Iconic Brussels café La Fleur en Papier Doré faces bankruptcy

One of Brussels’ beloved cafés, La Fleur en Papier Doré (Het Goudblommeke in Papier), has been declared bankrupt, reports Bruzz.

The current managers blame their financial difficulties on the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

The 130-strong cooperative rescued the city-centre institution after a previous bankruptcy some 16 years ago.

"There is no prospect of rapid improvement. All possibilities of support and short-term refinancing via the authorities and the bank have proved vain," they said.

In announcing the news on their Facebook page, the management committee expressed pride in saving the historic address. “Somewhere it is a consolation that we are leaving the museum café today in a much better condition than when we took it over completely neglected 16 years ago.”

Located in Rue des Alexiens, La Fleur en Papier Doré boasts an iconic artistic-literary heritage and was once a regular meeting place for the pioneers of the Belgian surrealist movement. As a popular haunt for some of Belgium’s most illustrious artists and performers, its regulars included Paul Alechinsky, René Magritte, Hugo Claus, Jacques Brel, Louis Paul Boon and Toots Thielemans.

In addition to being a typical dark, pokey Brussels bar serving local specialities, the café is revered for its atmospheric interior. The faded walls bear testimony to its 75-year-old history with an atmospheric collection of works and objects; the courtyard contains a comic strip fresco by De Marck and De Wulf (Stam et Pilou).