Brussels' big plan to rid Îlot Sacré of 'tourist trap' image

In the run up to the 1958 World's Fair in Brussels, a plan was developed to demolish large parts of the old medieval neighbourhood centred on the Rue des Bouchers to make automotive access to the Grand-Place easier. The ensuing outcry stopped the plan and in 1960 the Îlot Sacré - Holy Isle in the sense of being inviolable - was officially consecrated.

The neighbourhood continued to be a favourite of locals, visiting celebrities and tourists alike - little streets with ancient buildings filled with typical, age-old Brussels restaurants serving the best in Brussels food. But over the years, neglected by the civic authorities, the area has devolved into a tourist trap filled with mostly characterless restaurants serving lousy food and employing aggressive touting tactics to catch unwary tourists.

Things are now finally changing. The city has embarked on an ambitious plan with a major refurbishing of the area, while enforcing regulations to weed out the worst restaurants and at the same time attract quality local restaurateurs.

The refurb is being spearheaded by Marion Lemesre, alderwoman for economic affairs for the City of Brussels. She says six measures have been taken.

"First, in order to open up the public space, lots of illegal terraces and menu boards that crowd the already very narrow streets and alleys have been removed. Second, the entire streetscape will be renovated with work to begin this month. Third, our project will provide beautiful street furniture for the restaurants and cafés of the area.

"Additionally, outdoor terraces will be strictly seasonal - April through October - and the entire area will receive new, comprehensive Christmas lighting that will integrate the neighbourhood into the rest of downtown's holiday lighting.

"And last, but certainly not least, the city's Team Horeca will be stepping up the frequency of inspections, emphasising adherence to health and safety rules and, extremely importantly, touting, which is illegal, will be much more controlled and very strictly fined."

For the final touch to the renovation and restoration of the area, the private housing project Gallica is being built in the heart of the neighbourhood on a lot which has been empty and overgrown for decades. It means bringing back one of Brussels' favourite streets, the Rue d'Une Personne (so narrow only one person fits) which will now lead to the new Place de Deux Personnes in the heart of the project.

Under new management

One of new quality restaurateurs setting up in the neighbourhood is Julien Van Beneden of the restaurant group Accueil et Traditions, which recently took over two of the area's most celebrated restaurants, Chez Vincent and Scheltema.

"They are true institutions," he says. "Our goal with this sort of restaurant is to bring back the soul of the tradition. Chez Vincent was a meathouse - originally it was a rotisserie and we looked for a real butcher, a Belgian who knows about meat to be our supplier.

"So when we met Hendrik Dierendonck it was a match made in heaven. Like us his aim is to combine the professional skill of today with the quality of the past. He's a daring person, tasting, tasting, tasting to create new flavours, new mixtures of herbs, making pastrami, ham, patés, amazing things.

"He supplies us with Rouge de Flandre, a prized beef that exists only in West Flanders. We also offer Hostein and we have both aged beef - very trendy right now - and regular beef. The chef has worked here for 30 years and he has his own recipes, everything is made in-house and he and his staff are very proud to prepare them."

Diners enter the restaurant through the kitchen. "The décor is unique," says Van Beneden. "The dining room walls are completely covered in Brussels ceramic tiles which depict elaborate scenes of the Flemish countryside and seaside. All dishes are finished at the table in classic professional service. Food is very cultural and here it's as if you are in a museum of the memory of Brussels."