Elfde Gebod

This place has atmosphere in abundance. The staff was friendly, the service was very good and the food and drinks were amazing. I can especially recommend the Rabbit Stew. And it was quite affordable! Definitely worth another visit the next time we're in Antwerp.

September 2025: probably the best bar so far in Antwerp. Loved it here. So much character and the beer was fantastic. We had the Elfde Cinnamon and the Elfde Honey! The Elfde Gebod (Eleventh Commandment) is a well-known, quirky, and beloved bar in Antwerp, Belgium. It's famous for its unique atmosphere, which is largely due to its extensive collection of religious statues, figures, and artwork. Location: It's situated right next to the Cathedral of Our Lady in the heart of Antwerp, making it a popular spot for both locals and tourists. Atmosphere: The interior is absolutely packed with statues of saints, angels, crucifixes, and other ecclesiastical decorations. It creates a somewhat surreal, almost sacrilegious yet charmingly eccentric vibe. You'll feel like you're drinking in a museum or an old church attic. Name Origin: The name "Elfde Gebod" (The Eleventh Commandment) is a playful nod to its religious decor, implying there's an unwritten "eleventh commandment" to enjoy good beer and company. Drinks: Like many Belgian pubs, it offers a wide selection of Belgian beers, including various Trappist and Abbey ales. Food: While primarily a bar, they do offer some simple pub fare. Vibe: It's a cozy, often bustling place, perfect for an interesting conversation and soaking in a truly unique Antwerp experience. It's definitely a place worth visiting if you're in Antwerp and looking for a bar with character!

We stopped by for ribs and found them a bit on the oversauced side, almost as if they had been left too long in the marinade. The side potatoes were quite oily and seemed to have been cooked earlier in the day. On the positive side, the music was pleasant and the atmosphere cosy, which made the visit enjoyable overall. The place itself is quite narrow, so don’t be surprised if people brush past your table as they move around.

This was one of our favorite experiences while in Belgium. I had made reservations months before our trip to make sure we could eat here. The service, food and atmosphere did not disappoint. There was live music and we were originally seated very close but we were able to move upstairs which made our experience much more enjoyable. The rabbit stew was the best I’ve ever had.

Elfde Gebod Cathedral is a real staple of the Antwerp restaurant scene. A unique location next to the cathedral with a stunning decor of Christian symbolism and Coventry vibes. The aesthetics are not the only reason to dine here. The food is also magnificent. The local homebrew beers are delightful and come in varying flavours. But the main dishes you should give a shot are one of the different stews (or stoofvlees in Dutch) they offer. A local delicacy beloved in Belgium and the Netherlands. If you're not a fan of stews, try the mussles.

We came to Antwerp for Tomorrowland and had our best Belgium food here! We ended up eating here two out of the three days we were in town. Tried the fish stew, the rabbit stew, the traditional Belgium salad (forgot the name but it’s soooo delicious with a whole large warm cheese on top) and the mussels. All very good! Highly recommend.

So many good things to say about this place! Service- very friendly and attentive Atmosphere- love the decor vibe and they even have 11 questions that you can ask the table Food- chefs kiss especially the rabbit and the mussels in the cream sauce was excellent. Highly recommend!

Dining at Elfde Gebod was an absolute delight! From the moment we walked in, we were captivated by the unique and cozy atmosphere. The restaurant is decorated with countless religious statues and artwork, giving it a warm, historic, and almost magical charm. It truly feels like stepping into another time. The food was hearty, flavorful, and authentically Belgian. I ordered the Flemish stew, which was rich and tender, served with crispy fries—absolutely delicious! My companion had the mussels, which were fresh and perfectly cooked. The portions were generous, and every bite was comforting and satisfying. Prices were reasonable for the quality and portion sizes, and the overall experience was one to remember. If you're looking for a memorable dining experience in Antwerp with great food and a truly special ambiance, Elfde Gebod is a must-visit. I will definitely be coming back! 🍻🇧🇪

The beers are very good, if a little expensive at € 6.49. The food was acceptable but not delicious, despite costing € 25.99 for the fish platter and € 27.99 for the ribs. But this is one of those places where we felt pressured to leave a tip, even though service charges are included in the bill already. This restaurant prints a big box on the ticket letting you know what a 10%, a 15%, and a 20% tip would be. It seemed like a cash grab to take advantage of Americans who are used to a very different system.

If you are ever close to Antwerp then you MUST visit this restaurant/bar. It is truly UNIQUE!! It dates back to the 15th century and very close to the cathedral (still today of course) although centuries ago there was a wall around the city. https://elfdegebod.com/history/ The interior is beyond words and a MUST see. The food is good but somewhat limited, but we all enjoyed either the rabbit stew or the beef stew. Also the ciders are good and the extensive selection of beers - wow!! The service was good, although it was even better 5 years ago on our first visit (pre COVID). Person to person is sooooo much better than QR codes and the like!!

This has to be one of the coolest pubs I have been to. We saw it featured in a travel show and it is worth the hype. The facade with the creepers on the wall looks great and the inside is like a stunning church, it apparently was where the nuns used to stay. I don't know if I committed a sin by drinking beer here but so do a lot of other people, they were super busy. The food (bitterballen was my favorite) was surprisingly good and the service was great. I am a big fan!

