It is a high quality address with refined cuisine which has just closed its doors in Brussels. It is indeed the end of the adventure for the gourmet restaurant La Canne en Ville, crowned with a Michelin star and located in the heart of Place Stéphanie since 2022 in the prestigious Steigenberger Wiltcher’s hotel. The news was announced on social networks by its boss Kevin Lejeune. “After years of passion and sharing, La Canne en Ville is definitively closing its doors today. The current situation unfortunately got the better of this gastronomic adventure that we experienced together.”
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Kevin Lejeune wanted to thank his team “ who carried with love and talent the soul of our restaurant day after day » as well as the craftsmen with whom he worked, without forgetting the customers of La Canne en Ville. “ Thank you for your loyalty, your trust and the moments shared around our tables. Every smile and every warm return from you left a lasting impression on us. “. Internet users expressed their sadness and anger in comments: “ Such a shame », « very sad obviously, but you are young and full of talent », « an avalanche of closures at the moment… It’s unfair and very sad », « When will there be a real reaction and real decisions to support the hospitality sector! ? ».
A fatal situation
Since the health crisis, the Horeca sector has been hit hard and is struggling to recover from this period which has left significant after-effects. Kevin Lejeune moved into the Steigenberger Wiltcher’s hotel as restaurants slowly resumed their activity. Some observers suggest that moving before having more foothold may have been premature. La Canne en Ville unfortunately never found its audience. An imposing poster had recently been put up on the facade of the establishment on which the precious Michelin star had been awarded. An approach put in place to undoubtedly attract new customers and remind people of the presence of La Canne en Ville. The establishment was in fact not sufficiently highlighted. We could have completely missed it when we were walking along Avenue Louise without seeing it and discovering its menu. Avenue Louise is often under construction. Obviously, that doesn’t help much…
Kévin Lejeune had nevertheless tried to relaunch and reinvent the activity of La Canne en Ville. Last year, he imagined the “Dark Kitchen Experience” concept, the principle of which was to enjoy a nine-course menu in near darkness. The experience was daring, delicious and gave the opportunity to be up close with Kevin Lejeune who cooked his dishes before our eyes. Despite all these efforts, La Canne en Ville closes its doors. Our colleagues from the DH specify that “ the management of Steigenberger Wiltcher’s wants to take the time to find a fruitful collaboration with a new chef “. As for Kevin Lejeune, he clarified on social networks that a “ page turns but the desire to innovate on the culinary scene does not leave us “. Let’s hope that the chef will very quickly find a new challenge that matches his talent.
