Sugar and spice and all things nice
About five years ago, 25-year-old Ophélie d’Ippolito swapped her hometown of Liège for Brussels. After a few years in Ixelles and Laeken, she came to Saint-Gilles, where she turned an old newspaper shop on Avenue Jean Volders into a cupcake shop. “After seeing the many delicious bakeries in London, I wanted to create something similar in Brussels,” she says.
“I opened Merrily’s two years ago, and chose to focus on cupcakes, as they weren’t so popular in Brussels back then.” Ophélie says the building has a long and rich history. “I was told that many years ago, my shop used to be an underwear store that counted some ladies of the Belgian royal family among its clientele. It’s a funny coincidence, but most of my customers nowadays are female too.”
The Parvis is at the heart of Saint-Gilles, and is most famous for its market, which takes place every day of the week except Monday. It is also a popular hangout due to its many bars and restaurants. The area has a unique vibe, thanks to its communist past and its multicultural present. Built in 1905, Maison du Peuple (37-39 Parvis de Saint Gilles) is known these days as a popular bar with live music but it was formerly known for being a hotspot for cultural and political debate. In 1914, Russian revolutionary Lenin even came to give a speech here.
Another bar with an interesting past is Brasserie Verschueren (11), founded in 1880 by Louis Verschueren. Once a clandestine meeting place during World War Two, the brasserie has kept its rebellious vibe. Not only do they refuse to serve Coca-Cola, but if you order cheese cubes to go with your beer, you will get a block of Gouda and a knife. “I love Verschueren’s large terrace in front of the church,” Ophélie says. “They also sell nice homemade soup, which is served with buttered bread.”
On the other side of the square, a visit to supporters’ café Brasserie de l’Union (55) is another must, and you don’t need to be a fan of third division team Union Saint-Gilloise to have a good time – the bar has a great beer list and throws a few jazz and rock gigs each week. And if you’re lucky, you might even bump into Brussels-Capital Region’s Minister-President, Charles Picqué, who is honorary president of the club. Not too keen on beer or old Bruxellois bars? Try wine bar Le Bar à Gilles (28) or pop into tea house Cha-Man (49), the latest addition to the square.
If you want to eat in Saint-Gilles, you’re spoilt for choice. The area attracts so many nationalities, from Moroccan to Polish to Portuguese, and you can see this reflected in the food available, with restaurants and shops serving food and drink from all over the world. “I recently discovered Bar España (9 Rue de la Victoire) and its lovely paella,” Ophélie says. “For a quick lunch when I’m in my shop, I go to Latin food shop Pueblo Latino (52 Avenue Jean Volders) for their homemade rice balls with spicy sauce, or to local butcher’s Frank (185 Rue Jourdan), who sells the best club sandwiches in town. During the weekend, I often visit Gina and Tony’s Italian food stall on the market – I love their pecorino cheese.”
But the neighbourhood’s most exotic eatery must be Le Vieux Mila (28 Rue de Moscou), where they serve spicy dishes from Cameroon. Coimbra (54 Avenue Jean Volders) is a renowned Portuguese restaurant, a few steps from La Porteuse d’Eau (48 Avenue Jean Volders), which is famous for its Belgian cuisine as well as its selection of Belgian beers.
Fans of organic food are welcome at Fairtrade food and gift shop Ozfair (9 Avenue Jean Volders), and cosy eateries Sikou (31) and Les Nourritures Terrestres (43), both on the Parvis. Order some delicious lentil soup at Les Délices de Meknes (10). And there’s good news for pizza lovers: if all goes well, the Parvis should see a new branch of Mamma Roma open in the coming months.
In the middle of the hustle and bustle, there are two churches that gather the community for a moment of peace and quiet, as well as the Fraternity of Jerusalem nunnery on the Parvis (see issue eight of The Bulletin for the full story), which opens its doors to the general public for a prayerful lunch every day except Monday. The church of the Polish Catholic Mission down on Rue Jourdan is so popular that people have to queue to get in.
And on the Parvis, the Church of Saint-Gilles gathers Italian, Spanish and French-speaking Catholics for a service in their language. “I’m not really religious, but every now and then I pop into the church,” Ophélie says. “It’s quite pretty on the inside, but more importantly, it’s so quiet. It provides a nice break from the noise outside. When I wanted to burn a candle the other day, I had to buy it from a candle vending machine. I never thought I’d see that in a church...”
Ophélie says: “I love the bustling atmosphere of the area: there’s always something to do. There are also many young people living here, which gives it a good vibe. The constant roadworks and busy traffic, on the other hand, make it rather noisy.”
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
Property:
Mainly large terraced houses with high ceilings and wooden floors. Renting a two-bedroomed apartment costs about €800 a month. There is good availability in the to-buy market, with prices per square metre averaging at €2,000 (Vlan Immo).
Transport:
Saint-Gilles tram station (lines 3, 4, and 51) leads you straight on to the Parvis. Bus stop 48 is just by the church or you can walk a couple of minutes to metro station Porte de Hal, on lines 2 and 6.
Meet the neighbours:
Saint-Gilles is very multicultural, with a large mix of Belgian, Arabic, Mediterranean and Eastern European families. It’s home to a rather young population as well, which boosts its hip ratings, even though it is the third poorest commune in Brussels.
Photo by Dieter Telemans
