6:00 AM opening makes Café Antwerp the first stop airside
Café Antwerp sits post-security in Antwerp International Airport (Deurne), opening daily at 6:00 AM and closing at 8:00 PM, so it covers the first departures and most evening flights. It’s a small local Belgian café, not a chain, and keeps prices in the low “$” tier compared with big-city airport standards.
The menu leans Belgian: the signature Antwerp Waffle shows up on almost every table and usually lands under €7 with toppings. Coffee runs in the €2–€3 range depending on espresso vs cappuccino, and you can grab a basic sandwich or pastry without breaking €10 total. That makes this one of the cheaper sit-down options you’ll see in a European airport.
Since everything is post-security, you can sit here until about 20–25 minutes before boarding for most Schengen flights out of ANR. The space is compact, so in the 7:00–9:00 AM peak you might see most of the 30–40 seats taken. Outside those hours, turn times are quick and food usually appears within 10–15 minutes of ordering.
Order the Antwerp Waffle first if you’re only stopping briefly; it tends to arrive faster than made-to-order sandwiches. There’s typically a small set of local Belgian beers in bottles or cans behind the counter, handy if you want a taste of Antwerp before a short hop to London or another European city. Expect simple cold sandwiches rather than full hot plates during mid-afternoon.
Watch out for the 7:00 AM rush when multiple departures stack, since lines at this single café can run 5–10 minutes just to order. If your boarding pass shows a tight 30-minute turnaround at the gate, grab a coffee to go instead of sitting down. Tip: order and pay in one go, then keep your hand luggage with you at the table so you can walk straight to boarding when your gate calls.
Antwerp Waffle