Best Of The Hague: To Eat!

It's hard to believe that we have been living in The Hague for one year already! When Steven and I first moved to Holland together, it was a given that we were going to live in Amsterdam. Everyone Steven knew from his childhood (and I would eventually come to know) lived there and who moves countries to live in the outskirts? No one.

After one year in the city life we decided to take the opportunity and try someplace new. Enter: The Hague. The Hague is everything that you hope for as an expat. The architecture is quintessential Dutch;  with beautiful canals, tiny cafes and so many undiscovered shopping gems. The people are warm, well-dressed and fluent in English. On Sundays, an antique market opens right around the corner from our house. You can get a warm crepe or real Italian ice in paper triangles while browsing the stalls. It's one of the most charming places I've ever experienced in Europe.

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There's a ton to do and I can't list them all at once. So here are my five favorite places to eat in The Hague!




Pastanini. This place is absolutely delicious. Run by Italians, all pies based of a homemade thin crust dough and they put authentic Italian olive oil on the tables to top your pizzas with. Steven and I are here at least twice a month.



Cafe Bloem. Liz and I had New Year's high tea here and it was amazing. Everything is homemade: quiches, scones, cakes and pies and the service is super friendly as well. (An American trait I miss dearly.) We had endless pots of tea, spent the whole afternoon sampling our spread of baked goods and girl talking. It was the perfect way to close out the year.



Chef India. This is a newly discovered gem from a new friend. It's a Brit + Indian takeaway place that delivers! A new staple in our house for those late work nights.

Hooistraat Cafe. Enjoy a typical Dutch sandwich on their sunny terrace that overlooks one of the few canals in the city. If you have extra time try their homemade cakes for dessert! Be prepared to wait for your food though - they aren't the quickest here.

Cafe Dendy. A restaurant more on the chic side, with really great weekend brunches! Try the Caesar salad  with homemade dressing or one of their salmon wraps. Lekker!

If you're ever in The Hague - please try one of these places out!

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