Best places to eat in The Hague, Netherlands: 2026 Guide
Updated: Sep 30
Ever since moving to The Hague, I have seen shopfronts and cafes so pretty that I have instantly bookmarked them on Google Maps. Having been living here for the last 6 months, these are my list of the best Hague places to visit to eat delicious food. Since I have made Hague my home, I will keep on adding more to this list.
So lets dive right in,
Cafes
1. The Bookstor Cafe
Noordeinde 39
This is a bookshop and a cafe in one, and it's been around for over a hundred years. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, mismatched furniture, a hidden back garden that most people walk right past, and coffee that's actually good. You can come here with a friend or just yourself with a book and disappear for a couple of hours.
Order the walnut cake and a hot chocolate. You will be a very happy person. We sure were.
They also do breakfast and lunch, organise free bike tours through the city, and host intimate live music nights among the bookshelves on the last Friday of each month ("Sounds Between the Shelves"). There's even a hotel next door if you fall too deeply in love with the place.
Hours: Mon–Sun, 08:00–19:00
Good for: Working on your laptop, reading, a quiet coffee
Website: bookstor.nl
Instagram: @bookstorindenhaag
2. Bistro Cafe Loft
Pomonaplein 49A (Vruchtenbuurt)
Yes, this cafe used to be a church. The Jeruzalemkerk, to be specific. It was bought and remodelled into a cafe while keeping the old architectural charm intact, so you're essentially having breakfast under church ceilings. The space is beautiful.
Bistro Loft is part of a broader concept called L.O.F.T. (Land of Free Thought), and the food matches that philosophy. Everything is conscious, colourful, and plant-forward. They do vegetarian and vegan breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with gluten-free and lactose-free options. Their coffee is roasted in-house by resident roaster Stef van Harskamp through Beans & Dreams. Fresh juices, smoothies, organic wines, homemade cakes.
It works beautifully as both an indoors and outdoors spot, sitting next to a small water body.
Hours: Wed 09:30–18:30, Thu–Sat 09:30–22:30, Sun 09:30–18:30 (closed Mon–Tue)
Breakfast: 09:30–11:30
Good for: A calm, plant-based meal in a genuinely unique setting
Website: bistroloft.nl
3. Petit by Sam
Prins Hendrikstraat 106 (Zeeheldenkwartier)
Samita (Sam) moved to the Netherlands from Geneva, Switzerland, and opened this cafe to expand on her love for baking. Everything is vegan and gluten-free, and before you think "that probably doesn't taste great," go try the banana bread. Or the energy balls. Or any of the celebration cakes she makes for birthdays and weddings.
It's a small, cosy spot on one of the nicest streets in the Zeeheldenkwartier. Good for a quick coffee stop or to pick up something sweet to take home.
Hours: Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 09:30–17:30
Good for: Vegan and gluten-free treats that actually taste incredible
Instagram: @petitbysam
4. Birdflower
Professor Kaiserstraat 55
Modern patisserie, artisanal bread, and proper coffee. Birdflower's whole thing is farm-to-table: they source locally, follow the seasons, and care about where everything comes from. The pastries are beautiful and the bread is genuinely some of the best I've found in the city.
It's the kind of place where you walk in for a quick coffee and leave with a sourdough loaf and a pastry box because you couldn't help yourself.
Good for: Pastries, fresh bread, specialty coffee
Website: birdflower.nl
Brunch
1. Kaafi
Specialty coffee & brunch bar
If you're serious about both your coffee and your brunch, this is where you go. Kaafi is run by people who genuinely love specialty coffee. The beans are carefully sourced, the espresso is excellent, and the brunch menu matches the quality.
It fills up on weekends, so go early or go on a weekday if you want a table without waiting.
Good for: Specialty coffee lovers, a proper sit-down brunch
Website: kaafi.nl
Instagram: @kaaficoffee
2. Cafe Pomegranate
Prins Hendrikstraat 113 (Zeeheldenkwartier)
An Australian family (a mum and her daughters) moved to The Hague and opened this brunch spot. All-day breakfast, all day, every day it's open. Think Turkish eggs, ricotta pancakes with Nutella mascarpone and berries, spicy scrambled eggs with burrata and chorizo, eggs benny with bacon and asparagus.
It's warm, cosy, and the kind of place where you feel like you're eating at someone's home. The portions are generous and the coffee is good.
Budget around €12–15 for a brunch dish.
Hours: Tue–Fri 08:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 09:00–17:00 (closed Monday)
Good for: All-day brunch, a cosy weekend morning
Address: Prins Hendrikstraat 113, 2518 HM
Restaurants
1. Mad'Ras
Piet Heinstraat 97
This is the best Indian restaurant I've found in The Hague. And I don't say that lightly because I'm Indian myself, so the bar is high.
The food tastes authentic. Properly spiced, properly cooked, no shortcuts. The butter chicken, the fish moilee, the dahi puri, all of it is genuinely good. The kind of food that makes you a little emotional because it tastes like it's supposed to taste.
It fills up fast, so make a reservation. Dinner only.
Hours: 4:30 PM–10:00 PM
Budget: Expect to spend €25–40 per person
Phone/WhatsApp: +31 70 223 3487
Website: madrasnl.com
2. Mezze
Scheveningen
Lebanese food by the beach. When you want something flavourful and different after a day at Scheveningen, Mezze is the spot. Sharing plates, grilled meats, fresh hummus, all the mezze dishes you'd expect, done well.
It's a good dinner option if you're doing the city-to-beach day trip and want to eat near the coast instead of heading back into the centre.
Website: mezzescheveningen.com
3. Indonesian Food
You cannot write a food guide for The Hague without talking about Indonesian food. This city has the largest Indonesian community in the Netherlands, and the food scene here reflects that. If you've never had a rijsttafel, this is the city to try it.
Here are my picks:
Keraton Damai (Groot Hertoginnelaan 57) - My top recommendation. The Haris family has been running this place since 1992. East Javanese cooking, cosy room full of wayang puppets and orchids. Order the rijsttafel and prepare to not move for an hour after. Around €30 per person. Reserve ahead.
Berempah (Loutmanstraat 90) - Run by chef Reza (you might know him from YouTube). Authentic Indonesian comfort food in a calm, cosy space. The sate ayam, nasi goreng kambing, and rendang are all excellent. People eat here three days in a row and don't get bored.
Waroeng Padang Lapek (Schoolstraat 35) - For a quick, affordable plate of nasi padang. No frills, just really good food. Under €12 for a full plate.
Garoeda (Kneuterdijk 18A) - One of the most well-known Indonesian restaurants in the city. More refined, great for a special dinner.
More Coming Soon
This list will keep growing. I've got a few more places on my Google Maps that I haven't visited enough times to properly recommend yet, but they're coming. If you've eaten somewhere in The Hague that you loved, let me know. I'm always looking for the next spot.
Practical Tips
Reservations: For dinner restaurants (Mad'Ras, Keraton Damai, Mezze), always book ahead. The Hague's restaurant scene is busier than you'd expect.
Tipping: Not mandatory in the Netherlands, but rounding up or leaving 5–10% is appreciated.
Payment: Almost everywhere accepts cards and contactless. A few smaller cafes might be cash-only but it's rare now.
Lunch vs dinner: Many cafes close by 17:00–18:00. Restaurants typically open for dinner from 17:00 or 18:00 onwards. Plan accordingly.
This guide is updated regularly as I eat my way through The Hague. Last updated: 2026.
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