5 more vegan meals in Antwerp, reviewed by a non-vegan (ft. Picniq, Mission Masala, Beastie Burgers, Trattoria Boretti, Circus )
Remember my first “5 vegan meals” post? Four years later I still live in Antwerp, I still love to eat, and I still need some encouragement to try the vegan option sometimes. High time to get back on track with these reviews! Oh, and the boyfriend is still the same one as well, so I won’t stick to vegan-only businesses: as long as there’s a plant-based option in there for me, it’s on my radar.
If you need a quick reminder, why all this? Because for most it’s hard to make a complete dietary change, but it’s pretty easy to make a more ethical choice for just one meal. Also, restaurants offering a more sustainable option and putting some love in it really deserve some love back. Now, to the meat and potatoes of this post!
I was new to Korean food and Antwerp doesn’t have many options, but Picniq does have glowing reviews. Dishes are small, so our waiter advised us to order four each. I went with three as there were no more vegan options, but was reassured that I wouldn’t leave hungry. We ordered everything at once, and received it at intervals.
Course 1: seon dubu. This was tofu with cucumber, buckwheat, kale and pine nut. I’m hardly food savvy enough to understand how these foods are worked into little spheres, but I am food savvy enough to tell you it was delicious. The tofu pearls had a smoked, creamy quality to it that felt illegally non-vegan, and the cucumber beads provided a refreshing contrast. No remarks, loved it.
Course 2: ttok kochi, a.k.a. rice sticks with red pepper paste, almonds and mint. The rice sticks were chewy with a crispy exterior. The sauce carried a pleasant amount of spice, some sweetness and some tanginess, and a little crunch for good measure. I enjoyed every bite, but after this pleasant little dish, I wasn’t sure whether my final course would leave me feeling a tad hungry still…
Course 3: bibim bap. As I understand it, a flagship dish of the Korean kitchen defined as “rice and miscellaneous stuff”. I received my rice covered in tofu espuma, and three little saucers with kelp caviar, morel and shredded kimchi/radish. You dump it all together, give it a big stir and enjoy. Tasty, surprising, and… filling! Well, played, Picniq.
Check: €53,5 for my three dishes, my half of the water, and my half of the plum sozu drink (which I loved too).
Satisfaction rate: 4/5. Everything I had was impeccable, a vegan dessert option (or one more course) would have earned a perfect score.
For years I have admired Mission Massala’s branding and aesthetic, but I was a bit sceptical about a Belgian concept serving Indian food. However, after a friend assured me that it’s really, actually good, I was excited to finally go where the colourful string lights glow.
Over half of the menu is vegetarian (!), and the majority of dishes can be made vegan as well. We were recommended to order two dishes each, and we went with both rice and parathas as a side. We received everything at once - and very swiftly.
Course 1: samosa chaat. A classic which I’ve had countless times elsewhere. I’m not usually strict about them being vegan or not - but of course I was tonight. These perfectly lived up to my expectations. I assume they veganised them by omitting the yoghurt sauce, but it wasn’t missed.
Course 2: BBQ mushroom moilee. This dish had a little fire icon, so I was curious how the spice ratings would work. It packed a pleasant punch, but I don’t expect it to traumatise anyone above the age of fifteen. Do with my judgment as you wish. The sauce had plenty of creamy, smoky goodness and oyster mushrooms of course always do wel in vegan dishes, with the almost meaty bite they bring. A winner! I actually had plenty left over for lunch the next day.
Check: €55,90 for my two dishes, my half of the sides, and two cocktails.
Satisfaction rate: 4,5/5. We all know dessert goes in a different stomach, so a vegan option would have been nice. But free lunch the day after is pretty sweet too.
Beastie Burgers
It was only right to include another burger place: I’ll always be happy to support a better burger, especially a Belgian one.
Beastie isn’t one of those places trying to reinvent the burger in some weird chic way: they rather honour its roots in vintage American pop culture. The branding is everywhere, from the rock playlist that spans decades, over the actual Chevy that houses the kitchen, to the names of the burgers. It’s fun, and it’s fitting.
