Ganshoren (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – After 43 years in Ganshoren, San Daniele, owned by Spinelli, relocates to Sint-Martens-Bodegem, opening November 4, 2025, with more space, parking, and plans to regain its Michelin star.
As VRT News reported, after 43 years on Keizer Karellaan in Ganshoren, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium, the well-known Italian restaurant San Daniele is relocating to the village square of Sint-Martens-Bodegem, part of Dilbeek.
The redevelopment of Keizer Karellaan will cut the number of parking spaces almost in half. Spinelli also noted ongoing cleanliness issues in the area, which are expected to continue during construction work.
What’s next for San Daniele after leaving Ganshoren?
The redevelopment has caused concern among local business owners. The Ganshoren Traders Union warns that more than half of the businesses on the avenue could be at risk. Chairman David Steegen said that the reduction of parking spaces, introduction of paid parking, and additional taxes could weaken the street’s economic activity. Local traders fear that fewer customers will visit the avenue without enough parking.
“Without solutions, we risk becoming a commercial desert,”
Chairman David Steegen
In Sint-Martens-Bodegem, Italian chef Spinelli has opened a new location that offers parking, a garden, and a terrace. The space became available after chef Thomas Locus closed his Brasserie Julie to focus on his renovated restaurant, Agnes.
Spinelli said Locus suggested the location when he was searching for a place in Flanders. San Daniele is scheduled to open on November 4th, 2025, at the village square in Sint-Martens-Bodegem. Reservations for the opening night are already fully booked.
“Our customers are very satisfied. So far, we haven’t received a single negative comment. 80% of our customers come from Flanders, and for Brussels residents, it’s only a 6-kilometre drive,”
San Daniele.
Spinelli stated that the loss coincided with his brother’s depression and the passing of their father. The restaurant team has since been strengthened, and his brother has returned to work.
“We have customers who have been loyal to us for forty years. Our first goal is to continue our story in a new location. And ultimately, we also want to earn back our star,”
he added.
San Daniele originally opened in 1982 in Brussels and received its first Michelin star in 2004 and held it for almost 2 decades until 2023. The restaurant gained a reputation for traditional Italian food and Belgian fine dining over the years.
The Sint-Martens-Bodegem move comes after the chef Thomas Locus closed Brasserie Julie in 2025, thus leaving the premises available. The restaurant has previously experienced running difficulties at the beginning of the 2020s as a result of family personal challenges in the Spinelli family, but the staff has since been rebuilt.
Brussels Morning is a daily online newspaper based in Belgium. BM publishes unique and independent coverage on international and European affairs. With a Europe-wide perspective, BM covers policies and politics of the EU, significant Member State developments, and looks at the international agenda with a European perspective.
