Iconic Brussels cafe named best bar in Europe

The new edition of the European Bar Guide has looked favourably on Belgium in its latest rankings and even granted Brussels’ La Fleur en Papier Doré a near-perfect score of 9.7/10, putting it at number one in the top 100.

A legendary artists’ haunt - René Magritte, Jacques Brel, Hergé and Pierre Alechinsky were counted among its patrons - and symbol of the local heritage, the bar was named best bar in Europe.

The score of 9.7 is unusual for the European Bar Guide, which rarely gives a perfect score and describes bars with a score of nine or higher as “an excellent venue that does a series of important things really well, far and beyond the norm, to enhance your experience – the kind of place you want to make your local and cheerlead”.

When it comes to La Fleur en Papier Doré (Het Goudblommeke in Papier), the bar guide praised the quality of the drinks, including craft beers from Brasserie Verschueren and De La Senne, as well as a solid choice of cocktails and alternative options.

“La Fleur en Papier Doré combines several crucial constituents that make a great pub,” the guide said.

“The style and décor goes for a vintage aesthetic, the wall covered in antique framed artwork, leaning towards medievalism and floral romanticism overall - not always comfortable bed fellows and yet it is all tied together cohesively, and it feels permanent rather than thrown together on a whim over a weekend.”

Describing it as a "labour of love" by creator Gérard van Bruaene, it noted a decline in 2006 after his death and then successful revival following a takeover by Brasserie Verschueren.

“Plonk yourself down on one of the bench seats, get warm and cosy and enjoy the atmospheric surroundings,” the guide advises.

“The pub is at once decorous and fussy while at the same time really down-to-earth. Once the front door closes the place is contained, the front windows frosted and stained glass so while it lets plenty of light in, you feel detached from the world outside.

"If you weren’t on holiday and simply needed a place to slowly recline and dissolve into, you could hardly make a better choice than this pub."

The iconic Brussels bar was not the only Belgian establishment to get a nod from the guide. The top 10 include Retsins Lucifernum (ranked 3rd) and t'Brugs Beertje (4th) in Bruges, Le Pot au Lait (8th) in Liege, and Kulminator (10th) in Antwerp.