If you're looking for a boutique hotel in the centre of Utrecht, check out Eye Hotel. Doubles from £109, check availability at booking.com.
Here are our top 10 favourite foodie spots in Utrecht:
BLAUW
When we asked locals about the best places to eat in Utrecht, the unanimous reply was BLAUW. To some, an Indonesian restaurant being the go-to in a Northern European country might seem odd; but Dutch colonial history means The Netherlands has a thriving Indonesian subculture and is, in fact, one of the best places to eat Indonesian food outside Indonesia itself.
BLAUW specialises in spectacular rijsttafel (rice tables). Choose from meat, fish or vegetarian options and the waiters will swiftly lay out 15-20 little ramekins of Indonesian dishes. It’s hard to choose the best dish, what with melt-in-the-mouth glazed goat skewers, chicken skewers with crunch peanut satay, subtle and fragrant coconut vegetables, sweet soy pork, sweet and sour cucumber and crisp banana fritters. The decor is simple (there’s red, lots of red), but it's the food that’s worth making a pilgrimage for. Restaurantblauw.nl
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Talud9
Utrecht’s canals are lined with higgledy-piggledy warehouse buildings, each with wharf-side (water-level) storage spaces beneath them. One of the prettiest of these ancient buildings houses Talud9, a coffee bar that morphs into a wine bar in the evenings. Both these formats are done extremely well; the coffee bar has won accolades for its espressos (served in tiny glasses, in cast iron dishes) and for the tempting display of cakes in its window.
Come early evening, the music gets funky and the vibe is buzzy, even on a Sunday afternoon. There's no wine menu, but informed staff quiz you on your preferences before scurrying away behind to find three bottles for you to try. They usually put a wild card in there to give you a taste of something a bit different so you have the chance to explore lesser-known regions.
We tried a fruity and refreshing Pinot Blanc from Alsace, a Riesling with a long finish, and an Albariño from Rias Baixas in the Basque Country that had an almost sparkling lift. Bag the tiny table for two at the back and wave to diners in restaurants on the other side of the canal. talud9.nl
TKoffieboontje
With two locations in this small city, TKoffieboontje's success speaks for itself. These calm coffee shops ooze zen, with squishy sofas, little filament lamp-lit tables for working at, and huge basket chairs to curl up into and swing yourself into a daze while watching the world go by.
We prefer the cosier spot on Oudegracht, but the Northern location, next to a photo-worthy windmill, is great for setting up for a day of working remotely. Coffee comes from Bocca, the Netherlands' pioneering specialty coffee roaster (they also have a showroom in Amsterdam). Carrot cake is squishy and spicy in all the right ways, and a date and coconut wheel is a healthy pick-me-up after strolling along Utrecht’s canals. Tkoffieboontje.nl
Cafe Springhaver
On pretty little Springweg street, in the centre of the city, the Springhaver Theatre has been showing arthouse films since 1978. The adjoining café bar, Café Springhaver, opened long before the cinema, in 1885 and is a cosy drinking den – and a locals’ favourite.
Try a local pale ale and a portion of creamy bitterballen, The Netherlands’ deep-fried, veal-filled answer to the croquette, usually spiced with nutmeg and served with mustard. Cuddle up inside on one of the dark wood banquettes that hug the café’s poster-filled walls, or head out to the small street-facing terrace to watch the world amble by. Springhaver.nl
Dille & Kamille
The name of this stylish shop translates as “dill and chamomile”. Set aside a good half hour to peruse shelves filled with pretty kitchen utensils, artisan linens and tiny wooden things you never knew you needed.
There’s a cabinet dedicated to loose-leaf teas at the back, and you can also pick up some lovely potted plants and seeds to create your own kitchen garden at home. Dille-kamille.nl
SLA
If you've had too much on stroopwafels and beer, SLA is the spot to get your salad fix. This mini chain of salad bars specialises in DIY pick-and-mix-style salads, as well as salad bowls, juices and healthy soups. We recommend going for one of SLA’s bowls, namely the Japanese miso bowl - spinach, black rice, steamed broccoli, roast pumpkin and aubergine topped with enoki mushrooms, pickled radish and a miso, tamarind, ginger and sesame dressing.
The shop on Nachtegaalstraat has a conservatory out back, with hanging pots overflowing with greenery to complement a green-tiled floor, or you can grab a juice in a glass bottle to take away. The “energise” juice is a mixture of sweet potato, carrot, apple, fennel, pink grapefruit, mint, sage, ginger and cinnamon, so a great balance of fruit, veg and spices. Ilovesla.com
The Village Coffee and Music
Once an undesirable part of town, the long street of Voorstraat is now a trendy hub for young entrepreneurs. Village Coffee and Music provides a local hang-out that combines good coffee and good music, and manages to create a welcoming, unpretentious vibe despite its reputation as having the best coffee in Utrecht.
Order a breakfast tray of homemade granola and you can play with the teddy bear-shaped honey bottle it’s served with. If you're into your local artisans, pop next door to peruse the collections at PUHA, a collective of local designers and artisans that sell one-off pieces and pretty ceramics. Thevillagecoffee.nl
Vis en Meer
Vis en Meer sits on Drieharingstraat, a lively restaurant alley whose pavements are lined with tables. The front of this popular seafood restaurant dedicates a whole wall to wine, from which informed waiters will help you choose a bottle to go with your meal.
Continue through to a huge atrium-style dining room, complete with open kitchen, large plants and a long bar (together they create a wonderfully chaotic ambience). Order a seafood platter (little plates of dressed clams, potted shrimp and pieces of fresh salmon along with huge shell-on prawns, plenty of mussels and a giant lobster). Visenmeer.nl
Belgian Beer Café Olivier
Utrecht has a thriving microbrewery culture, and you can get a great selection as soon as you leave the central station; you’ll find Belgian Beer Café Olivier right opposite. This temple to hops makes the most of the spectacular interiors of a former church to serve a great range of Belgian beers. Don’t miss the traditional Belgian frites, either. Café-olivier.be
Where to stay in Utrecht: Eye Hotel
Doubles from £109, check availability at booking.com
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More info: visit-utrecht.com, or search olive’s social media feeds for #oliveeatsutrecht
