Borze Café

“There are more Michelin-starred chefs coming here than I’ve ever been to Michelin restaurants in my life” Jan Lemaire says with amusement. And for good reason: with most restaurants in Antwerp closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, chefs take advantage of the break to go out and enjoy the casual atmosphere of Borze Café. Because it’s good, simple, and unpretentious: vol-au-vent, stoopvlees (a traditional Belgian beef stew), stuffed zucchini… Jan likes to define himself as a cook, a good cook. “I’m not a chef. I don’t like thinking about recipes at night. For that, there are Benjamin Zakowski and Victor Avonds. We have a funny way of working, but it works.” Behind him, there are indeed six owners, including Tim van Geloven (who founded the now-closed concept store Graanmarkt 13, the Belgian equivalent of Colette, which Gen Z never knew about). “Let’s say that they wanted to enlarge their living and dining rooms so they could invite more friends over,” Jan says with a smile. “They’re my best customers.” A nice way to sum it up, and perhaps embellish it a bit. To be honest, we didn’t quite understand who was doing what and who was who - and it doesn’t really matter. That day, Jan was cooking at the tiny open-kitchen and Daria Oprean, a photographer and former student at the neighboring School of Fine Arts, was serving the tables. On the deep green walls, six portraits of men (yes, like the six owners) gaze enviously at the wines being poured. Because thirst is well-catered at Borze Café. The wine list, created by Frenchman Pierre Mouysset, features a €32 bottle (Domaine Haute Févrie Muscadet 2025) alongside another costing €600 (Domaine Henry Bonneau Châteauneuf-du-Pape “Célestin” 2019). "Everyone benefits. We have very good prices. Those in the know understand that." We won't argue with that.