We were on our way home from Holiday in Netherlands to Uk and needed somewhere to stop off and have lunch and also to celebrate our sons 30th birthday. We booked Elfde Gebod and were not disappointed. The foods was really tasty, hearty and plentiful. The staff were so friendly and made Son's day special. Decor was fun

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I rarely leave reviews for bad or “inadequate” service, but this establishment managed to shake me to my core. Have you ever experienced how poor service can turn a decent dinner into a horrendous nightmare? That is exactly how I would describe this place. We arrived without a reservation and were told by the man with curly hair at the reception that we could only keep the table for an hour. That was fair, and we agreed, sitting down at 18:55 and being informed we had to leave by 20:00. The problems began immediately. We waited twenty minutes before anyone even approached our table. When the waiter, Ahmad (or Ahmed), finally arrived, instead of greeting us or asking for drinks, his first words were, “Who seated you here? Was it my colleague?” (For context, there’s no way customers could get a table without being directed by the host in front). We ordered both food and drinks right away, knowing our time was limited. Drinks came quickly enough, but when Ahmad handed us utensils, he practically shoved them into my face when I wasn’t looking. I have never experienced such rudeness in a restaurant before. Our food did not arrive until 19:45, leaving us with barely fifteen minutes to eat. As he set it down, Ahmad added a sarcastic comment to my mother and sister: “How will you finish all this food in fifteen minutes?” At this point, I not at the table since I was so frustrated from previous incident and had to step outside to process what had just happened. At 19:47, before we had even finished our first bites, Ahmad returned with the bill and card machine already in hand. When I asked if we could at least enjoy our meal since it took us 20 mins to order and another 20 until it served, he coldly said this was “normal” and reminded us we had to leave at 20:00. He then added that he could give us to-go boxes for our unfinished food (who in their right mind would take-away cold mussels?) His actions have completely and single-handedly destroyed our appetite and ruined our evening. When I raised the issue with the curly-haired host, his response was that we should have “actively sought staff” if we wanted to order sooner—this while three of his female colleagues were outside smoking during peak dinner hours (I was it first-hand while i was outside). Later, he brought Ahmad back to confront me, and Ahmad had the nerve to deny shoving utensils at me (and even denying that he gave us the utensils which he did) even though my mother and sister both witnessed it. Watching him defend himself so shamelessly was almost insulting. The service continued to deteriorate. When my sister asked if we could move to an empty table nearby so we could at least finish eating, Ahmad told us that every table was fully booked. Yet after I voiced my complaints, suddenly that exact table became available. Another glaring red flag. They eventually offered complimentary drinks and bread, but only after I made it clear that what we wanted was simply an apology. Ahmad’s apology came out forced, the way a child mutters “sorry” when told to by their parents. To make matters worse, he pointed out that the bread and drinks “usually cost money,” as if we should be grateful for their condescension. After spending €160 on mediocre food and enduring some of the worst service of our lives, we had no interest in free bread—we only wanted basic respect. To put this into perspective, before Antwerp we dined at Mémé Gusta in Ghent without a reservation. That restaurant is packed for good reason, and even under time pressure, the staff remained professional, efficient, and courteous. The difference compared to Elfde Gebod could not be starker. At Elfde Gebod, we left feeling cheated of both our money and our time. The mussels were bland, the service was hostile, and the experience as a whole was disgraceful. In the end, Elfde Gebod should honestly rename itself Karen’s Diner, because that is exactly how they treat their customers. The food tasted like it came from Hell’s Kitchen, the staff gaslighted us at every turn, and the entire night was a disaster. Please avoid this place at all costs. Antwerp has no shortage of restaurants and bars where you and your loved ones will actually be welcomed instead of insulted. If anyone including the owner on the feedback below tells you to give this place another chance, they must be smoking some high-quality reefer while replying to this review.

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Best fries in Belgium! We have tried classic fries and beef stew and both were great! Definitely recommend! Ice tea really tasty too 😉

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