Bar Magritte
Hotel Amigo, a Rocco Forte hotel in Brussels, is proud to announce the opening of Bar Magritte – the only bar dedicated to the life and works of Surrealist genius René Magritte – which launched on 21st November 2023, marking the artist’s 125th birthday.
Inspired by the life and work of the celebrated Belgian artist, Bar Magritte unveils a unique and sensory experience – a new destination cocktail bar in the heart of Brussels combining expert mixology and exquisite design.
Bar Menu
The bar’s new cocktail menu, crafted by world-leading mixologist, the ‘maestro’, Salvatore Calabrese, features 20 signature cocktails.
The menu has been split into two sections, ‘His Works’ and ‘His World’.
His Works features ten new concoctions inspired by Magritte’s artworks, such as ‘Shéhérezade’, a citrussy, effervescent Martini; ‘Lyricism’, a sensual celebration of pear; and ‘Magritte’, a sophisticated homage to the artist’s love of red wine.
His World includes ten classic cocktails drawn from Magritte’s lifetime including ‘Casanova’, a tribute to the artist’s friend Salvador Dalí; ‘Film Maker’, named after famed director Alfred Hitchcock; and ‘Bronx’, a New York classic popular when Magritte lived in the Big Apple.
Interiors
Evoking an atmosphere reminiscent of the Brussels’ surrealist art movement of the 1920s and ‘30s, the bar will regularly feature live music and the cool sounds of Jazz.
With interiors designed by Olga Polizzi, Director of Design at Rocco Forte Hotels, in collaboration with Sarah Daniels of DO Design Studio, Bar Magritte’s colour palette is awash with deep jewel-like tones layered with playful textures, complemented by stunning Art Deco-inspired stained-glass windows.
Embracing the Surrealist theme, bespoke mural-like wallpaper, inspired by Magritte’s “Femmes” (1922), by contemporary designer Adam Ellis, adorns the walls, juxtaposed against a striking long brass bar at centre stage.
On the design, Olga Polizzi, Director of Design, notes “The bar at Hotel Amigo in Brussels has had a total transformation into Bar Magritte.
“Do Design Studio has put together the scheme, choosing the banquettes – green velvet with white piping – and other furniture such as the pink and blue chairs, that work well with the very colourful wallpaper by Adam Ellis.
“Do Design Studio also designed the new very long bronze bar and back of bar.
“Other interesting features are the locally sourced stained glass windows at the back of the bar in the same art deco style, and some unusual lights and tables.”
About René Magritte
Born in Lessines, Belgium on 21 November 1898, Magritte spent most of his prolific career in Brussels, with the majority of his portfolio created at his homes in the city.
Honouring his connection to the city, two museums are dedicated to his life and work — the Musée Magritte Museum which houses the largest collection of his work globally, just a 12-minute walk from Hotel Amigo, and René Magritte Museum, the artist’s former home/studio where he lived for many years with his wife Georgette.
Among Magritte’s most celebrated works are the infamous ‘Son of Man’ – which sees a man in a suit and bowler hat, his face mostly obscured by a green apple – and the Treachery of Images – a painting of a pipe featuring the phrase ‘Ceci n’est pas une pipe” (This is not a pipe)’ – one of the most iconic works of the Surrealist movement.