Cafe ons Moe (Moe’s Tavern), Belgium

Cafe ons Moe is an abandoned pub, bar, cafe or tavern in Belgium. This location is also called Moe’s Tavern. Externally this looks like any small Belgian cafe/bar. This is a place locals would come to while away afternoons and evenings among old friends. Upstairs is a small bedroom, with the usual religious statuettes found in Belgian houses belonging to people of this generation. This was truly a small village old-fashioned pub; if you needed to use the bathroom, this would be accessed through the owners own living room!

The story, and the end, of Cafe ons Moe

Cafe ons Moe was most recently owned by an elderly lady. Seemingly she acquired the cafe sometime in the 1950s, based on the limited amount of information available. She refurbished the cafe at this time. However, care was taken to preserve the old-fashioned and homely feel of the cafe interior. The bar is said to have changed little over the years. In her late 80s, she was still running the cafe by herself. The local newspapers proudly reporting that she continues to run the establishment as a “hobby and to keep herself busy”. She died in the mid-2010s and this beautiful little gem became abandoned. A calendar on the wall provides compelling evidence for the year of closure.

Billiards was a popular game when Cafe ons Moe was open. Many trophies would have decorated the shelves (sadly, removed before our visit). Many glasses and beer bottles still stand on the bar and on the many small tables. Novelty hats are scattered about the bar, the place clearly closed after a party. Sadly the ceiling is in a poor state. Interestingly someone has taken care enough to lay down tarpaulin on the floor and arrange buckets in an attempt to contain the numerous leaks.

Someone still clearly cared about Cafe ons Moe when I visited in 2016. Unfortunately, this location no longer exists. During the summer of 2018, it was demolished.