slice of cake to celebrate!

Thank you Hetismij. Is ikea the name of a store or supermarket?

If you're looking for gaufres de Liege in Antwerp, you might see them listed as Luikse Wafels as this is the Dutch name. Same wonderfully delicious thing! I am with hanl, if they're just piling them on go somewhere else, or request that yours be made fresh. It makes a big difference and is definitely worth the wait.

Oh yes, and in Amsterdam try the poffertjes! They are mini-pancake type treats served with butter and lots of powdered sugar or other various toppings.