Famous West End Belgian restaurant celebrates 120th birthday
On September 25th Leon de Bruxelles in the West End celebrated its 120th birthday in style by hosting a grand event. Over the course of the day guests of the Belgian kitchen were treated to many different signature mussels, free Belgian waffles, and rounds of Belgian beer. Food was not the only thing on the menu however as the restaurant also played host to acrobats and chose to have all male staff dress up to resemble newspaper boys.
Notable guests at the event included the Mayor of Camden Jonathan Simpson as well as Janis Winehouse, mother of the late, great, singer Amy Winehouse. The Amy Winehouse Foundation donated a framed record as an auction prize. Other auction prizes on the night included a trip to Lithuania, a cocktail masterclass at the restaurant itself as well as a hamper filled with wine and other treats. All money raised went towards the Amy Foundation, a charity set up by Amy Winehouse’s parents Janis and Mitch, which hopes to raise money and awareness to help combat drug and alcohol abuse.
The event caused quite a stir, with many guests taking to their smartphones and broadcasting over Twitter how wonderful the evening was.
Leon de Bruxelles started life over a century ago in 1893 when its founder Léon Vanlancker opened Chez Leon on the Rue des Bouchers in the heart of Brussels, Belgium. It quickly became famous for its mussels and chips, a dish for which it is still world renowned to this day. The original restaurant still stands, although it now spans across nine neighbouring buildings which are able to serve over a thousand people a day.
Over the years the restaurant gained popularity and new restaurants were opened across Belgium and France until eventually in 2012, it opened a restaurant in the heart of London’s West End , close to Charring Cross Road and Shaftesbury Ave. Since then it has proved a popular destination for theatre goers who flock there in their hundreds each and every day to sample the world famous mussels, which are served in 12 different varieties, accompanied by crunchy chips and best accompanied with Belgian beer.
James Storey, General Manager at Leon de Bruxelles in London said, “We are so proud to be able to celebrate the fact that these wonderful restaurants have been serving great food and drinks for over 120 years. Although the restaurant here in the West End is still relatively new, we hope to carry on the traditions of the original restaurant for many years to come. It was fantastic to celebrate this landmark anniversary while raising money for the Amy Foundation.”
To view the full menu at Leon de Bruxelles and to book a table visit http://www.leon-de-bruxelles.co.uk
Léon de Bruxelles arrived in London in January 2012 . The 220 cover restaurant, including an outdoor seating area available for al fresco dining, is located in the heart of the west end.
The restaurants signature mussels are served in 12 different versions accompanied by crunchy frites & best enjoyed with one of our Belgian beers. The Belgian waffles with chocolate sauce, whipped cream & ice
