Our story
The Clément family
Chez Clément: such a beautiful family story, passed down from one generation to the next.
Brasserie Chez Clément is a family-run Belgian brasserie in Genval (Walloon Brabant), handed down within the same family for five generations. From the place known as « Bruyère à la Croix » to a brasserie open seven days a week, from farmstead to wine bar. The setting has been transformed over the years, yet the spirit of the house remains the same.
Six generations, one and the same house
Brewer, lemonade-maker, wine merchant, restaurateur: each generation made its own contribution without ever leaving the family property.
1858 · 1904
Henri & Sidonie: A farmstead at the Bruyère à la Croix
Henri Clément (1858), great-great-grandfather of the current owners, inherited together with his wife Sidonie Vande Sande part of the property they occupied together. At the place known as « Bruyère à la Croix », in Genval, the farmstead, whose trace survives in 1904, brought together a main dwelling with cowshed, stable, barn and land.
1923
Jules & Marie-Lidwina: The brewer turned lemonade-maker
Their son Jules Clément (1881), a brewer, and his wife Marie-Lidwina bought the property at public auction on 23 September 1923, then acquired a neighbouring plot in 1937. Jules also turned lemonade-maker: he bottled the water from the many springs on the property and produced refreshing drinks, until 1940, when he kept only the waters and the beer. His son Marcel (1925) took over the business in the early 1950s.
1954 · 1996
Marcel & Andrée: Marcel's wine bar
In 1954, Marcel Clément and his wife Andrée bought the house and enlarged their land. A great lover and connoisseur of wines, Marcel set himself up as a merchant, then in 1976 opened a small wine bar at 228 rue de la Bruyère, one of the first to serve grands crus by the glass. Andrée, a fine cook and expert in roasts and lamb navarins, prepared homemade terrines and tartes Tatin there. "My father was a character in every sense of the word, a deeply erudite man who had friends in every layer of society," recalls his daughter Bernadette, known as Babette. It was at number 230 rue de la Bruyère that the tavern « Chez Clément » would be born.
1996
France: France takes up the torch
In 1996, France Clément took over the house on a suggestion from her father. In the middle of a divorce, with three children, she started cautiously: six tables in her living room. Word of mouth and her many friends did the rest. The epicurean moved up to twenty tables, hired a chef and, every year, reinvested to expand: a second room, a third, the terrace. Her eldest daughters Julie and Valérie lent a hand. It was also the era of the wild Thursday nights: the music blaring, people dancing, a DJ setting up. A tradition was born.
2021
Marie & Gilles: A new company, the same spirit
Marie, France's daughter, first did everything to flee a hospitality trade that had "stolen" her mother from her, before sensing the inheritance: the gift for connection, empathy, the family spirit. After a bachelor's degree in hospitality at Vatel (Lyon), she returned to her mother's side in 2018. Her meeting with Gilles Verleyen, a self-employed entrepreneur, proved foundational: together they created the company J and JJ Brasserie, which took over the restaurant in 2021, and they married in the just-refurbished glasshouse. He on management, she on operations: two sunny, complementary personalities who brought the establishment up to standard without touching a setting so dearly loved.
Tomorrow
June: The next in line
Marie and Gilles's daughter has already given notice: the next boss will be her. But we're not quite there yet.
The major works
Since the 2021 takeover, the house has been reinventing itself in three phases, towards an establishment that is up to standard and more understated, without ever touching a setting we love so much.
Phase 1 · from 2021
A gentle metamorphosis
A vital but invisible renovation: insulation and electrics done over from scratch. The refurbished glasshouse swapped its space heaters for underfloor heating and now offers an ideal temperature all year round. As soon as the sun is out, it opens up and becomes a terrace, with no fear of the rain.
Phase 2
A rethought kitchen
The kitchen grew from 34 to 100 m² and moved closer to the glasshouse, to smooth out organisation and production. Hot and cold zones, positive and negative cold rooms, a stores area: a heavy but indispensable investment given the rise in the number of covers.
Phase 3 · September 2026
A new bar, the heart of the house
The old kitchen makes way for a more central bar, to serve faster: high and low tables or a counter, and above all a very extensive list of homemade cocktails and mocktails, a renewed wine list showcased in a glazed cellar. The terrace, enlarged, will be reimagined; in 2027, a new private room will come to life for groups and birthdays.