Lonely_Planet_Asia_February_2017

Step into the Paleis op Meir and you’ll find a

place as lavish as you’d expect from a haunt of

Belgian kings and Napoleon Bonaparte: gilded

ceilings, paintings and glittering chandeliers –

plus a lot of chocolate. This is the unusual home

of The Chocolate Line, the second outpost of

Bruges-based ‘shockolatier’ and tireless

experimenter Dominique de Persoone. His

inventions – all made on-site, in a kitchen with

a 19th-century stove – are a fever dream of

outlandish flavours like wasabi, lavender, and

Earl Grey; one chocolate even comes with a

tequila-filled syringe. And they taste good:

‘Miss Piggy’ somehow manages to capture the

flavour and crunch of bacon, while a sundried

tomato, basil and black olive confection mimics

pizza. Also on offer are chocolate lipstick and

‘pills’ certain to cure a broken heart.

l US$5.80 per 100g; thechocolateline.be

The chocolate

Above The ornate

interior of the Paleis

op Meir, home of

The Chocolate Line.

Below Flavours

include bacon, honey,

cabernet sauvignon,

chilli and samba tea

Inset The De
Koninck brewery
tour includes a
virtual spin round
Antwerp.
Below De Kon-
inck has notes of
caramel and tof-
fee and is served
in a bolleke
(‘bolle’ means
round)

Belgium has no shortage of great beers, and

in Antwerp there’s one that’s got to be on the

menu: De Koninck. A symbol of the city, this

malty, mahogany-coloured brew was the

first beer to be made here and, while some

microbrews are just emerging, is now the last to

be produced in significant quantities locally. The

recently revamped De Koninck brewery makes

an unbeatable introduction, with a new tour

that puts the typical shuffle round a yeasty

brewing floor to shame. A hands-on look at the

beer’s history and production, it includes a

primer on beer glasses held beneath a ceiling

glittering with them, a delivery van that hurtles

on a virtual tour of the city, and a last-chance

saloon with a self-playing piano. The final stop

is, happily, the bar, where visitors can

sample De Koninck in its unique glass

• the chalice-like bolleke – and its
  two sister beers, Wild Jo and the
  potent Triple D’Anvers. If this
  all gives you the urge for an
  accompanying snack,
  in-house artisan producers
  are on hand to advise on
  pairing cheese, meat and
  chocolate with Belgian
  beers.
  l Tour with tasting US$11;
  dekoninck.be

The beer