The famous Dolle Mol café in Brussels, known for its bright red exterior, has been temporarily closed by order of Mayor Philippe Close (PS) until this Sunday. The closure was prompted by repeated noise complaints. The establishment, which has a libertarian reputation and is located on rue des Éperonniers, was closed from March 30 to April 2 at 5 p.m. due to noise violations that had already resulted in citations on multiple occasions. The police reported loud music and disruptive behavior from customers, with 15 separate complaints made between January 1 and February 25, 2023. The order for closure also noted previous instances of closure due to night noise violations in June 2022 and December 2022.
An emblematic Brussels café with a garish red facade, Dolle Mol remains closed until this Sunday. A temporary closure imposed by an order issued by the mayor Philippe Close (PS).
The bar with a libertarian reputation, located rue des Éperonniers, therefore had to close from March 30 to April 2 (5 p.m.). The decree mentions “noise” having already been the subject of minutes. On January 13, the police observed, at 10:17 p.m., “a noise due to the presence of an orchestra playing inside the establishment as well as the presence of a dozen customers who smoke and talk loudly outside the establishment”. Two days later, at 3:42 a.m., law enforcement lamented music that “exceeded the ambient street noise”. Similar findings on January 21 and February 11.
“Between January 1, 2023 and February 25, 2023, the police were required on site 15 times for acts of uproar”summarizes the decree, which evokes a “recidivist behavior” and recalls that a closure order had already been taken in June 2022, and also in December 2022 for night noise.
It seems that the infamous Dolle Mol has once again fallen foul of local authorities due to its propensity for causing a disturbance. Despite its libertarian reputation, the café’s garish red façade will remain shuttered until Sunday due to its noise levels exceeding acceptable limits. This is not the first time the bar has been closed, and it remains to be seen whether the establishment will be able to reform its recidivist behavior in order to avoid further sanctions in the future.