Het Elfde Gebod

Basking in the shadow of Antwerp’s majestic cathedral is a cafe that combines everything we Belgians consider sacred: the Virgin Mary and beer.

Het Elfde Gebod (The Eleventh Commandment) takes the religious kitsch theme to a whole new level: it is literally filled from top to bottom with statues of saints and other holy artifacts. Hundreds of eyes gaze upon you in a place where gluttony is too easily indulged due to the wide variety of Belgian beers on offer, not to mention the incredibly tasty ribs.

The atmosphere is simply divine, quite literally, and exudes all the grandeur of a medieval fortress, aided by the robust wooden furniture and large circular chandeliers with (alas) fake candles.

The building that houses this devout pub, an oxymoron if there ever was one, actually dates back to the Middle Ages, but only the arches in the basement are original features – all that could be salvaged from a terrible fire hundreds of years ago.

In 1979, Irene and Jan opened this unique cafe, reminiscent of Antwerp’s artistic Renaissance that was predominantly inspired by Catholicism. In the presence of the most famous saints in history, you only have to keep one thing in mind: “Thou shalt enjoy” (aka the eleventh commandment).

Flanders Today July 8 2009