The whole NINE yards

Nuala Morgan introduces a club for women, designed by women and that is open on Fridays for all to enjoy, men and women alike!

When the decor, the library, the wine list and the art collection all come with female signatures, you know you have stepped into somewhere special. The Nine is Brussels first female-focused members club. Located in the heart of the European quarter, it aims to inspire, empower and uplift women from all backgrounds.

Behind the door of one of Brussels best-kept Art Nouveau townhouses lies The Nine, a members club designed by and for women, launched in September 2021. The 100-year-old building has been modernized in an eclectic style by interior designer Helen van Marcke, housing a clubhouse and garden, co-working and meeting spaces, and a bar and restaurant.

“A club for people like me, who aren’t from Belgium but have made Belgium their home”

The Nine founder, Georgia Brooks, with British-Canadian-Lebanese origins, explains her inspiration came from two sources: “One from my background in women’s rights and looking at what I could do to promote gender equality and women’s rights in Brussels. This is obviously a whole different world to the non-profit sphere that I came from, especially considering my projects had been focused on women in the Middle East. A very different need and context!

“The second avenue ties into the first and that was creating a space in Brussels for people like me, people who aren’t from Belgium but have made Belgium home. It’s not always easy to make new friends and connections that go deeper than networking, having been a member of private members’ clubs in London, I personally missed that feeling and thought others must too. And they do!”

The Nine, named after the nine muses of the ancient world, “is a community that believes in being our own muse, and a source of change and inspiration,” says Brooks. 

Its 400 members are split equally between Belgian and international profiles, mainly female professionals in the 30-45 age bracket. A variety of membership rates are available, with special rates for young professionals (under 35) and those working for NGOs. Nine offers an exclusive clubhouse and garden, co-working spaces and meeting rooms, an in-house bar and restaurant, a feminist library, and a weekly programme of meet-ups and events. 

“More than a club, we are a community that believes in making equality reality”

The bar and restaurant are open from April to non-members (including men!) on Fridays (12 – 10pm). For lunch, head chef Joao Silva offers a modern menu that champions seasonal and sustainable ingredients and promotes zero waste. In the evening, the restaurant offers both an à la carte menu and sharing plates from the bar menu. Keeping to its ethos of putting women at the centre, all wines on offer are from female-led wineries, selected by Belgium’s only female Master of Wine, Fiona Morrison. And yes, going the whole nine yards, the delicious cocktails are all named after famous women. A first? “That’s The Nine”, proclaims Georgia, “a world of firsts!”

The Nine, rue Archimède 69 1000 Brussels, www.thenine.be