Halles Saint-Géry set for food market makeover

Plans have been unveiled for a new covered food market in Brussels' beautiful Halles Saint-Géry, minutes from the Bourse.

With nine food stands and catering concepts, Thierry Wauters, director of the organisation responsible for the Brussels region’s cultural heritage, which manages the site, said the aim was to make the Halles Saint-Géry a hotspot for Brussels’ food culture lovers, but added: “It will not be anything too ‘bobo’.”

The plan is to install a market on the entire ground floor of the majestic neo-Renaissance building, in the style of the Marché des Enfants Rouges in Paris or Rotterdam’s Market Hall.

The aim is to find small-scale “artisans”, rather than the usual big names found in a food market such as Wolf or Fox. Wauters does not want his concept to be seen as just another food market – especially after criticism of the renovated Bortier Gallery, that its bookstores had been taken over by eateries.

“The goal is really to put heritage back in the spotlight by giving the original function back to these halls, built in 1881. We want to offer traditional Brussels dishes, and all stands must also have accessible prices,” he told Bruzz.

Wauters also highlighted the lack of local shops in the neighbourhood – something he wants this project to remedy. The idea is that local residents can easily go to the Halles for groceries and mix with passers-by or tourists coming to get a sandwich, a drink or just to admire the building.

No decisions have been made as to who will run the stands, Wauters said, but he wants a balanced offering. With a building permit already secured, his goal is to open the market by March 2026. In time, he told Bruzz, he would like to organise a weekly food market around the Halles, in addition to the covered one.

In recent years, as well as boasting a popular cafe and food bar in the evenings, the Halles Saint-Géry has served as a space for exhibitions on its ground and first floor, and even in the cellars. The Halles also houses an information point about the heritage of the Brussels region.

Wauters said that the exhibitions will not stop with the new venture and will still be held on the first floor and basement. “Moreover, they will also be open later than 18.00,” Wauters said. “The principle remains the same: you can still enter exhibitions for free, without any obligation to eat or drink anything.”