Désiré de Lille

Items Selected:
Double Espresso
Waffle with Cherries and Chantilly
Smoutebollen
Making a daytrip to Antwerp, the drive smooth once one finally makes it out of the early morning tree-​sap of Brussels traffic, it was just past 10h00 when an entrance was made at Desire de Lille Restaurant and Tea Room, the historic favorite of tourists unfortunately living up to recent rumors that it only exists as a shell of its former self with an overpriced menu and even the audacity to charge those dining in a restroom fee.
Known for its Dutch Specialties including Pancakes, Waffles and fried balls of Dough plus Ice Cream and Sundaes, those opting to dine at Desire de Lille during morning hours are likely to find the sizable space mostly empty and with nearly one-​on-​one service offered as the cleaning crew tended to their daily duties it was after only a few minutes that an order was decided, a double espresso with ice arriving alongside a small waffle bite with a pair of items from the kitchen only a few moments away.
Not especially friendly for a tourist spot, the young server English fluent but clearly preoccupied with chatting up kitchen staff while intermittently checking his phone, Coffee at Desire de Lille is better than average for Belgium while the € 9.90 Waffle with Cherries and Chantilly was not as crisp or sizable as many, the powdered sugar-​topped Smoutebollen a far better bargain for just € 4.90 though not particularly interesting past the first two or three.

I gave this place a second chance, but regretted it. Normally I don’t say these thing but in this case I just have to… You shouldn’t go here. The quality of the food is not that good. I didn’t like the pancakes this time, but can’t say anything bad about the ice cream. The service is a disaster! They hire not enough waiters for this crowd. It’s very noisy and busy. I don’t understand why it’s still so popular! It took so long before the waiter got to our table and I finished my pancake before the children ice-​cream appeared!!!

Huge establishment and it was crazy busy when we went. It must be the European custom to just seat yourself anywhere because my boyfriend and I stood at the front door for a 5 minute with workers running around without stopping to ask us if we were being helped. Perfectly OK waffle, but definitely not life changing. If you find yourself not getting a chance to stop by this place, you’re not missing out.

BETTER. NOT BEST.
After the Waffle Factory fiasco, we went in search of another waffle restaurant in the area. This place has two locations — a take away place on the corner and then this location just down the street.
Service is mediocre. Servers are moderately friendly.
The menu of waffles is extensive, but still less than what I had hoped for. It does cater to tourists, so my expectations were higher. Still, I ordered a waffle with chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I THINK it was vanilla. It lacked any flavor.
The waffle itself was light and crispy — a bit too crispy on the outside and a tad greasy, but MUCH better than my previous experience. I’m not sure Antwerp is the place to eat waffles… perhaps, Brussels. I’ll let you know.

Qualité de la nourriture médiocre et service inexistant. En plus les toilettes sont payantes même pour le client. Nous aurions pu aussi bien partir sans payer.

Great place for lunch and for waffles. Great coffee as well.
We had the chicken curry smos and then came back for waffles with strawberries and whip cream. Delicious!!!
The place is very large with a patio and an upstairs so lots of seats to chose from.
Can’t wait to go back on our next trip to Antwerp!

Before coming to this tearoom, I was not interested in waffles at all. But since here… I can’t resist the temptation of a good waffle!
The place is large, and crowded… not really cozy for sit down and have nice conversations… but waffle is just awesome!

A chaque fois que je me rend à Anvers que se soit avec la famille ou des amis je les amèné ici. Tout est délicieusement bon; crêpes, gauffres, beignets, glaces. Tout est artisanal. Il y a toujours énormément de monde c’est donc parfois difficile de trouver une place mais ça vaut la peine d’attendre ;)

Try the Desire de Lille special it’s an amazing ice cream waffle combo. I make sure to stop by this place every time I’m in Antwerp. You will not be disappointed !

Everything you love about breakfast. Find out what Belgians love the most here. Great place for a casual breakfast or lunch. They offer plenty of pancakes, waffles, crepes, and more. I stopped in here with my Dutchman for something sweet and tasty for him to eat. This is also a cool place to go for big groups. Reminds me a lot like Dennys or ihop from the states but without the 24 hour service, it has an old fashion diner appeal to it.

Lovely place to spend a afternoon coffee or small snack with family or friends. Friendly staff and variety of pptions

Bought a waffle at their street vendor down the block and it was pretty good. Stopped by again and got a coffee and some friends got waffles. They don’t serve Leige Waffels in the café, but they do the waffles with all the random toppings. Coffee was very good. It’s very nice inside and the wait staff was friendly. Pay toilet in the back.

Les choix né manquent pas à Anvers pour manger un bout entre deux séances shoppings. A côté des grandes enseignes de fast-​food ou des restaurants plus coûteux il y a Désiré de Lille.
Un grand établissement avec terrasse à l’arrière, très agréable quand le soleil pointe son nez.
Par contre autant j’adore cet endroit, autant les deux fois où je m’y suis rendue, j’ai été malade… Né me demandez pas pourquoi mais sachez que c’est frustrant parce que vraiment, cet endroit est extra!