Why Pazzo is one of the best wine restaurants in the country (Antwerp)

On a beautiful evening in the heart of Antwerp, we had another appointment at one of our favourite wine restaurants, Pazzo in Antwerp and by extension in Belgium. A few years ago, we had already come here to enjoy a delicious meal. But it had been far too long since we visited. And we did not regret our revisit.

When we first visited, the restaurant was still in the hands of William Wouters. Wouters was or is Belgian top in the sommelier world. He also recently appeared in the programme Culinaire Speurneuzen on Four. In that programme, various Horeca stars went in search of culinary delights abroad. Wouters appeared to have found love in Portugal for some time. Both for wife and winemaker. After a flourishing career in the Antwerp hospitality industry, he nevertheless sought out the Portuguese sun in mid-2015. But Wouters left behind a wonderful legacy and a top team with Pazzo.

Pazzo is a beautiful intimate restaurant with cosy lighting and about twenty tables. Upon entering, you are immediately drawn into the wine story. The inviting and extensive wine cabinet suggests the best. The hostess on duty kindly asks us if we would like to have a drink first in the wine bar upstairs. There, on the first floor, delicious tapas are prepared, served with the better glass. We’ll check out that wine bar later, we thought. We mainly want to know whether Chef Ingrid Neven, Lady Chef of the year 2010 and Master Chef of Belgium in 2011, still belongs to the culinary top…

But first we like to get lost with our thoughts through the fine wine list. This is a wine restaurant that lives up to its name. Not only is the menu extensive and furnished with wines from all over the world, they also know their classics. And, always nice, a large choice of wines by the glass. My dining companion and I decided that evening to go for that other speciality: delicious truffle dishes. What better fit than to choose Piedmontese wines. We saw and drank magnificent Barbera d’Asti and Barolo!

On to the culinary delights then. The maître suggested some dishes off the menu. I myself was tempted by an Eastern tartare. This came beautifully hand-cut with a nice peanut sauce and pickles. A splendid opener. In the main course, my table companion feasted on a delicious risotto with truffle. This was made according to the rules of the art. I decided to go for fresh pasta with truffle cream. We were both spoilt with some extra grated truffle over our dishes. La Dolce Italia was not far away in our minds. Sei un po Pazzo? Perche no!

Practical:

Address: Oudeleeuwenrui 12, 2000 Antwerp

Opening hours:

Phone: 03 232 86 82
Reservation: https://pazzo.be/

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