December in La Louvière means the Christmas Market setting up in Place Mansart and Place Maugretout, with the Winter Roller Party drawing crowds right next door. The question we get asked every year is always the same: where can we eat before skating, or afterwards, without wasting an hour hunting for a free table on a busy evening?
We don’t know the exact programme for the current edition — ice rink opening times, precise dates for the entertainment, these change from year to year and only the Town confirms them through its official channels. What we do know how to do, however, is welcome a table of people coming in from the cold, hungry, with a child still wearing their skates round their neck.
What we can organise for a Christmas Market evening
Our dining room welcomes up to 42 guests for private hire, which easily covers an extended family group or a circle of friends heading over together after skating. For a simpler get-together, there’s no need to book the whole room: we also run normal service, midday 12.00pm-2.30pm and evening 6.00pm-10.30pm, closed on Tuesdays.
Our wood-fired pizza remains the most reassuring choice on a winter evening: dough left to mature for 48 hours, fior di latte mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes. For a group wanting to share, our signature 60×40cm pizza serves 8 to 12 people and should be ordered 24 to 48 hours in advance — worth bearing in mind if you already know you’ll be a large group on a Christmas Market evening.
Three scenarios that come up every December
First case: the family skating in late afternoon on Place Mansart who come to warm up afterwards. They arrive around 6.00pm-6.30pm, a simple table is enough, the children order a classic pizza while the grown-ups take their time over a sharing board of antipasti.
Second case: the circle of friends or neighbours who meet up after the Winter Roller Party, often later in the evening. In this case, a phone call the day before to book a table for six to eight people avoids the unwelcome surprise of a full dining room.
Third case: the business or association taking advantage of the Christmas Market atmosphere to hold its end-of-year meal a little earlier in the month, before December fills up. For this scenario, it’s best to aim for a weekday date and book the private hire directly, so as not to depend on how busy the town centre happens to be that evening.
How an evening unfolds, from the first call to the bill
It starts with a call or an email, a few days ahead if it’s a group, the same day if it’s a simple table. We note the number of guests and the preferred time — bearing in mind the crowds the Christmas Market brings to Place Maugretout, it’s best to arrive a little before the evening rush.
At the table, antipasti and sharing boards fill the time while the younger ones catch their breath after skating. Then comes the pizza or dishes from the menu, followed by the dolci to round things off on an Italian note, tiramisu leading the way. The bill arrives without any rush: we’re not in the business of turning tables quickly on a festive evening.
What to decide a month ahead, what to decide on the day
A month ahead, we settle what really matters: the date if it’s a group or business meal, and whether to book the private hire if you’re over about ten guests. It’s also the time to order the signature pizza if it needs to feed the whole table.
On the day itself, there’s still room to manoeuvre: a table for four to six can still be booked with a simple call in the afternoon, except on a particularly busy evening around the Christmas Market, when we advise calling earlier in the day.
For more structured group meals, the end-of-year business meals calendar sets out the lead times to respect depending on the size of the group.
The questions we’re asked most
Do you need to book to eat after the Winter Roller Party?
For a small table, it’s not essential, but a call the day before secures your evening when the town centre is busy. For a group of more than six, we recommend it without hesitation.
Can we eat as a family before going skating on Place Mansart?
Yes, it’s actually the most common scenario in December: an early evening meal, followed by the ice rink straight afterwards. Our address is a few minutes’ walk from the town centre, 350m from La Louvière-Centre station.
Does the menu change for the festive season?
No, we keep our usual dishes — wood-fired pizze, antipasti, sharing boards, dolci. The full menu stays the same all year round, December included.
Where can I find the exact Christmas Market programme?
The ice rink opening times and dates for the entertainment are matters for the official channels of the Town of La Louvière, not for us. We recommend checking directly with them before planning your evening.
How to book your table
For a simple table or a group, the most direct way is to call or write via our contact page. We’ll note the number of guests, the time, and, if needed, the advance order for the signature pizza. For other events throughout the year in La Louvière, our events calendar lists what we know about each one, without ever putting forward a precise date that isn’t ours to give.
