Ciro's is a trendy Antwerp restaurant, and it is where I send guests who would like honest, traditional brasserie cooking, what the locals call burgerkeuken, the classic home-style cooking of the city. Albert De Herdt, a former Red Devil footballer, founded the house in 1962. Gene Haesaerts took it over in 2010, and twelve years later chef Claude Sondag and hostess Sabine Huyssen took charge. The atmosphere is warm, cosy and Burgundian, very much in the spirit of Antwerp.
The Steak Ciro's is the signature dish and has been a classic of the house for decades. The menu is nostalgic, with steak tartare, stoofvlees, vol-au-vent, sweetbreads, cod and eel. To begin, I would suggest the shrimp croquettes, the tomato soup with meatballs, the smoked eel on toast or the escargots. To finish, there are crêpes Suzette, dame blanche with homemade chocolate sauce, profiteroles and rice pudding.
Ciro's holds a Bib Gourmand from Michelin, is mentioned by Gault&Millau and was named Brasserie of the Year 2022. A covered terrace is there for good weather. Please note that the restaurant is closed on Monday and Tuesday. You can reach it on foot. Parking Nationale Bank is 400 m away, and the street parking nearby has parking meters.
