Brasserie Verschueren, Le Louvre and L’Amere à Boire are among the emblematic cafes in the Brussels municipality that have been told to close early for a month after failing to close on time, Bx1 and Bruzz report.
Last week, a number of bars were ordered by the municipality of Saint-Gilles to close between 22:00 and 08:00 for a month for violating local regulations.
Saint-Gilles Mayor Jean Spinette (PS) was behind the order, stating that bar terraces must be cleared by midnight on weekdays and 01:00 on weekends.
"The idea is not to strangle Horeca businesses, but we receive many messages and complaints from local residents," explained the mayor.
"Local residents cannot sleep at night, that is why we have taken action together with the police," Spinette said in comments reported in Bruzz. "During that campaign we found that some cafes were still open more than half an hour after closing time. The rules must apply to everyone."
Illustration picture shows terraces at Parvis de Saint-Gilles, in Brussels, Thursday 08 October 2020. Credit: Belga
Saint-Gilles insists these rules have been in place for a while, with other establishments in the commune, notably around the Chaussée de Waterloo, Chaussée d'Alsemberg or the Barrière de Saint-Gilles, also having been recently sanctioned. The Brazilian bar on the Barrière is also currently completely closed due to sound breaches, reports BX1.
Disproportionate ban
The area around the Parvis de Saint-Gilles is a well-known bar area in Brussels. Both Brasserie Verschueren and Le Louvre are among the most emblematic establishments and both have been hit by sanctions, with Verschueren disputing the measure on social media.
"Mayor Jean Spinette ordered us to close Verschu for 30 days from 10 p.m. because our terrace was only partially closed at 1:35 a.m. on Saturday February 1, the first evening of good weather," the bar said.
The sign hung up for Mayor Jean Spinette in Brasseries Verschueren in March 2026. Credit: The Brussels Times
The bar is decrying the lack of consultation and forewarning. They also criticise the mayor for courting "a new segment of the population, of the sort who say: I’m moving next to a farm and I’m asking for the rooster to be put down."
They also called out the dire situation of bars on the Parvis, where there have been two bankruptcies and six bars that have passed ownership in a matter of months.
"He is doing so at the expense of a tradition of lively local life that existed long before him and which, we hope, will continue after him," the bar said.
L’Amere à Boire, close to the town hall and part of a chain of Brussels bars, has also disputed their sanctions. They say that they were forced to close after a police visit at 1:41 am, while the terrace was, according to the café, being tidied up.
According to BX1, Saint-Gilles is currently working on a new night charter.
