Since first visiting for a cheeky weekend/anniversary break in 2018, Den Haag has been my favourite city in the Netherlands. I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly it is about Den Haag that enchants me so, but I just feel completely comfortable and at ease there – it’s much bigger in terms of scale than Amsterdam, with wider streets, more open pleins (usually lined with fairy-light laden bars) but also much quieter. It’s quite a low key place, which when compared directly with the frenetic nature of Amsterdam (where it’s all about where you go and who sees you) it is big change of pace. Sure the bars aren’t as cool, the scenery maybe not so beautiful (a lot of Amsterdammer friends swear up and down Den Haag is nothing short of dull), but I will always have a soft spot for it. It was the perfect decision, then, for B and I to return once again to Den Haag for a short 2-night break at the beginning of September to celebrate a) our 5-year Amsterversary, and b) B’s new job in the UK.
It’s pretty fair to say that 2020 hasn’t been the year of travel. For any of us. Since Covid-19 restrictions started lifting around June, however, many of my friends and colleagues have seized the day and flown off to various European locations for short holidays. Nothing like what we would normally be up to – in my friendship group alone we have holidays to Bali, South America and a month-long trip to Italy all cancelled – but there has been a light dusting of holidays to Greece, Portugal, France and Spain around the place. This year has taken its toll on us all in many ways – thinking back to how dark some of the early days in March were is crazy to think – and so I can’t begrudge anyone for feeling they need a break or for seizing the opportunity to (as safely as possible) go abroad. With everything going on for B and I recently (interviewing/applying/negotiating for jobs, weighing up the 9245 possibilities for our return to the UK), we just didn’t have the mental capacity to get organised and book something more substantial in the calendar than our 2-night staycation. But even so, I think it did us a world of good, and I returned feeling altogether more at peace, focused and ready to take on these next few whirlwind months.
Seeing as this was our summer holiday for 2020, we treated ourselves to a slightly more up-market accommodation than we’d normally spring for by booking a room at The Collector hotel, right in the centre of Den Haag. Usually holiday accommodation is booked according to whatever offers the best price/location ratio on AirBnB, but seeing at this was also a double celebration of sorts we decided to treat ourselves. And I’m so glad we did. Honestly, couldn’t really fault this hotel; the service was super friendly and nice, the bed was incredibly soft and comfy and I could’ve stayed under the rainforest shower for a week. It sounds dumb but in this age of AirBnB I have a deep appreciation for a good hotel stay, with plush carpets, impossibly puffy bedding and the general hushed atmosphere that instantly switches me into ‘holiday mode’. It felt like a real treat, and it was also amazing to be right in the centre of Den Haag, a mere 100m away from the new Foodhallen.
We arrived at lunchtime on Thursday, deliberately timed so we could head straight to my first pick for lunch: Pazze e Pizza. We walked directly from the station, through the pouring rain to this pizza al taglio joint, and it was a great decision to hide out there for a while. Despite being the #1 restaurant in Den Haag on TripAdvisor it was actually pretty empty, but I’m sure that’s largely down to the fact that it was Thursday lunchtime, and also that this place lies just outside of the main central labyrinth of streets (directly next door to Little V where B and I ate on our previous visit to Den Haag, also very much recommend). I’m sure if you rocked up to this place on a Friday night it’d be a whole different story. Regardless, we dived into pizza heaven and I can see why this place is so raved about. Firstly, just the sheer amount of toppings and combinations you get to choose from: grilled aubergine, salsiccia and mushrooms, peas and potato, goats cheese… So many mouth-watering options and honestly I just wanted to try them all. In the end we got a good range to share and every single one was top notch. And the price wasn’t bad either. Plus the service? Super friendly.
Once we checked into our beautiful hotel and dumped our bags, the rest of the afternoon wasn’t really reserved for much more than a bit of mooching and refamiliarising ourselves with the city. We stopped off for a pie of apple pie and a coffee mid-afternoon, but otherwise we just spent a good couple of hours going where our hearts led us; we wandered along the main canal, through shopping streets and around tree-lined pleins, stopping off for a nosey around an antiques market and around a local Italian delicatessen (cue obligatory purchase of Pan di Stelle biscuits). Once we’d had enough of that and the skies began to darken once more, we settled in for a couple of rounds on the main square in Den Haag. Honestly, one of my favourite things to do on these little city breaks is to get comfy in a local bar or restaurant and really set up shop for a couple of hours. Not to get hammered by any means, but I find that sitting in a new place with a glass in front of you, with nowhere particular to be, brings such a sense of calm and peace. Some of my favourite conversations and memories with B have happened in that exact context, and I love it.
