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The 3 nicest restaurants in Haarlem
I live in Haarlem. It's been so long that I've stopped saying: “We just moved here.” I did that for about six years because I, childish, I know, thought it was cooler/more interesting to say that I had just left Amsterdam. By now, we are signing for the seventh year in Haarlem and I hear it here. My daily radius is still in Amsterdam (look, I'm still childish), but I move around in Haarlem. And I love it. Since Haarlem is the nicest shopping city in the Netherlands (others have decided that, I am impartial in this) and because it’s summer and Haarlem is such a fun little city to visit then (beach, sea, dunes, forest, and shops), I’m sharing my three latest favorite restaurants.
Toujours
Top: right in the city, so perfect during or after your shopping session
Top: children are welcome
Top: the best oysters
Top: my kind of wine (but probably yours too)
Top: fries in a bag with a holder
Top: the real French cuisine, but hip
Tip: there used to be a slightly less exclusive restaurant here. So don’t go by past experiences. Toujours is top. Just like the decor. Also nice for group gatherings or brainstorming, because there is a separate room.
Witte
Top: around the corner from me. Okay, that’s a bit of a personal advantage, but isn’t it nice that you can offer me a glass when I shuffle by with the dog? I think it’s a party and an upgrade for the neighborhood.
Top: delicious house wine (and full glasses as our super nanny Stella noted when we had a bite there) and a selection of the best wines
Top: Peroni beer. I don’t drink beer, but I find it cozy. There’s even a canopy of Peroni, you almost feel like you’re in Italy.
Top: adult menu, but children are welcome. They lovingly cut the steak in half and divide it over two plates.
Top: nicely decorated, friendly and mature service, a separate room, and a courtyard
Top: Witte is really a nice, small restaurant to rent for a party
Fishbar Monk
Top: WHERE should I start? But really: where? Okay, the interior then. On-Haarlem's instagrammable. Yes sorry, that sounds unkind, but Haarlem is more cozy than extremely handsome and stylish. You can see the Gaastra jacket here just a bit too often.
Top: open bar where the fish is displayed on crushed ice
Top: the turquoise wall where everything looks good against
Top: the open kitchen where you come out cozy
Top: THE FRIES
Top: the choice of oysters
Top: the smoked prawns
Top: the dishes you can eat at the bar if you don’t have too much time
Top: the location by the Spaarne
