Joseph Niels (1890-1940) was the son of farmers in the Pajottenland (triangle Hall, Enghien and Ninove). After a disease struck the livestock and his prospects at the farm vanished, he decided to leave to Great Britain. He went working at the Savoy Hotel in London which was then and still is very famous.

He returned to Belgium around the age of 25 and became the director of the restaurant La Taverne Royale at the Queens galleries.

In 1926, he founded the hotel-restaurant Canterbury at the Boulevard Emile Jacqmain 129 (near the place de Brouckère) in memory of the British Isles. At that time, he invented the recipe of the Filet Américain.

After Joseph died in an accident in 1940, his two sons Albert (1917-1978) and Georges (1919-2000) took up his work.

They founded the store Nielsvins together in 1948, they also ran the restaurant La Couronne at the Grand Place and for two years, they were owners of the restaurant Claridge in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

As a result of their success, the Argentine government asked them to represent the Argentine restaurant at the universal exposition of 1958 in Brussels.

After the exposition, Albert and Georges Niels decided to each go their separate ways. The children of Georges did not continue in the restaurant business.

After the opening of several restaurants, Au Vieux Saint Martin was founded in 1968. Albert-Jean (son of Albert) and Frédéric Niels (grand son of Albert) run this restaurant. This brasserie is open 7 days a week and offers the best of Belgian specialties.