Meal: Sir Lewis burger + fries. A double potato-based patty, fresh veggies, grilled mushrooms (!!) & onions, hummus, vegan mayo & ketchup. I feel very bad about how unimpressive I made this burger look in the photo, because she was perfectly well behaved: filling, juicy and tasty, with a slight chance of jaw dislocation. If you’re a fan of mushrooms, you should 100% have them on a burger. I also shared some fries with my boyfriend, because we knew from past experience that half a portion would be plenty. They were a tad dry for Belgian standards, but fine for a burger restaurant, as was my vegan mayo.
I did have some space left for a vegan dessert, but was sadly informed there were no desserts that evening. It wasn’t clear whether that was because they were too busy with burgers, or they were just out. I still left satisfied and in a good mood, so no harm done.
Check: €15,70 for my burger, my half of the fries, and an Ice Tea.
Satisfaction rate: 3,5/5. I would have loved to try their vegan dessert as well, but will happily come back for it some other time.
Trattoria Boretti
If you thought these reviews will only highlight sunshine and roses, sit down before reading on. My boyfriend chose this place as the menu is mostly classic Italian with a few options catering to vegans: on paper, an ideal fit. First, let me emphasise that I believe every person at work this evening did what they could. However, the place was blatantly understaffed, which led to long waiting times, mistakes, and an overall bad experience.
Course 1: vegan pinsa alla Norma. It took 1,5 hours to arrive, but when it did, it looked delicious. And the dish was fine - were it not for the mozzarella on top. Not cool, but given how long we waited, I didn’t have the heart to send it back just for the experiment’s sake. A little concerned about my main, I checked again with the waiter whether that would be vegan, and was reassured that it would.
Course 2: vegan carciofi e limone. Our mains took another hour to arrive. Mine had a heap of parmesan already on top which again, sort of ruins the point offering a vegan option. And again, I could have politely sent this back because it wasn’t what I had ordered but honestly, at this point I just wanted to eat and be done with the evening.
Check: €53,5 for two dishes that weren’t vegan, a limoncello spritz, a glass of wine and my half of the water.
Satisfaction rate: 1/5. Technically I ate, but Trattoria Boretti did not. I hope they sort out their staffing problems because for now, I could only recommend this place to vegans who still get a kick out of educating others on their diet in the year of our lord 2025. Anyone?
Circus
A somewhat inconspicuous exterior leads to a spacious interior with high ceilings, authentic elements, colourful accents and playful vintage nods to the circus. Equal parts stylish and cute, with a solid brunch/lunch menu to boot. Circus caters to multiple common dietary restrictions, so vegans shouldn’t feel left out.
Course 1: pulled shroom bun. This dish puts the “fun” in “fungi”. It’s smokey mushroomy goodness, drenched in sauce and flanked with earthy root vegetables and the occasional pickle, on a wonderfully crunchy bun. This doesn’t need any more selling: repeat orders guaranteed.
Course 2: vegan chocolate ganache pie. I don’t understand how this mighty little slice can be vegan. I just know this is the chocolatiest of chocolate pastries - so rich, so dense! A drizzle of caramel, a sprinkling of coconut shavings and some fruity garnish finish it off.
Check: €29,50 for the loaded bun, pie and a pot of lemon verbena tea.
Satisfaction rate: 5/5, no remarks. I left full, satisfied and just grateful I had energy left to hobble towards the bookstore across the street.
Another leg of the experiment, done. I had five meals, four of which were actually vegan and left me happy and satisfied. And one… well, you know. If you have any suggestions on where I should eat next, feel free to share.
Thanks for reading, friends! These posts are of course fun to “research”, but also take quite a lot of time behind the screen afterwards. If you enjoy reading them and want to make a small contribution to a next instalment, feel free to chip in for a symbolic beverage. Cheers!