Antwerp

BY AMANDA McCOY

GARDEN FANTASY
Antwerp’s first entry in the Leading Hotels of the World, this five-star superior is a stunning showcase of medieval majesty in the modern day. Debuted in 2022, Botanic Sanctuary occupies a restored 13th-century monastery and hospital, with the city’s World Travel Award-winning Botanical Gardens residing next door. While stories from centuries past are woven into the stone and brick walls, the mood leans light and uplifting with leafy botanicals, vibrant fabrics, and cozy seating. The 108 guestrooms and suites are spread across five buildings and feature exposed beams and vaulted ceilings alongside modern comforts like rain showers and in-suite wine cabinets. There are seven unique dining concepts (two with Michelin stars), including a decadent omakase-style tasting experience at Hertog Jan that’s packed with surprises. Don’t miss afternoon tea in the Gingerbread House, a fairytale cottage tucked into the thickets of the garden. botanicantwerp.be

TASTING TEMPLE
This one requires a $250,000 investment in the Scotch Whisky Investors Club, but once you’re in, the perks are phenomenal. Case in point: access to The Underground, an invitation-only tasting room hidden in the ancient vaults beneath Botanic Sanctuary. The atmosphere is hushed, intimate, and ceremonial, a fitting ambiance for sampling the rarest single malts on the planet. The collection features bottles from legendary and vanished stocks – Tomintoul 1967 and Kinclaith 1969, for example, practically unattainable for the mere mortals among us. scotchwhiskyinvestments.com

VISIONS IN VOGUE
Opened in 2002, MoMu is a sensational showcase of the ideas, designers, and creative forces that transformed the city into one of the world’s most influential fashion capitals. The museum houses the largest collection of contemporary Belgian fashion in the world, along with immersive exhibitions that transform its gallery for each show so visitors never experience the same scene twice. Through January 2027, catch the 40th anniversary celebration of the Antwerp Six, which commemorates the six Royal Academy of Fine Arts graduates that put Antwerp on the fashion map in the 1980s. Creative workshops and educational programs run throughout the year, too. momu.be

BITES OF BLISS
While often overshadowed by its more recognizable neighbors like Brussels or Amsterdam, this cool, artsy, and unpretentious port city packs serious culinary cachet. More than two dozen Antwerp restaurants can tout Michelin stars, but at the top sits Zilte, the only three-starred dining destination in the city. Stretching across the top floor of the MAS Museum and led by the self-taught gastronomist, Viki Geunes, the restaurant is famed for complex, layered tasting journeys that favor creativity over frills. The experience begins with an aperitif in the scenic lounge before flowing into the panoramic-view dining room for the main event. It’s a four-hour affair, with dinner often spilling into the midnight hour. zilte.be

SECOND ACT
When The Jane opened in 2014, acclaimed Dutch chefs Nick Bril and Sergio Herman transformed the chapel of a former military hospital in the Groen Kwartier into a culinary cathedral, blending fine dining, fashion, architecture, art, and nightlife under grand vaulted ceilings. The concept was a smash hit, earning its first Michelin star less than a year later and its second in 2017. In 2025, now-sole owner Bril announced Jane 2.0 with an audacious move to a converted warehouse in the historic Eilandje district, trading cathedral-sized drama for a sensorial experience with striking water views. Style favors intimacy and minimalism, with only a handful of tables surrounding the stainless-steel open kitchen. The contemporary-chic tasting menu is elegant yet restrained, fronted by French and Belgian principles with Asian influences. thejaneantwerp.com