Restaurant in Antwerp, Belgium
North Sea fish, Michelin-starred, book early.
Pont Neuf holds a Michelin 1 Star (2024) and a 4.7 Google score, making it the strongest value case for Michelin-starred seafood in Antwerp at the €€€ price point. Chef Tommy Bocklandt's kitchen focuses on North Sea fish prepared with classical precision. Book three to four weeks ahead — this is a hard reservation, and the terrace fills quickly in warmer months.
Yes — if you are serious about North Sea fish and want a Michelin-starred room that does not feel like a performance. Pont Neuf holds a Michelin 1 Star (2024) and scores 4.7 on Google across 102 reviews, which for a seafood specialist at the €€€ price point in Antwerp is a strong signal. It sits a price tier below Dôme and Zilte while offering comparable technical ambition on the plate. Book here if the catch matters more to you than the theatre.
Pont Neuf is at Verbindingsdok-Oostkaai 9, on the eastern quay of the inner dock in Antwerp's northern port neighbourhood. The address is intentional: this is dock-side Antwerp, the kind of area that still feels like it belongs to the city rather than to tourism. The room itself reads as chic and contained — Flemish good taste is the phrase that fits, which means comfortable without being showy. The terrace faces the water and, when the weather holds, it is the clearest argument for timing your visit between late spring and early autumn. In winter or on a grey Belgian afternoon, the interior holds up, but the terrace shifts the experience considerably. If you are returning after a first visit, asking for a terrace table in the warmer months is the single most useful upgrade available to you.
The kitchen's focus is North Sea fish, prepared with a discipline that prioritises the ingredient over the technique. Brill steamed à la normande arrives with a mussel-flavoured white wine sauce; eel comes in a sorrel sauce with celery. These are not trend dishes. They sit in a classical French-Flemish register where the sauce exists to extend the fish rather than distract from it. The cooking is traditional in its bones but precise in execution , the kind of food that rewards attention rather than Instagramming.
The à la carte format gives you genuine choice, which also means the decision at the table takes some effort. If you have been once, you already know the style: go back for whatever North Sea species is freshest in the current season. Late autumn and winter bring richer cold-water catches; spring and summer favour lighter, cleaner preparations. This is a kitchen where seasonality is not a marketing position , it is the practical logic of sourcing from the North Sea. The menu will shift accordingly, so what you ordered on your last visit is not a reliable guide to what you should order this time.
Host Dominique Leroy has a clear preference for Italian wines, with a Barbera d'Alba regularly available by the glass. This is an unusual position for a Belgian seafood restaurant and worth factoring into your order. If you default to white Burgundy with fish, the list will accommodate you, but the Italian direction is where the room's personality sits. Ask what is open rather than working from the list cold.
Pont Neuf is hard to book. The Michelin star, the relatively intimate room, and the neighbourhood's growing profile mean availability is tight, particularly for weekend evenings. Plan at least three to four weeks ahead for dinner; weekday lunch is your leading shot at a last-minute table. The terrace fills quickly once the weather reliably improves, so if that is the specific experience you are after, booking further out in spring is sensible. There is no published booking method in the available data, so check current availability directly via the restaurant's own channels.
| Detail | Pont Neuf | Dôme Sur Mer | Het Nieuwe Palinghuis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisine | North Sea Seafood | Seafood | Eel / Traditional Flemish |
| Price range | €€€ | €€€ | €€ |
| Michelin recognition | 1 Star (2024) | Check current | No star |
| Format | À la carte | À la carte | À la carte |
| Terrace | Yes (dock-side) | Check venue | Check venue |
| Booking difficulty | Hard (3–4 weeks) | Moderate | Easier |
For broader context on where Pont Neuf sits in the city, see our full Antwerp restaurants guide. For planning the rest of your trip, our Antwerp hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide cover the rest.
Pont Neuf fits naturally alongside Dôme Sur Mer and Het Nieuwe Palinghuis for a focused Antwerp seafood itinerary. If you want to extend into Belgium's wider fine-dining circuit, Willem Hiele in Oudenburg is the most direct peer in terms of coastal product focus, while Boury in Roeselare and Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem represent the country's higher-end reference points. For a Brussels comparison, Bozar Restaurant offers a different register entirely. And if North Sea fish has you thinking about its Mediterranean equivalent, Alici on the Amalfi Coast and Gambero Rosso in Marina di Gioiosa Ionica show what the same ingredient-first philosophy looks like in a southern Italian context. Closer to Antwerp, Vrijmoed in Gent and Bar Misera offer useful reference points for how the local scene is developing outside the starred tier.
Book three to four weeks ahead for dinner, particularly on weekends. The Michelin star keeps demand consistently above available tables. Weekday lunch is your leading option for shorter notice. If you specifically want the terrace in summer, add another week or two to that lead time.
The format is à la carte, not a set tasting menu, so you will need to make decisions at the table. The kitchen focuses on North Sea fish prepared in a classical style , sauces are integral, not decorative. The Italian wine list, led by host Dominique Leroy, is a genuine feature rather than an afterthought. At €€€ with a Michelin star, the value-to-quality ratio is strong by Antwerp standards. Come with an appetite and allow time , this is not a quick-turnaround room.
