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The building used as Le
Candide, the centre of Lifeline's operations in the second and third series,
is located in Brussels' breathtaking Grand Place and is numbered building
28. It is also known as La Chambrette de l'Amman (little Amman's
bedroom) but was originally called 'the Gold Merchant's house'. The coat
of arms which adorns the front of the building is that of the Duchy of
Brabant.
Today the building houses Maxim's Bar and Restaurant (now open again after a
period of closure) and is one of a chain
of eighteen exclusive establishments owned by Pierre Cardin. As the Grand
Place is in the heart of Brussels tourist district Maxim's is not cheap, but
the food and service is very good indeed (sea bass is a particular
speciality). Thankfully you can follow in Kessler and Madeleine's footsteps
and order a calvados, but it is the most expensive drink on the menu (12 Euros
a glass!). The decor inside is in the Art Nouveau style and of course bears no
relation to the studio set used in the series which was twice as wide for a
start.
Nevertheless as the restaurant looks out onto the Grand Place and waiters
regularly nip out to the back room and to answer the side door there are
still some evocative echoes of the series. The back and front studded doors
are the same as those used in the series (exact replicas were made for
the studio filming), although there are a new set of glass panelled front doors
in front of the original pair. If the weather is warm enough you may
prefer to sit at a table in front of the building (as seen in the first
episode of Kessler).
Looking across the Grand Place from No. 28, opposite is the architecturally
magnificent Hotel de Ville (Town Hall). On the left facade of the square are
the residences of the Dukes of Brabant. The Maison du Roi which houses the
Brussels City Museum is to the right of No. 28, while on the left (No.
26-27) are the houses known as Le Pigeon, at one time the home of Victor
Hugo during his exile in Brussels.
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