Antwerp Taste is ready for jubilee edition

From Thursday 18 May to Sunday 21 May, the culinary festival Antwerp Proeft welcomes foodies and Burgundians from all over the country to its anniversary edition, indoor and outdoor at the Waagnatie. Antwerp Proeft announced the participating restaurants, chefs and culinary specialist shops for its festive 15th edition on Monday 17 April in hotel school PIVA. Notable names are three-star chef Viki Geunes and star chefs Roger van Damme and Wout Bru, who will be back in 2023. Also notable is the high number of debuting restaurants, plus Gault&Millau’s Cocktail Bar of the Year 2023, Tazu. The side stages ATAG Live Stage and Weber Grill Academy were also presented.

“For this 15th edition, we pulled out all the stops and spared no expense to present visitors with an extra festive menu,” says organizer Claudia Engelen. “Here we went to the essence of the festival: Antwerp Proeft wants to be a sample of what the city and Flanders have to offer gastronomically and culinary in 2023, the annual gathering place for the most beautiful restaurants in Antwerp and the surrounding area.”

The result is a line-up that appeals to the imagination. So are some household names back after a few years. At the same time, this edition has more debutants and new blood than ever (except for the first edition in 2007). Full list of participants via this link.

“With Antwerp Proeft, we don’t just play the card of pure gastronomy and star chefs or just authentic high-level street food,” adds organizer Ward Ramaekers. “But we also want visitors to taste everything in between that is worthwhile. At our festival, you will also see young, up-and-coming talents at work – the stars of tomorrow – and discover what’s new and hot. You will find both classic French-Belgian top dishes and flavor bombs from authentic Middle Eastern, Asian and Latin American cuisines. And the sweet tooth will also get their money’s worth. You can expect the best chocolatiers and pastry chefs. In the long weekend of Ascension Day, we will make it one big test party for everyone.”

List of all dishes via this link.

Wout Bru is back

Wout Bru was there at the 10th edition of Antwerp Proeft. 7 years later (and after he received his first star with restaurant Le Grand Verre from Durbuy exactly 5 weeks ago) he is back.

Star Chef Of The Day

The central stand Star Chef Van De Dag was one of the success numbers at Antwerp Proeft when it was introduced in 2022. Each of the four festival days, a different star chef from Antwerp will do the honours. Thursday 18 May (Ascension Day) is Fine Fleur * · Thomas Diepersloot · Antwerp, Friday 19 May Het Gebaar * · Roger van Damme · Antwerp, Saturday 20 May Nebo * · Dimitri De Koninck · Antwerp, and Sunday 21 May Zilte * * * · Viki Geunes · Antwerp, by the way, the first time that a three-star chef comes to cook at Antwerp Proeft. The dishes of restaurants Le Grand Verre, Fine Fleur, Het Gebaar, Nebo and Zilte will be announced on April 28.

More than food and drinks: ATAG Live Stage, Weber Grill Academy and ‘Taste Storyteller’

As a visitor to Antwerp Proeft, you can enjoy free cooking demonstrations with famous headlines, masterclasses and tastings at the new ATAG Live Stage. You don’t have to register for the ATAG Live Stage, you just drop in. A sneak peek (more names and acts will follow soon):

Learn to make the perfect hummus and sabich with restaurant Boker Tov master class with tasting
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Easy dishes for the BBQ and outdoor cooking with Zouterover, winner of the TV cooking competition ‘Grillmasters’ in 2018 cooking demonstration
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Cocktail workshop with liqueurs from Bols and premium mixers and tonics from Double Dutch
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Guess my wine: fun interactive workshop in duos about the color, smell and taste of Bordeaux wines
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The Black Forest, a destination for gourmets: from black forest ham to Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte · cooking demonstration with tasting
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Star chef Gilles Melchior of restaurant Melchior and ATAG’s new Celcius°Cooking technology cooking demonstration

Visitors can also take in a free BBQ cooking workshop at the Weber Grill Academy. Master of ceremonies is Birger Allary, 2017 winner of the TV cooking competition ‘My pop-up restaurant’.
For the Weber Grill Academy, you can register at Antwerpen Proeft itself or in advance, online viaproeft.be from Wednesday 26 April.

New at the festival is the interactive stand of Visit Antwerp. Actresses bring here ‘Taste Storyteller’: an interactive and humorous culinary theater monologue about Antwerp regional products through the history of Antwerp. The stories about TUC biscuits and Wycam’s breast balls, among other things, are peppered with did-you-knows. As a spectator you can also taste these top Antwerp products.

Tickets with benefits

Entrance tickets are available online and at the door. There are always enough tickets available on site every day. Visitors themselves choose the day and time on which they come to Antwerp Proeft, and decide for themselves how long they stay at the festival.

With a ticket you step into a world of 35 top restaurants and dishes to lick your thumbs and fingers. In addition, you can go to (A) free cooking demonstrations with famous headlines, tastings and culinary stories, you can participate in (B) a free BBQ workshop, you get (C) a free drink from Bru and you can (D) one of 25 win free dinners for two at a restaurant.

Presale at participating restaurants and specialty shops = € 9.00
Presale online until Sunday 30/04 = € 10.50
At the door and online including Monday 01/05 = € 12.00

Antwerp Proeft raises the price of its tickets not. The festival wants to remain as accessible as possible, especially with its jubilee edition. And for children born in 2011 or later, admission is free.

About culinary festival Antwerp Proeft

Antwerp Proeft, started as a pioneer in 2007, is a permanent fixture on the culinary and tourist agenda, with visitors from all over Belgium and the Netherlands. The festival will celebrate its 15th edition in 2023, from Thursday 18 May (Ascension Day) to Sunday 21 May.

Renowned restaurants, star chefs, young kitchen talent and TV chefs offer signature dishes in tasting form at Antwerp Proeft. Nowhere else will you find as a visitor – completely live – at one address and at one time so many top dishes for a fraction of the restaurant price: 6 or 7.50 or 9 euros.

Leading specialist shops and traditional names also feature on the poster of this lustrum edition. Free cooking demonstrations, workshops and tastings are other attractions, as are a priceless view of the Scheldt and a vibrant atmosphere.

Antwerp Proeft is more than just an afternoon or evening out for those who love good food (and drinks). It is a unique culinary journey of discovery, close to home, and a feast for all the senses.

The event has been taking place at the Waagnatie, in the Eilandje district, since 2013. With both indoor and outdoor covered stands of restaurants, bars and terraces, Antwerp Taste can handle all weather conditions during its festive 15th edition.