Yes, with the right expectations. The room is chic and intimate rather than grand, so if you want formal ceremony, Zilte or Hertog Jan at Botanic will give you more spectacle. But for a dinner where the food and conversation are the occasion, Pont Neuf is well-suited , Michelin-starred cooking at a price that does not require justification, in a room that does not demand a dress rehearsal.
For seafood at a similar or lower price point, Dôme Sur Mer and Het Nieuwe Palinghuis are the direct comparisons. For starred cooking at a higher price, Zilte offers creative tasting menus with a harbour view, and Hertog Jan at Botanic is the city's most ambitious kitchen at €€€€. If you want French classical rather than seafood-focused, Dôme and Nathan both operate at €€€€.
Pont Neuf is workable for solo dining , the à la carte format means you control pacing, and the room is intimate enough that a solo diner does not feel conspicuous. That said, the venue does not have published bar seating or a counter, so confirm the solo arrangement when booking. For a solo experience with more counter energy, Bar Misera is worth considering alongside it.
There is no confirmed bar seating or walk-in counter format in the available data. Pont Neuf operates as a full-service restaurant, and given the booking difficulty, arriving without a reservation is unlikely to result in a table. Contact the venue directly to ask about any informal seating options.
The room is described as intimate, which typically means capacity is limited and large groups will need to plan carefully. There is no private dining room confirmed in the available data. For groups of six or more, contact the restaurant well in advance , at least four to six weeks , to confirm whether your party size can be seated together. The à la carte format works for groups in terms of ordering flexibility.
The kitchen's focus is narrow , North Sea fish in a classical register , so guests with shellfish allergies or those avoiding fish entirely will find the menu challenging. No specific dietary accommodation policy is published in the available data. Contact the restaurant directly before booking if you or your party have significant restrictions. This is not a kitchen that will easily pivot to a non-seafood menu.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pont neuf | Chic and cosy, the Pont Neuf oozes Flemish good taste, and its terrace is the perfect spot to immerse yourself in the infectious buzzy vibe of this trendy neighbourhood (weather permitting). Dominique Leroy pampers her guests as she shares her love of Italian wines and there is always a bottle of red Barbera d’Alba open for a glass of wine. Chef Tommy Bocklandt’s culinary score demonstrates a distinct preference for North Sea fish. His cooking focuses on preserving the purity of each ingredient, leaving the sauces and side dishes to add complexity. His repertory is traditional, but distinctive. Examples include immaculately steamed brill à la normande, served with an exquisite mussel-flavoured white wine sauce or creamy eel in a bright green sorrel sauce, discreetly seasoned with a hint of celery. Fish, whether it is cooked in stock, braised or fried in butter, is taken to a whole new level thanks to the chef. The only challenge is to make your choice from the extensive à la carte offering!; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | €€€ | — |
| Hertog Jan at Botanic | Michelin 2 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Le Pristine | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Nathan | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Dôme | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Bistrot du Nord | Michelin 1 Star | €€€ | — |
How Pont neuf stacks up against the competition.
Pont Neuf is an intimate room, which makes large group bookings difficult. The setting suits pairs and tables of four better than parties of six or more. If you are planning a group dinner around the Michelin-starred seafood format, check the venue's official channels to confirm capacity before assuming availability.
The venue data references a terrace as a distinct feature, but there is no confirmed bar-seating option in the available record. What is documented is that Dominique Leroy keeps a bottle of Barbera d'Alba open for a glass of wine, suggesting a relaxed approach to service — but do not assume counter or bar dining without checking directly.
It can work for solo diners, particularly given the à la carte format, which gives you full control over pacing and spend at the €€€ price point. The intimate room and attentive host Dominique Leroy make it less formal than many Michelin-starred rooms. That said, the terrace and neighbourhood energy make it feel more sociable than solitary if you are comfortable dining alone.
For seafood specifically, Dôme Sur Mer and Het Nieuwe Palinghuis are the closest comparisons in Antwerp. If you want a different Michelin-level experience in the city, Le Pristine offers a sharper contemporary register. Pont Neuf is the stronger choice if North Sea fish prepared with classical discipline is your priority.
Yes, with the right expectations. The Michelin 1 Star (2024), the attentive service from host Dominique Leroy, and a serious wine list anchored in Italian bottles make it a credible choice for a meaningful dinner. It works best for occasions where the food itself is the event, not the spectacle of the room.
The kitchen's focus is North Sea fish, and the menu is built around that commitment. If you or your guests do not eat seafood, Pont Neuf is the wrong venue. For shellfish or specific fish allergies, contact the restaurant ahead of time — the extensive à la carte format gives some flexibility, but this is not a broad-menu restaurant.
Book at least three to four weeks out, more for weekend tables. The Michelin star, the intimate room size, and the neighbourhood's growing profile in Antwerp all compress availability. Last-minute bookings at the €€€ price point are a risk not worth taking here.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
