Hotspots in town

Leeuwarden has a booming hospitality business, there a loads of cute and cozy cafes, restaurants and hotels to stay. I will name my favorite hotspots and secret places below. 

Cafes 

DE coffeebar

A cozy coffeebar in the middle of the city with views over the famous skyline of Leeuwarden, with the Achmeatorens. You can enjoy your specialbrewed coffees and teas inside or outside. They have all kinds of specialties, my favorites are the Lazy Noon (coffee with a shot of hot chocolate) with a fudge brownie cake (heavenly, delicious!). They also have small bites for lunch and breakfast, such as toasties and soups. Perfect place to chill, hang out with your friends or make homework and assignments. 

De Dikke van Dale

A beautiful cafe located next to the waterfront. Amazing. They have great beverages and in the summer you can enjoy your order sitting in a beanbag near the water. A very popular cafe, everybody in town knows it. They also serve lunch, dinner and different bites for with your beverages. Inside has the old school, tavern, feeling, really cool. 

Kelder 65

Another great cafe next to the waterfront in the city centre. This cafe is located next to de Dikke van Dale, and serves the best nachos in town. Nachos with cheese, meat and different sauses, it is heavenly. They also serve great cocktails and coffees. The inside is a modern styled cafe, where you can enjoy your coffee, hang out with friends, or preparty before hitting the night scene of Leeuwarden.

Onder de Kelders

I love the location of this cafe, which is a restaurant as well. It is located right next to the water, down some stairs near the city centre. You should go here for the peaceful location, not per definition for the food or drinks. 

De Walrus

A wellknown cafe located just outside the city centre of Leeuwarden. I have personally not been here yet, however, I have walked past it and heard very good stories about the cafe. The outside terras is always packed, inside I could not see. I heard they serve great drinks and bites. Furthermore, they also serve good diner and lunch. 

Fire Cafe 

By far my favorite cafe in Leeuwarden. A really cozy cafe located near Kelder 65, and the waterfront. You can sit inside and outside. Outside they have a really cozy space, with cushions, heaters and couches, great to catch up with friends, before hitting the city or after a long day of shopping. They serve some of the best cocktails and bites in the city. I love love love this place and hang out here regularly. Their hot chocolate is amazing as well btw! 

Fruitbar SIS

My second favorite hang out spot in Leeuwarden, this cafe, however, is different than the others. It is a cute, cozy, little smoothiebar in the city centre. They serve some of the best organic home made smoothies I have ever tasted, and some of the best fruit and healthy bites in town. This is a perfect place to drink your smoothie peacefully, hang out with friends or make homework. You can also take your smoothie away or order delivery! 

Doppio

Another great coffee bar in Leeuwarden. I love their regular espresso and coffees, however, their specials, like brownie machiatto is great as well! You can sit cozy on the inside or nice outside, enjoying the sun in the summer. 

Restaurants in town

La Cubanita

Another one of my favorite places in town. A Spanish tapas restaurant. You can order your tapas in rounds. I love going here with my friends. They have amazing food and their cocktails are great too. Once in a while they have an arrangement, for which you pay around 5 euros extra, however, you get so much back for it. Once, they had a wellness arrangement, you got free entrance to whatever spa for a day, unlimited tapas, a cocktail and a dessert with it, it is GREAT! And not even that expensive!

Tao

My favorite restaurant in town, a sushi place near the train station. They have an all you can eat menu, and you order per round of sushi. They have a wider choice of sushi than Sin Jah, and they just renovated. It is truly great, I love their food and their concept. The service is fast, and the food is really tasty. 

Sin Jah

Another sushi and Chinese restaurant, The difference between Tao and Sin Jah is a) the price, Sin Jah is more expensive, b) Tao has a wider choice of sushi and c) Sin Jah offers more dishes than regular sushi, so for example fried rice or noodles. So it really depends on what you want for the night out, for which one of the two you should choose. Sin Jah has great side dishes and Tao has more sushi. It is your choice, both are great!

Las Tapas

Another tapas restaurant in town. It has a really cozy atmosphere and the tapas is great. They have great cocktails as well. However, I wish the space in the restaurant was bigger, you feel squized in your chair, and you try not to bump into the wall or person back of you. 

De Lachende Koe

De Lachende Koe is an a la carte restaurant. They are totally not expensive, so the perfect place for students. They have special offers when you order a two or three course meal, namely, that you get your drinks included, from wine and beer to sodas. What more do you want. The dishes are prepared fast and really really good. One of my favorite restaurants to go to with my friends!

Restaurant Wannee

The restaurant of Stenden Hotel. It offers a la carte and a course menu. You can choose how many courses you want from the special menu up to an astonishing 6 courses. It is of high quality and everything is prepared by and served by students. It is amazing, the food is sometimes a bit special, you have to like it to love it, but definetely worth trying it. A 6 course menu costs only 30 euros! And they have special wines that pare really good with each dish. Below a picture of one of the desserts can be found, that we as students had to make.

Fellini

An Italian restaurant in town, with fancy and cozy vibes to it. It is located in the city centre, near DE and De Burgemeester van Napels. I love their wines and drinks, next to their amazing food. It not only looks great, it also tastes heavenly, definetely worth trying out! 

De Burgemeester van Napels

Another Italian place in town. I love their lunch menu, it is amazing! Their specialized buns and how they prepare it, truly great! They serve pastas and pizzas for dinner which are also amazing, you need to try this place out! 

Broodhuys 

My favorite spot to lunch in town, located near the water, not expensive at all, and great coffees. I love this place and go here on regular base with my friends, after school or after shopping. They also have great cakes to go with the coffees. My favorite bun is the bun with warm ham and sauce, love it, please dont change! 

Pompeï

The best place to go to in town for pizza for students. They have a specialized student menu that you get a pizza and two drinks for around 10 euros per person. Unreal! And so good, love the ambience of the restaurant and go here often with friends.

Brasserie Spiegelaar

The best place in town to arrange a high tea. They have a great selection of buns, teas and coffees. In the pictures a photo of our food and drinks can be found, we truly felt like queens during this high tea with the wide selection they offered. 

Roast

Love this place, it has a little fancyness, but also something home feeling like it. Their food is really fancy, which the prices suggest as well. They have a special area around a beer tap, that you can sit with your friends, and continue to tap your own beers. Their outside patio is really cute and garden feeling as well. Depending on your budget, I would definetely advice you to visit this place, even just for a tea or coffee, experience it. Two pictures below are shown of the food in Roast. 

Photo gallery