DOJO IZAKAYA - Antwerp

Kenneth R.

The food and more importantly the experience is absolutly amazing! The interior makes you feel like you are in New York. The quality of the ingredients are just sublime! One word, go visit and and endulge yourself in a new experience!!

Antwerp F.

Let me start by saying Dojo is not a restaurant, it is an experience. This hidden gem takes you on a 4 hour journey of pure flavours. I was served a curated selection of the best ingredients which were brought together in the most flavourful way possible. Every bite took me on a journey and made me say “Oh wow”. The non-alcoholic pairing by botan distillery was very surprising to me, and really complimented the courses, a true game changer as someone who doesn’t drink alcohol. The setting itself is also very unique. I found myself in an old “hangar” converted into a futuristic space. Cool beats, coloured lights changing through the sequences of the menu, audio visualisers, these are just a few of the unique things that define the atmosphere in the room. Central in the room, there is an outdoor garden where the chefs prepare the fish and meat on a traditional hibachi grill. I joined the chefs as they were preparing food in this patio, and very nice conversation with them. This one of a kind experience comes with a price tag but it is definitely worth it in my opinion. This is a must-visit for every foodie!

Christophe G.

This place is one of a kind! A must visit if you're in love with food! I have visited DOJO multiple times and Dennis and his team keep on surprising their guests every time again! Very unique location in Antwerp serving the best dishes I have ever had! They also have really nice sake and wines!

Albano M. J.

From the eclectic place to the warm welcome, the quality and freshness of the food and the chef’s knowledge of sake and the way he prepared every dish, it was worth the wait! Definitely a must try! We learned so much, the chef and his wife have a passion for Japanese cuisine and his knowledge of each products, condiments he served and is gladly sharing with his guests is just added bonus to the meal. We will certainly come back ! Thank you again for a wonderful evening . A full experience for all the senses !

kcin A.

A pure adventure into the unknown, but have not regret it a second:
- Marvellous fresh and home dry aged fishes, very hard to top;
- Amazing mixture of tastes, some are very creative and unique;
- A pure and chill attitude from the whole staff, their only care is you;
- Amazing own distilled saké with crazy flavours;
…

Will come back for sure, should be on everybody’s bucket list if you want to reach outside your comfort zone.

Roderick B.

Disclaimer: this review is about dojo izakaya in the part of the former dojo (1.0), not the actual restaurant dojo 2.0.
As my gf and I walked by dojo we noticed a sign mentioning bar food and karaoke. As Dojo has been on our list for a while (and we love karaoke) we immediately wanted to give this a try.
We were brought to a big space where we sat down. At first we were unsure if this was a waiting area given the lack of any people, music and brightly lit walls. After 15-20 mins we were finally approached by a waiter.
Since it was bar food we wanted to order a few things first and see if we’re still hungry, but we were told they don’t want to bother the chef (giving us a very unwelcome feeling, as if we are not paying guests all the same) more than necessary, so it would be better to order everything at the same time.

By that time there was some music on and we got our drinks, which were an absolute highlight. We also inquired about the karaoke which was indeed in this room. Fast forward 90 mins and we finally got our first order of food.
We were told the sushi was no longer available (perhaps better to give this info when ordering and not 100 mins later) and when we finished our second dish, we inquired to cancel our last one as we just wanted to leave at this point since we felt very tired.
This was unfortunately impossible and after another half an hour this platter came out as well.
It was accompanied with a bowl of oysters on the house -for the wait-, which was very attentive but both of us don’t eat oysters unfortunately.
The portions were quite sizeable for barfood and the wagyu beef gyoza was fantastic, but the experience left us very disappointed.
This room and concept certainly have a lot of potential (with a sort of speakeasy vibe), but the execution feels like an afterthought and certainly needs a lot more effort put in it (perhaps this concept only started recently and they still need to figure out the specifics?)

All in all I cannot recommend anyone to go here at this time, unless they don’t mind feeling like inferior guests in the back of the restaurant. Hopefully they can tackle these issues and we can revisit at some point..

Anna L.

A very special place in the best meaning. Underground and unique, not a typical restaurant. Food is always delicious. I’ve never tried so tasty sake before. I love the atmosphere there, you feel like you are a very welcome guest, not a customer. Very artistic place. I love it

Marijke B.

Bijzondere avond in de DOJO in Antwerpen! Speciaal vanuit Nederland hier naartoe gekomen om dit eens mee te maken. Heerlijke gegeten met voortreffelijke bijpassend sake en thee arrangement. Vriendelijke laagdrempelige bediening die goede uitleg geeft over de gerechten en dranken. Kortom een echt aanrader!!