Drinks had, it was time for dinner. Again, this was quite an easy pick on my side; as soon as I’d realised that our hotel was right next door to the new Foodhallen (yes, owned by the same guys as the hugely successful one in Amsterdam), there was no way in Hell that I wasn’t going to check it out at the very first opportunity. Especially when I realised that the FoodHallen in Den Haag has a Renato’s Osteria stand – Renato’s Pizzeria is one of my favourite stands here in Amsterdam, so learning that they also offered pasta which looked just as delicious was probably one of my 2020 highlights. We rocked up at about 7:45pm and again it was quite quiet; there were definitely other people there and the ambience was such that it didn’t feel empty, but I definitely caught glimpses of some of the workers on the stands looking rather bored. Nevertheless, I loved it. Whereas the FoodHallen here in Amsterdam is built in an old tram station and as such has a rather urban/utilitarian vibe to it, the one in Den Haag is much more curated. White tiles and cosy lighting create a much more “homely” feel, with cosy nooks and crannies dotted around the place allowing you to find a little space of privacy… It was easy to spend a few hours there. Plus in Covid times you now order from your table via a QR code, so the whole thing just felt very… Comfortable. In the best possible way. For starters we opted for nachos from the Taqueria Lima stand (amazing), which were quickly followed up by pasta carbonara from Renato’s Osteria for me (what else – although I was sorely tempted by the parmigiana served straight from the wheel) and a burger from Smokey Goodness for B (he said it was so good it even rivalled The Butcher – unheard of). It was a great, albeit very filling, evening.
The next morning we woke bright and early and headed out in search of pastries. Soon enough we stumbled across Boulangerie Michel, a tiny little bakery offering freshly baked goods, and with our pockets full of pain au chocolat we made our way over to the nearby park to devour them. Refueled, the remainder of our morning was spent trampling around the woods with a mint tea in hand, discussing why Game of Thrones went bad and how Roald Dahl was the best at describing food (seriously, the way he describes Charlie’s birthday chocolate bar gets me every time). For lunch we grabbed some simple toasties from Happy Tosti, a place we went to last time we were in Den Haag and to be honest I remembered it being better; not sure if now I’m just spoiled by Toastable here in Amsterdam, but I swear they had more toppings the last time, as well as offering triple-decker toasties (ever the glutton). Alas, it did us well and before we knew it it was time for our booking at the Mauritshuis. The Mauritshuis is probably one of the most famous art galleries in The Netherlands – it holds paintings by most of the Dutch masters Vermeer, Rembrandt et al – but I’d never made it there, mostly because I’m a little bit dense when it comes to art and the last time we went to Den Haag we plumped for the Escher museum instead (also recommend). But I have to say, seeing The Girl with a Pearl Earring in the flesh was a real delight (there’s something about the light that photos don’t seem to get across), as well as seeing the portrait of Catherine Howard by Hans Holbein that is in every single History textbook that every student ever sees.
The sun was now setting on our second day in Den Haag, and so naturally that meant it was time for drinks and dinner. For drinks we headed to BIT and managed to snag a seat on the terrace, whilst for dinner we made a reservation at Full Moon City in Den Haag’s China town. For some reason in Amsterdam we’ve never really found any great Chinese restaurants – I’ve been told there are many, we’ve just never managed to get round to going – so when we found out Den Haag has an abundance of Chinese eateries (China town is just outside the centre), we decided to go for something a little different. And we were not disappointed. The menu at this place (as at most restaurants of this type) is absolutely huge and to be honest we were a little overwhelmed at first, spending 20 or minutes silently flicking through the glossy pages of the two (two!) menus that were handed to us on entering. This place specialises in dim sum and cantonese food, so we opted for something in the middle, with a fried dim sum selection for starters, alongside salt & pepper ribs (my dad’s absolute favourite thing in the world), some beef noodles and a platter of char siu park. I had wanted to go for duck and pancakes but sadly I was overruled (next time!), but luckily what we did order was absolutely delicious. 10/10 would go again; my appetite for Chinese has definitely been awakened. Before going I was a little apprehensive after reading some of the online reviews saying service was unfriendly and cold, but I needn’t have worried; service was brisk but polite, and I have no complaints on my end.
Noodles noodled and our bellies well and truly stuffed (we took our leftovers to go for dinner the next day), we headed back into town for one final twilight drink in Den Haag. One of my favourite memories from our previous trip to the city was when we grabbed drinks in the main square at Luden. It was February so it was bitingly cold, but we were lucky enough to grab a table by one of the fires they have on the terrace. Sitting there, next to a fire with a blanket over my knees, a glass of wine and B at my side, looking out over the fairy lit plein… I still get warm fuzzy whenever I think about it. So naturally on our return to Den Haag we were keen to relive that memory. Sadly, it seems most of the population had the same idea (I mean it was Friday night). The cafes were absolutely rammed – as in, beyond Covid capacity – and people were getting turned away at the door. So we went elsewhere – luckily Den Haag is not short for choices when it comes to grabbing a drink. We ended up at Jamey Bennet, which is just across from the Mauritshuis. It had a terrace, it had fairy lights and to be honest it wasn’t really cold enough to need a blanket or a fire… It was all good.
The next morning it was sadly time to check out of our cosy hotel room (rainforest shower thank you for the memories) and head out for one last loop around the city. We had a quick stop at & Other Stories (it was so close to our hotel, it would’ve been rude not to) and then it was time to grab one last pig meal at Five Guys – gotta make the most of that holiday appetite – and jump on the train back to Amsterdam, our jeans fit to burst.
So there we have it, just under 48 hours in my favourite Dutch city, and more food than you can shake a stick out. It was a short but sweet staycation, but I have to admit the change of scenery did me good and I returned feeling a whole lot more boisterous and energised (maybe the ridiculously comfy bed had something to do with it). I would fully recommend a trip to Den Haag to anyone looking for a cheeky weekend break or day trip within The Netherlands, especially if they’re wanting to escape from the bubble of Amsterdam. Den Haag, I love you.
Pig Socks. 