Munstraat Leuven

You can taste and enjoy it while watching life pass by. You will have lunch and dinner at affordable prices in one of the highly appreciated and very varied cuisines. Here the world from Italy to Japan, from Europe to Latin America lies at your feet.
Experience the culinary heart of Leuven, in the shadow of the majestic town hall, visit the popular cafes and let yourself go until the deepest of the night!

The Leuven Muntstraat dates from the Middle Ages and owes its name to the fact that the Leuven Muntatelier was transferred there in 1306.
In 1605, the College of Liège was founded, which was later divided into the different houses from number 9 to number 19.
Miraculously, this row of houses was reasonably spared during the world wars, while the rest of Muntstraat was almost completely destroyed.
In 1913, de Volksbank built a stately building with a neo-Gothic exterior and Art Deco interior. However, this building at Muntstraat 3 will not be put into use as a bank and guildhall until 1918. More than 60 years later, the City Services will be housed here and currently – together with the 'De Vlaamse Leerreizen' building, to the left of number 3 – it is owned by Cera, which has had its headquarters, offices, meeting facilities and an exhibition space there since 2018.
After the Second World War, various commercial and catering businesses, including some 'houses of pleasure', settled in this street.
In the early 1980s, more and more restaurants were added and when Muntstraat was redesigned as a pedestrian street in 1983, the tone was completely set.
During a second redevelopment in 2009, a work of art – marking Muntstraat as a culinary center – will be engraved in a bluestone stone between the paving stones at both entrances to the street.

In the meantime, the Muntstraat, with its succession of cafes, taverns and especially restaurants, has grown into the culinary main street of Leuven and its surroundings. During the summer months, it also becomes the terrace street where the southern atmosphere prevails and the holiday feeling is never far away.

Willem Vandenameele