Friday, May 20, 2011

Dansing Chocola

Don’t get excited. The name is a remnant of a previous life and in fact there is no dancing and not a lot of chocolate in sight. Yet the interior of this intimate retro cafe is worth the trip even if there’s no dancing to be done.

Close to Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Dansing Chocola has a summer terrace that is almost as famous as some of its customers. During the day, it’s a quiet place where you can eat typical Belgian dishes (anyone for frikadellenkoek met kriekskes?), drink a beer and while away the night. After the eating is over, it becomes a packed hotspot aimed at the twentysomething and thirtysomething crowd and the patrons are as diverse as the lively music. Under the warm glow of dozens of light bulbs, each accompanied by its own personal lampshade, you can enjoy the view from the intimate mezzanine or stay down below close to the old-fashioned wooden bar. Everything is perfect except the beer, which quickly loses its head.

Vibrant Tangram and Gaudi-inspired mosaics can be found all over the place while the route to the toilets is indicated by a mermaid’s protruding breasts. Decorated in warm and inviting colors, Dansing Chocola is filled with books and antiques to create an intimate atmosphere. What more could you ask for, apart from a dance floor and some chocolate maybe?

Flanders Today April 1 2009

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