La Fleur en Papier Doré — Restaurant in Brussels

La Fleur en Papier Dore combines several crucial constituents that make a great pub. The style and décor goes for a vintage aesthetic, the wall covered in framed artwork, leaning towards medievalism and floral romanticism tied together cohesively.

The place is one man’s labour of love, Gérard van Bruaene who curated a pub so magnificent it was the meeting place for Magritte and the surrealist set. After his death the place slowly became threadless and eventually ended in bankruptcy in 2006.

After a few attempts to revive the pub, Covid struck and there were serious concerns it would ever re-open. Mercifully, the guys that run Brasserie Verschueren stepped in and revived the place!

Plonk yourself down on one of the bench seats, get warm and cosy and enjoy the atmospheric surroundings. The pub is at once decorous and fussy while at the same time really down-to-earth. If you look at anything below hip height, it’s simple tables, an old tiled floor and plenty of wood. It has a very homely living room area, precisely the sort that always scores highly with me. Once the front door closes the place is contained, the front windows frosted and stained glass so while it lets plenty of light in, you feel detached from the world outside. If you weren’t on holiday and simply needed a place to slowly recline and dissolve into, you could hardly make a better choice than this pub.

As referenced above, this is not as touristy a place, although it does receive a few keen travellers such as myself, and there appears to be a couple of hostels nearby so the crowd is a healthy mixture of both locals and people enjoying it for their first time.

Due to the new association with Verschueren, the beers have been revamped, a genuinely excellent selection at perfectly reasonable prices, elevating the place to a near mythical level. The service was very friendly and it could not have put us at...

La Fleur en Papier Doré is a historic and atmospheric bar in Brussels, celebrated for its deep ties to the city's artistic and literary heritage. This bar is renowned as a former meeting place for members of the Belgian Surrealist movement, including René Magritte and Marcel Mariën. Its bohemian spirit is palpable, with walls covered in photographs, drawings, and handwritten notes from its illustrious past.

The bar offers a warm and cozy ambiance, with its wooden furniture, intimate lighting, and eclectic decor that feels like a step back in time. Its menu features a good selection of Belgian beers, along with traditional snacks such as cheese and charcuterie, making it a great spot to relax and soak in the creative energy.

La Fleur en Papier Doré is more than just a bar—it's a cultural landmark. Its history and unique character attract a mix of locals, artists, and tourists looking for a taste of Brussels' artistic soul. Perfect for an afternoon drink or a quiet evening with friends, it offers a timeless and inspiring experience for those who appreciate history...

Traditional café with very old decoration and a long history, back to the Expressionists era. My last visit done in March 2022 showed many changes from my first visits. The previous owner has sold the bar some 4 years ago. Unfortunately, the beer menu is a bit too conservative and lacking. I expected more Brussels based microbreweries, and there was only 1 De la Senne beer, with a blend of traditional Belgian beer styles like the triple, the abbey beer and the pils. More efforts are put into the food: Belgian dishes (carbonnades and fries, stoemp) and a few fingerfood options like ballekes (meat ball). This is the venue where I had the Flemish kipkap alongside Lambic 5y ago, but no more on the menu nowadays. Still worth a visit if you never visited the venue, but for beer options, there are a couple of more interesting options in the...