BRUSSELS — The Brussels restaurant Au Stekerlapatte of the late Daniël Van Avermaet has been forced to close it doors.

Van Avermaet was a well-known media personality in the 1970s and 1980s, news agency Belga reported on Wednesday.

Together with his wife Jeanine van den Hende, Van Avermaet opened his restaurant in 1979 in the Brussels district of Marollenwijk.

After the sudden death of her husband, Van den Hende continued to operate the restaurant and could relay on a loyal array of customers. Diners ranged from common Brussels residents to artists and writers.

In the city newspaper ‘Brussels Deze Week’, Van den Hende said this week she was suddenly forced to close the restaurant.

“At the end of August, after the summer holiday, we wanted to open again, but that did not go ahead very unexpectedly. The worst thing is that I could not say goodbye to my clients,” she said.

Celebrities such as Jeanne Moreau and Ringo Starr have been sighted in the restaurant in years past.

Van den Hende is now looking for someone to take over the business and is also keen to start writing children’s books.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Belgian news