New food hall to open in Gare Maritime at Tours & Taxis

A new food hall will open inside the Gare Maritime building at Tour & Taxis this autumn. The permanent installation will feature 10 restaurants and a large covered terrace.

Gare Maritime, which recently won a prestigious European heritage prize, is already home to offices and will soon welcome the public to a new food market. Besides the restaurants and terrace, there will be a central bar and food shops.

It will be managed by beer producer AB Inbev in co-operation with the building’s owner, property developer Extensa. According to Extensa CEO Kris Verhellen, it will be the largest food hall of its kind in Europe.

“We are connected by a passion for pioneering, to set things in motion,” said Verhellen. “We are not content to stick with the status quo. We want to launch initiatives that have an impact.”

Unique location

According to AB Inbev, the restaurants will be on the upscale side, including the presence of some star chefs. The focus will be on quality as well as local and seasonable products. One name has already been released: Bart De Pooter of the two-Michelin-star restaurant Pastorale in Antwerp province.

De Pooter will feature in the ‘steak and burgers’ section. “I am super excited about this new challenge,” he said. “Chefs working together in such a unique location with enthusiastic people all around. This is going to be a fantastic experience for every foodie.”

The project also has “a societal aspect,” said Pieter Anciaux of AB Inbev. “We want to bring Bruxellois together, supporting local entrepreneurs. We will also collaborate with food start-ups and farmers from the area.”