History of the Building
Quai du Rempart 39: from photo studio to Restaurant Méandre
Restaurant Méandre is located in the Quartier du Rempart, the part of Quai du Rempart near the Pont de France. Historically, this area was a lively district with many commercial and craft-related activities. The presence of the Semois River, a watermill, and the proximity of the border, a customs post, and an access road (with a bridge) to the town all played an important role in this development.
Like all buildings in this neighbourhood, the house that now hosts the restaurant does not have a very old history. It was rebuilt after the Second World War, as the entire Quartier du Rempart was destroyed during the bombings of May 1940.
From bombed ground to photo studio
The plot on which the restaurant now stands originally belonged to Mrs Jeanne Bertheau. In 1954, it was purchased by Maurice Doffagne and Marie-Louise Dupont, who built a house on the site in 1955. The couple settled there as professional photographers.
The daughter continues the business
Later, the house was passed on to their daughter Marie-Bernadette Doffagne, who ran it for many years together with her husband Jean-François Lagalis as a shop. At that time, Quai du Rempart was a very lively shopping street, frequented by both local residents and tourists, with many businesses and a lot of activity (photo 1985).
The Lagalis-Doffagne shop, which sold photographic equipment, newspapers, tobacco products and even fishing gear, was very successful. For a period of time, the shop was even extended by creating a connection to the premises at number 38.
The shop remained in the hands of the Lagalis-Doffagne family until 2017. (photo 2015)
From newsagent to restaurant
In 2017, the house was sold to Jean-Pierre Schirru and Blanche Colle, who continued to operate the newsagent and tobacco shop for a few more years. After that, the building remained vacant for several years.
In 2021, Patricia Waerniers purchased the building as a second residence.
During the summer of 2022, her son Miguel Teirlinck, together with Lloyd Henneman, launched a pop-up coffee bar in the building under the name House of Bouillon. The project proved promising, and the family decided to renovate the ground floor and first floor to create a hospitality venue.
On 14 July 2023, Miguel and Lloyd were able to open their restaurant, featuring an attractive terrace that immediately catches the eye.
Over time, the establishment evolved from a simple coffee bar into a fully fledged restaurant, and in July 2025, the house was given its new name: Restaurant Méandre. The name is a nod to the region and to the beautiful Semois River, which winds and adapts to its surroundings. Like a river flowing in meanders, they continue to develop their vision, creativity and service to meet the expectations of their guests.
Every day, these two young entrepreneurs strive to offer their customers an excellent meal in a carefully designed and welcoming interior.
Welcome to Restaurant Méandre!