Travel

24 hours in Utrecht

Imagine, you are spending a day in my beautiful Cathedral City. What are you going to do? Where to eat sleep rave repeat? Buckle up, friends, it's time for a quick tour of Utrecht. Here you will shop, stroll, and snack.

Wakey wakey, here you will have breakfast

I'll just assume for convenience that you wake up in Utrecht in the morning. You are hungry. You want to eat. You go to Rabarber. Even if you show up around lunchtime, they serve a divine breakfast here all day long. Extra bonus points if you can resist the pastries in the display case. (Address: Zadelstraat 20)

Time for some shopping

You first walk down the Oudegracht. It's just nice. Plus: you have all the standard shops that a person needs in this life in one long row. & Other Stories, Urban Outfitters, Costes, H&M, Dille & Kamille, and Flying Tiger (where you always buy crazy stuff that is the bomb). For Zara and the Bijenkorf, you need to head towards Vredenburg. Then you go towards Voorstraat, where you step into the Scandinavian-looking concept store PUHA to browse through the clothing, bags, and accessories (all made by a group of young designers) and finally, you walk through Neude to Schoutenstraat. Be sure to stop by Bern, La Palmerie, and Bigoli – more about the latter later. Finish off with Zadelstraat, Lijnmarkt, and Twijnstraat.

Grab a snack: Juuls Hummus

Yes, just stop. Utrecht is the best, I know. We recently got our own HUMMUS BAR. I've been waiting for this for twenty-five years. Trust me: once you've tasted this, you'll never eat supermarket hummus again. (Address: Baanstraat 1).

Train your glutes

If you are in Utrecht for twenty-four hours, I insist that you climb the Dom. We're talking about the tallest tower in the Netherlands and the view is awesome. Within an hour and a half, you'll be back down and have had a great workout so you can snack undisturbed for the rest of the day.

The tastiest…

  • Waffles with Nutella and strawberries and bananas and orgasms can be found at Amarty’s, Servetstraat 10.
  • You can find coffee at ’t Koffieboontje by the Oudegracht. But you should also definitely head towards Mariastraat to 30ml and The Village in Voorstraat.
  • Sandwiches on the go can be found at Broodje Ben by the Oudegracht. The carpaccio with truffle mayo remains a favorite.
  • You can still get ice cream at Roberto. Still, Simoon?

Time for a little sniff around Italy

I said it here once and I stand by it: for the tastiest cheeses, olive oil, sausages, and yes, also sandwiches, you go to the Italian delicatessen Bigoli. The store was renovated not too long ago and looks très instagrammable. Oh, and they also have a fantastic cozy coffee bar. (Address: Schoutenstraat 12)

Dinner

In the mood for a fine dining evening with French cuisine? Then you should have a bite to eat here in the evening at Het Ketelhuis. By the way, it just opened not too long ago. And, the burrata and yellow curry are top-notch, just saying (address: Rotsoord 7a). More in the mood for shared dining with all kinds of delicious small bites? De Kleine Parade on Drieharingstraat in Utrecht remains a winner. This is definitely the coziest street to go out to dinner in the evening.

Shake your booty

Start your evening at Zussen for the perfect cocktail, and then roll towards TivoliVredenburg; the music palace of Utrecht. In this huge building at Vredenburg, you will find the best parties, concerts, and festivals under one roof. If you've never been to the Winkel van Sinkel, it's also nice to take a look in the evening. However, you usually need to buy a ticket in advance for that evening's party. Are you into techno? Then you go to Club Poema on Drieharingstraat. At Club Poema, before you go inside, you go down a staircase, not up. The club is actually in a basement. Gosh, how many student hours have I spent here...

Take a nap

Finally tired? Then I assume you chose a strategic hotel location: in the center. The nicest boutique hotel to stay in Utrecht is Mother Goose. Right next to the Dom Tower, you sleep here in the heart of the city in super bright, white, hip rooms and soft beds that will have you dreaming in a split second. (Address: Ganzenmarkt 26)

Hangover breakfast

Hey, a guy in the evening, a guy in the morning, come on. Just one more place before you head home? Yes. Save the best for last: breakfast/lunch/coffee corner De Ontdekking (Voorstraat 110). First of all, the concept is amazing, because you sit in an old travel agency that is still visible everywhere: travel books, Bangkok tea on the menu, actually every corner of the building has a different atmosphere that lets you daydream about beautiful destinations. The service is top-notch, just like the soy cappuccino, and you can have a great breakfast and lunch there. Especially on this hungover day like today.

Oh no, was it already over? I think so, right? Will you come stay again soon?