Europe: The famous Viva M’Bomba restaurant in the Saint-Catherine area in Brussels has closed its doors, after 18 years in the capital, according to the sources.
The eatery, which operated out of a small and unassuming space, was renowned for its authentic Belgian cuisine and a variety of speciality meat dishes such as tripe, marrow bones, andouillette, as well as veal brain. Although not to everyone’s tastes, the restaurant continued to be a cult favourite in the city.
The restaurant was incredibly well-liked when it first opened in 2004 when it was initially started by Katie Rubens and afterwards passed on to Tayfun and Atilla Zorsu. Unfortunately, as time went on, evaluations grew more unfavourable, and buyers mentioned “faded glory.”
The restaurant was sold to French business partners in 2013, and they continued to operate it in the same way until 2020 when it eventually became another casualty of the COVID-19 epidemic.
In addition, the restaurant was well known for charging a “Corona Extra” owing to the financial hardship brought on by the epidemic. The French company soon declared bankruptcy and sold the company to the Zorsu family.
The Beyaz brothers, a reputable family who formerly controlled eleven restaurants in Brussels, including the renowned Maison du Cygne on the Grand Place and Brasserie Georges, were related to the Zorsu family. In 2018, the Beyaz group filed for bankruptcy.
The COVID-19 limitation and lockdowns made it difficult for the new owners to maintain the eatery. By June 2022, the restaurant’s demise was inevitable. The restaurant is now closed, and the registration location of the company has changed. If the restaurant will be sold is a matter of debate.
Furthermore, in spite of the loss of the iconic restaurant, Belgium’s culinary tradition remains strong. Two Belgian restaurants recently made their way into a ranking of the top 50 restaurants in Europe. This includes L’Air du Temps in Namur and The Jane in Antwerp.
Furthermore, Belgium’s culinary culture is still flourishing despite the closure of the famous restaurant. Recently, two Belgian eateries were involved in a racial incident.
