Point at the size cone you want and choose a sauce, mayonnaise is the classic default, but most frituurs offer a dozen options. Expect to pay around €3 for a large cone, hand-cut and double-fried.
Discover Local Antwerp: What to Do Around Mercure Antwerp
At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Antwerp, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Antwerp in 5 picks
Frituur 't Stad
In the heart of Het Zuid, this frituur draws locals as much as visitors for classic Belgian frites, hand-cut, fried twice, about a centimetre thick, the way it's meant to be done. A large cone runs around €3, and picking a sauce is half the ritual.
The Chocolate Line
Set inside the Paleis op de Meir, this shop plays with flavour combinations you won't find in a standard pralines box, think spicy chili chocolate and mojito truffle, at €2 to €3 a piece. It's a five-minute detour from the Meir's main shopping stretch.
Vrijdagmarkt
A small square that turns into a proper flea market every Friday, with vintage furniture, old prints and odd trinkets spread out under the surrounding gabled houses. It rewards an unhurried browse rather than a quick pass-through.
Het Zuid
This former dockland district has become Antwerp's arts-and-food quarter, all cutting-edge galleries, cosy cafés and views over the Schelde. The first Friday of the month brings gallery openings across the neighbourhood, worth timing a visit around if you can.
deSingel International Arts Centre
A striking modernist venue for dance, music and architecture, tucked right by the business district and popular with locals for its programming rather than its postcard looks. It's a one-minute drive from the hotel, making it an easy evening out.
FAQ
No, the hotel sits just outside it, which makes arriving by car more straightforward than for hotels closer to the historic centre.
Every Friday, as the name suggests, with vintage furniture and odds and ends spread across the square beneath the surrounding gabled houses.
Where to sleep
See Mercure hotels in Antwerp, all within reach of these picks.