A year after a tragedy shook Avenue du Diamant in Schaerbeek, a new chapter is opening behind the windows of the former Ruya Café, once run by Diana, who was stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend late last year.
The space, long marked by grief, is being reborn as Bistro Mousse, a warm and lively bar-bistro led by three 30-something friends from Brussels, determined to bring people together again.
A friendship turned in an entrepreneurial dream
“We’re three partners,” smiles Raphaël Raguet, who left a job in consultancy to dedicate himself full-time to this new adventure. With him are Antonin Denille, a teacher and passionate cook who will take charge of the kitchen, and Antoine El-Khoury, a bank employee and investor in the project.
The idea took root during the lockdown. “Antonin cooked for two years for our whole flatshare and everyone loved what he made,” recalls Raphaël. “We started talking seriously about opening our own place about a year ago”.
After months of coaching through Village Partenaire, a Brussels support organisation for entrepreneurs, the trio found the ideal spot - though not one without history.
Bistrot Mousse used to be Ruya Café. Credit: The Brussels Times/Léa Huppe
A place with a heavy past
The building once housed Ruya Café, a local bar that became the scene of a tragedy in December 2024. The café’s owner, Diana, was fatally stabbed in the common landing of the building. Despite the intervention of emergency services, she died from her injuries. Her ex-partner was later arrested and placed under investigation for manslaughter.
When Raphaël and his partners discovered the vacant space, they did not know her story. “We met with Diana’s sister and she told us about what happened. It’s a very heavy story,” he says.
“In terms of energy, you can’t ignore that something horrible happened here. But we want to see it as something positive - to bring back life to this place she loved so much. The goal is to keep the place alive, through her and through our own touch as well.”
The friends bought the café’s business assets from Diana’s sister. “She had received other offers that didn’t really fit with what Diana wanted. We’re more in the spirit of keeping her family-friendly vibe,” says Raphaël.
To honour her memory, the three new owners plan to hold a tribute. “We’re still discussing it with her family, but we definitely want her to be remembered here,” they say.
Silent march in tribute to Diana. Credit: Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck
'Mousse': a welcoming bar-bistro
The new name - Bistro Mousse - is a wink to Belgium’s brewing culture. “We love beer foam,” Raphaël laughs. The project aims to stay close to the neighborhood spirit that made Ruya Café a local favourite: “It’ll be a place where you can just have a drink. Not a restaurant, but a small bar-bistro with a short, seasonal menu.”
The cuisine will combine Belgian comfort food with a touch of creativity. “There’ll be classics for lunch, and we will have brunches on weekends like Diana used to,” says Raphaël.
Rebuilding community around a table
For the three friends, Bistro Mousse is not only a business project - it’s a way of contributing to Schaerbeek’s renewal. “We didn’t specifically choose Schaerbeek, but we know there is a real demand for friendly, accessible places here,” Raphaël explains.
Their ambition is to make Bistro Mousse a new local reference point - lively, affordable, and welcoming to all. “We want people to feel good when they walk in. It’s about bringing warmth and conviviality back to a place that deserves to be full of life again,” says Raphaël.
Bistrot Mousse will open in early 2026 after renovations.
