On Wednesdays all the Brussels restaurants are crowded, that being Bourse day, and in more senses than one, “ market ” day, when over five thousand strangers, mostly men, come into the city from pro- vincial towns. In conclusion, I may mention that I have failed to discover the restaurant where George Osborne gave his “ great dinner ” to the Bareacres a few days before the battle of Waterloo. Thackeray records that as they came away from the feast, Lord Bareacres asked to see the bill, and “ pronounced it a d bad dinner and d dear ! ” Probably the place, therefore, is extinct ; for happily the double pronouncement cannot be applied to the dinners I have eaten at any of the restaurants mentioned in this chapter. 1 62 The Gourmet's Guide to Europe The Clubs The aristocratic club in Brussels is the Cercle du Parc, generally called the Cercle des Nobles. It is Cercle des situated in the Avenue des Arts, and Nobles, the Belgian Jockey Club* has lately Avenue des Arts taken up its headquarters in an annexe. All members of the diplomatic services are admitted to the Cercle du Parc without ballot. The subscrip- tion is 200 francs a year. Members have the entry to a private stand on the Boitsfort and Groenendael Racecourses. The Cercle de l’Union is a very old-established Cercle del’ Union, and aristocratic club at 56 Rue Royale. 56 Rue Royale It is generally called “ Le Bac,” but there is not much play there nowadays. The Cercle des Sports is a new club on the Cercle des Sports, A,venu^ d<; la Toison d’Or, and Avenue de la takes the place of the old Cercle des Toison d Or Eleveurs. It is a club of sports- men, and the annual subscription is 100 francs. The Cercle Artistique et Litteraire in the Rue de Cercle Artis- ^oi, adjoining the Parc Theatre and tique. Rue de Wauxhall Gardens, is a very useful la Loi club for strangers. Entertainments are given here, and there is a good reading room. The Union Club, that formerly had its quarters at Wiltcher’s Hotel, has removed to premises on the Union Club Avenue de la Toison d’Or. It is an Avenue de la English and American club. Years Toison d’Or. ago there was an English club in the Rue de Trone to which an English billiard-table was left as a legacy by an old member. Round this table the present club was formed, but now the American element predominates. The subscription is small, and temporary members are admitted, Brussels 1 63 AFTER DINNER The Theatre Royal de la Monnaie, the Opera House of Brussels, is just off the Boulevard Anspach, and faces the General Post Office. It is subsidised by the State and the Municipality. An excellent com- pany is always to be found there during the opera season, and prices are much lower than in London. Seats can be booked even in the cheapest parts of the house. On Sunday afternoons popular concerts are often given ; and during Carnival time there are several Fancy Dress Balls. In summer the orchestra of the Opera House performs every evening in the Wauxhall Gardens, adjoining the Park Theatre ; vocal numbers by well-known artistes are included in the programme, and “ Wauxhall ” is one of the pleasantest places to go to after dinner. The seats are arranged round little tables in the open air, and refreshments are served. At the Theatre Royal du Parc high-class comedies are played, in which a “star” from Paris usually appears.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

On Wednesdays all the Brussels restaurants are crowded, that being Bourse day, and in more senses than one, “ market ” day, when over five thousand strangers, mostly men, come into the city from provincial towns. In conclusion, I may mention that I have failed to discover the restaurant where George Osborne gave his “ great dinner ” to the Bareacres a few days before the battle of Waterloo. Thackeray records that as they came away from the feast, Lord Bareacres asked to see the bill, and “ pronounced it a d--d bad dinner and d--d dear ! ” Probably the place, therefore, is extinct ; for happily the double pronouncement cannot be applied to the dinners I have eaten at any of the restaurants mentioned in this chapter. 1 62 The Gourmet's Guide to Europe The Clubs The aristocratic club in Brussels is the Cercle du Parc, generally called the Cercle des Nobles. It is Cercle des situated in the Avenue des Arts, and Nobles, the Belgian Jockey Club* has lately Avenue des Arts taken up its headquarters in an annexe. All members of the diplomatic services are admitted to the Cercle du Parc without ballot. The subscription is 200 francs a year. Members have the entry to a private stand on the Boitsfort and Groenendael Racecourses. The Cercle de l’Union is a very old-established Cercle del’ Union, and aristocratic club at 56 Rue Royale. 56 Rue Royale It is generally called “ Le Bac,” but there is not much play there nowadays. The Cercle des Sports is a new club on the Cercle des Sports, A,venu^ d<; la Toison d’Or, and Avenue de la takes the place of the old Cercle des Toison d Or Eleveurs. It is a club of sportsmen, and the annual subscription is 100 francs. The Cercle Artistique et Litteraire in the Rue de Cercle Artis- ^oi, adjoining the Parc Theatre and tique. Rue de Wauxhall Gardens, is a very useful la Loi club for strangers. Entertainments are given here, and there is a good reading room. The Union Club, that formerly had its quarters at Wiltcher’s Hotel, has removed to premises on the Union Club Avenue de la Toison d’Or. It is an Avenue de la English and American club. Years Toison d’Or. ago there was an English club in the Rue de Trone to which an English billiard-table was left as a legacy by an old member. Round this table the present club was formed, but now the American element predominates. The subscription is small, and temporary members are admitted, Brussels 1 63 The Theatre Royal de la Monnaie, the Opera House of Brussels, is just off the Boulevard Anspach, and faces the General Post Office. It is subsidised by the State and the Municipality. An excellent company is always to be found there during the opera season, and prices are much lower than in London. Seats can be booked even in the cheapest parts of the house. On Sunday afternoons popular concerts are often given ; and during Carnival time there are several Fancy Dress Balls. In summer the orchestra of the Opera House performs every evening in the Wauxhall Gardens, adjoining the Park Theatre ; vocal numbers by well-known artistes are included in the programme, and “ Wauxhall ” is one of the pleasantest places to go to after dinner. The seats are arranged round little tables in the open air, and refreshments are served. At the Theatre Royal du Parc high-class comedies are played, in which a “star” from Paris usually appears.

The gourmet's guide to Europe