Former Daringman cafe to reopen as Au Derby

Brussels' former Au Daringman cafe is to reopen under new ownership at the end of this month - and under a new name, Au Derby.

Au Daringman, on Rue de Flandre, closed its doors last December when long-time operator Martine Peeters' lease on the premises came to an end.

The popular Art Deco cafe, which dates from 1942, has now been taken over by drinks supplier and pub landlord Horeca Logistics Services (HLS) and will be run by Piet Lambrechts and Bibi Cauwelier.

According to Bruzz, the interior will remain largely the same. An attempt to have its decor classified last year was ultimately rejected.

"We already thought Au Daringman was a fantastic cafe, so we are not going to change much,” Lambrechts told Bruzz.

"It should above all be a cafe where Brussels residents of all ages can meet, a place where you can meet up with friends, but also a pub where you can start talking to strangers. Especially in these times, there is a need for such places."

The pair are still considering what food options the bar will offer, but a fully fledged restaurant service is out of the question.

The bar will reopen at 15.00 on Wednesday 30 April. Au Derby is a reference to the Brussels football derby, the Zwanzederby, played between Union Saint-Gilloise and Racing White Daring Molenbeek.

New landlord HLS has come under fire recently, with cafe owners protesting in central Brussels last month against so-called "stranglehold contracts" - an obligation to only purchase certain brands of drinks from the distributors from whom they rent their premises.

But HLS chief executive Jean-Michel Courtoy told Bruzz: "Without us, there would be far fewer cafes and a lot of iconic ones would no longer exist. If we hadn’t bought Au Daringman, it would probably have become a residential project, an Airbnb or a fast food joint."