The Story Of… Quinten Matsijs in Antwerp, Belgium

Exclusive Interview with Sven Pays

By Karen Beishuizen
Photos courtesy of Quinten Matsijs

The Quinten Matsijs is Antwerp’s oldest pub. It is named after a blacksmith who turned to painting and was one of the founders of the Antwerp school. This is the name given to painters during the 16th and 17th centuries. Quinten Matsijs died in 1530. As a tribute, his tombstone is the only one to be placed on the façade of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp. The pub appeared in “The Pact” by director Billie August Denmark, and the American Netflix series Fubar with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

When you enter Quinten Matsijs, you feel like you’re in a small museum and you really feel the atmosphere of the past. All the windows are stained in colored diamonds, which has a special effect when the sun shines through them. When you are in Antwerp, visit the pub. Since almost nothing has changed in the last 220 years, its rich history and the many celebrities who have been there, it is worth a visit. It is beautiful in the summer with all these cozy streets with the greenery and lighting. And not only for a nice beer or glass of wine, but also the many regional dishes are very popular. Go Check it out!

KB: Describe to the RSR readers how Quinten Matsijs was founded and by who?

The inn was built in the year 1565 (the same year as the town hall of Antwerp). The building consisted of two parts, one place where you could have drinks and food and a larger place where you could stable the horses. On the two floors above were the sleeping quarters.

The name of the inn was then “t’Gulick”.

This name refers to the Duchy of Gulik, located in Germany between the Meuse and the Rhine with Gulik as its capital. The many travelling salesmen who came from Gulik via Antwerp (the sixteenth century was the golden age for Antwerp) to sell their wares invariably stayed at the inn when they were passing through.
This is how the inn got its name and remained unchanged for many centuries.

Anno 1927

A few hundred meters from the inn is a rather small but renowned café that was almost bursting at the seams, called Quinten Matsijs. The innkeeper of this business then bought the t’Gulick inn, transferred all his possessions and renamed the inn the new café Quinten Matsijs and is still called that.

KB: Who was Quinten Matsijs?

Quinten Matsijs (there are different spellings for the name) was born in Leuven (then still the south of the Netherlands) in the year 1466. His first profession was blacksmithing, but he soon moved to Antwerp and retrained as a painter. (There is a myth that he did this to get the hand of his beloved).

He was also one of the founders of the Antwerp school. This is the name given to painters during the 16th and 17th centuries.

Quinten Matsijs died in 1530. As a tribute, his tombstone is the only one to be placed on the façade of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp.

KB: When did you take over the pub and how do you keep it successful?

In 1987 I was looking for a student job. (After all, I attended restaurant school)

In the summer of ’87 I was able to start as a dishwasher in the Quinten, but soon I was promoted to bartender. After my studies, I started (after I had also done an internship in other places) and shortly afterwards I became an all-round employee and manager.

In 1998 I met my current wife (also in the Quinten) and together we were able to take over the business in March 2000. We also focused more on the kitchen menu, which was very much appreciated by the guests. Together with the unique interior and the beautiful car-free streets, this makes the business what it is today.

KB: 450 years old: Is there still something original left?

As you already know, the inn was built in 1565. Now, 458 years later, so much has changed that there is not much that is original from that time. What is still original are the cellars. These are still old, fairly high cellars, with round vaults and thick walls. There are two parts to the matter:

The largest part used to be horse stables, the smaller part was the taproom where people could drink drinks and food. Upstairs were the sleeping quarters. Now the entire ground floor is a café and upstairs there is storage space and one apartment where we live ourselves. As you can see now, it is +/- 220 years old and almost nothing has changed. The most modern part of the building is the sanitary area, which is “only” 55 years old.

KB: Many writers and artists have visited the pub in its long existence. What makes the pub so attractive to these kinds of people?

The Quinten has always been and still is very popular with writers and poets. They often came here to get their inspiration. When you enter the Quinten, you have the feeling that you can leave today’s hectic times behind you. The most famous writer among them was Willem Elsschot. He came here every week. Other well-known names such as Ramses Shaffy, Hugo Claus, Weremeus Buning… were regular guests here. Even today, writers, actors or musicians find their way to the Quinten such as Jan Decleir, Will Tura, …

KB: In which movies or series has the pub appeared in?

The Quinten is often the setting for movies or TV programs/series and this not only inside, but also the cozy street with the overhanging greenery and lighting are apparently loved by directors as well as photographers for photo shoots.

The most recent film shoots (outside) were “The Pact” by director Billie August Denmark, and the American Netflix series Fubar with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Also, for the film “The Second Face” with Vincke and Verstuyft there were recordings at the Quinten.

KB: Describe for the RSR readers what they would see on a visit to Quinten Matsijs.

When you enter the Quinten for the first time, you are guaranteed to stop and look around. You really feel like you’re in a small museum and you really feel the atmosphere of the past.

All the windows are stained in colored diamonds, which has a special effect when the sun shines through them. A beautiful ornamental fireplace decorates one side of the place and the 200-year-old Ton (old Flemish folk game where you have to throw holes in bronze discs) has a nice place next to the bar. Old paintings of Antwerp adorn the walls. The old buffet with its many different glasses is also worth seeing.

KB: Why should people visit Quinten Matsijs?

The Quinten is the oldest café in Antwerp (probably the second oldest in Belgium).Since almost nothing has changed in the last 220 years, its rich history and the many celebrities who have been there, it is definitely worth a visit. In the summer it is also beautiful in these cozy streets with all the greenery and lighting. And not only for a nice beer or glass of wine, but also our many regional dishes are very popular. We look forward to seeing you in the Quinten.

Check out Quinten Matsijs’s website: HERE

Click Here to Order Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime By “Bad” Brad Berkwitt