Neuze Neuze

This restaurant was on my to-​dolist since 4 years and i was very excited to finally give it a try during Restodays.
The location is great and building is very genuine. It breathes the old Antwerp culture with all the different kinds of levels.
When we enter, the host the boss’ 12-​year old son who did a professional job receiving us but I’m a bit sceptical because Neuze Neuze used is recommend by multiple valued magazines for restaurateurs. But I understand that it will be a busy night and staff costs are to high in city centre. What did bother me was the fact that the kid had to yell our table to the maitre D upstairs to escort us to our table. When we were seated they presented us the menu and wine option. We went for a suggested bottle of white wine for the fine price of 20 EUR which i think is very reasonable for this kind of restaurant. Since we are hungry, we order the option second starter, the scallops as well for an additional 8 EUR.
The first starter gets thrown on our table by the hostess, the lady of the house and without even any eye contact or «have a nice meal», we start our Bavarois of Lobster and Broccoli with prawns. Good thing they left the menu or we wouldn’t have known what we were eating. It thought it was pretty good. You could taste the lobster very well in there and the combination with the broccoli was a perfect match. I was disappointed on the prawns though because they were scampi’s. I’d rather had 1 prawn than 3 scampi’s but maybe I’m spoiled.
The second dish which we paid extra for, where 2 scallops accompanied with a bit of soup vegetables that had a bland taste. Scallops were perfectly seasoned and cooked but the overall dish wasn’t worth 8 EUR.
By this time, we are 1,5 hour into service and the time between dishes is getting longer and longer.
The main course was pork with moustardsauce accompanied with potatoes. 3 pieces of meat still seems reasonable size for me and it tasted pretty good to me but my taste pupils were screwed over by the ton of salt on the potatoes. I don’t get it: pork is salty why put a tower of sea salt on each potato. It really ruined my appetite and got stuck hungry.
When they brought the dessert, i was sure I’ll finally got stuffed but nothing was true about that. The dessert was crème brûlée of yogurt and sorbet of forest fruit. The last one was the best thing i had all evening.
My crème brûlée was sour and was served at room temperature so I guess that was the reason i spend so much time in the bathroom the other day. By buddy’s crème brûlée was oversweetend which didn’t made it very appetising to eat. I finished both dished though because i was sooooo hungry but i still regret doing it.
It’s always harsh to pay a big bill if you weren’t satisfied about your food but i still did. They won’t see me there again but i still would recommend people to go there and have a normal every day menu, because i think you get treated better than.
DON’T GO THERE FOR RESTAURANT WEEK OR RESTODAYS though?

Neuze Neuze is located in the centre of the old town close to the Grote Markt and just a few steps from the picturesque Hendrik Conscience Square with its imposing old church
A split-​level restaurant with many nooks and crannies set out on different levels of a 16^th century building, with whitewashed walls, shiny tiles and dark-​brown beams, Neuze Neuze has been one of Antwerp’s leading restaurants for many years.
The cuisine is classic Belgian/​French. Expensive? It can be. Depending on the wines you choose from a 40-​page wine list. If you’re trying not to go too heavy on your credit card, Neuze Neuze offers several set menus including a Discovery Lunch (two courses and coffee for 28 Euros). To that you can add an apéritif and a suggested wine for an extra 19 Euros. Dessert is another extra.
In the evening there is a set menu that begins with an amuse bouche and goose liver with apricots, continues with codfish with a brandade of smoked mackerel and a champagne sauce, then after a sorbet, goes on to a crispy fillet of lamb with creamed cauliflower. The dessert is sheer decadence: a crème brulée with strawberries covered by dark chocolate. And before the you receive bill at 110 Euros per person including accompanying wines, you’ll be offered mocha coffee served with Neuze Neuze’s trademark sweets made with berries and gum Arabic.
If you go a la carte, look out for the grilled scallops with Belgian endive and bacon in a wheat-​beer sauce, or the mould of duck liver with mango and gingerbread toast, to kick off the evening. And for the main, I particularly like the fillet of beef with a tangy Japanese seaweed salad, pomme fondante and Diable sauce.
After dinner smokers can creep off to a private room to enjoy a cigar (or cigarette) and a fine cognac
Dress code? Well, with foie gras, Russian-​style Ocietra caviar on ice lobster and champagne-​dressed scallops on the menu (and that’s just for starters) diners tend to dress to impress, especially at dinner.
Neuze Neuze also has a space for seminars of up to 14 people and offers banqueting facilities for up to 90 people.