Amazing service and food It's like being at church with drinks and food - lots of religious artifacts adorne this facility - great service with super friendly waitress and even live music on a Sunday night food is rich and Flemish try the stew and oysters you will not be dissapponted

I had the beef stew which had an amazing distinctive taste. The ale it's made with is so pungent it makes for a really dynamic impressive flavor. The fries were delicious. I basically just came for the kitsch and it's full on. Not disappointed. I loved it! Hilarious. And so seeped in religious pomp and glitter, like the big churches of Antwerp, it's so extra. Worth a stop for food or a bev. Fun and festive vibes and all the staff were nice, really cool.

3.5 stars. The staffs are nice. However I would said this is a restaurant for tourists, the food is flavorful but neither delicious or bad. It is hard to judge. But don't like it when they charge for the condiments without knowing. We got charged with 3 mayonnaise came with our dishes.

We came here on recommendation from the hotel concierge. Its located in the historic district right next to the Cathedral of Our Lady. Our concierge had made our reservation and actually messed up the date. We didn't realize this and went to the restaurant and the matre d' managed to fit us in without trouble on a very full Saturday evening! That's great service. We split a small salad and it was a nice little (and healthy!) starter. Having had a number of Belgian and Flemish dishes, I wanted to continue the theme and had the Apostle's fish stew. It was a nice mix of seafood with a tasty broth. The lady had the meatballs and both the meatballs and the sauce were delicious. They have quite a good beer selection including a very good selection of Trappist beers, I opted for the Westmalle Tripel which was nice and fresh. Nice quirky themed decor appropriate for the location at the Cathedral. Our server was friendly and helpful. Would recommend.

This place is AWESOME. The interior decor is very special and........unusual. You probably already know why. It's absolutely worth a visit even if they were serving cardboard. We sat in the corner of the front room. The service was very good and prompt. We were freshly off the boat from Amurica and I was dying to get my hands on the local delicacy cheese croquettes. They were delicious, as one would expect. GF was also dying to her hands on the local delicacy moules frites which was served the authentic way in the little cauldron thing and steaming hot with a plentiful bowl of crispy fries. Her review "they were really good". I did not see anything left over, I'll put it that way. My parents, who are accompanying us on this trip, both ordered the vegan salad and you would think they were in a porno with their verbalizations while consuming this. Solid meal in a really special restaurant makes this an absolute must visit.

We wanted to try the Belgian classics beyond waffles and chocolate. So we got the Belgium beef stew, mussels in wine and ribs. Wow, they were all so good! Combined with a selection of Belgium beers, this was a perfect way to end 2023 and our time in Belgium. Service was very good and conveniently near the Town Hall and river.

Love this restaurant and the original gothic decor. A must see in Antwerp. The food and drinks were delicious. We loved being able to taste authentic Belgian food.

I still don't know what to make of this place. It's interesting and eclectic but it's worth a visit. Once you grab a seat the ordering process is super easy. You can grab any waiter you see walking around or order right from your table. I kept it simple for dinner and just grabbed a beer with a burger and fries. It doesn't get more classic than that. The burger was cooked well and the fries were pretty standard. Overall, this was a very solid meal. If you don't have time to eat, it's definitely worth grabbing a table for a quick drink!

The food was mediocre. The bathroom smelled awful. But the reason for the one star was that the desert took FOREVER to come out.

Difficult to sit down at our table, too packed, got multiple dirty glasses, waited for ever for our food, filthy bathroom, and the waitress spoke no language at all... The nice thing about the place is when you see it from outside. Stay there...

The food was delicious and the decor made for a really fun experience! Try the beef stew!

I had an excellent pot of mosselin frietje (moules frites; steamed mussels with fries) with garlic sauce. Fresh sage and bay leaf in the sauce, with a deliciously absurd quantity of garlic. Along with a Trappist ale, it was a great dinner. Especially with hundreds of saints and angels watching. I love this place

This is the funkiest, strangest eating and drinking establishment. It resides in the Cathedral's shadows. The place is filled to the brim with cathedral statuary of all kinds. So much creepy religious character LOL, the menu is embossed leather, and the placemats look sacrilegious. Would hate to be trapped in there overnight. Het Elfde Gebod means "the eleventh commandment", when I asked the waiter, he said it means "enjoy your life"... The food was thankfully very good, but I would eat there even if it wasn't. We were looking for a restaurant, and a hairy guy dressed as an old monk with a curved metal staff invited us in. A not-to-be missed experience.

This was the coolest little bar/restaurant I have been to in a long while. My Mom & I were walking around the Cathedral around lunch time & out of the corner of my eye, I noticed religious statues in the windows so when I looked back, I saw it was a restaurant, so we decided to go in & at least take a look inside. We were surrounded by religious statues of Mary, Jesus, etc everywhere. It was really a cool ambiance. We decided to eat here. The food was so good & the beer selection was awesome. The service was fantastic. It's so centrally located. I would highly recommend coming here for lunch one day. Such a great find.

A very uniquely decorated bar. It is filled with artwork, statues, etc. that are religious / Christian in nature. They have a wide selection of beer here. Mussels were okay and the frites were okay, but better can be found in Belgium.

Tried to charge us 7 euro for a candle that went out, drunk waiter kept harassing my friend.

Most bizarre and fascinating interior of a bar I have ever seen. Totally covered with religious figures and statues.. I couldn't stop looking around! We sat inside due to rain but we're very happy we did, to experience the unique decor! We had good service and good food. My husband had mussels which he says were one of the best he has ever had.