Aileen’s personal recommendations for The Hague
These are my personal tips -based on experience and research- for a great experience in The Hague! This resulted in a good list of tips! You can click on the bold text to get to the Google Maps location of the establishment.
All of you good luck in The Hague!
And don’t forget to write me a review here of course 😉
Restaurants
Lunch Places
Bars
Shopping
Museums
Parks / Beaches
Aileen’s Golden Tip
What makes The Hague unique among Dutch cities is the closeness of the beach, so make use of this! Also when it is not warm enough to go swimming, I love going for walks on the beach and enjoy the spectacle of wind, waves and sand. Many tourists end up just visiting the area around the Pier in Scheveningen (where the ferris wheel is), but I recommend you to walk from there to the beach bars of Zwarte Pad or even to ‘t Puntje from which you can walk back through the dunes. Also the area around Zuiderstrand is nice and quiet. Enjoy your time here!
RESTAURANTS
Little V
This is a very good Vietnamese restaurant with amazing food and drinks. Make sure to try the cocktails and lemonades! Bothe the outside terrace and the indoor decorations are worth visiting. Make sure to book a table in advance. Visit website
De Pier Pannenkoeken
When visiting the Netherlands, going to a pancake restaurant is a must! We like to eat them for dinner of lunch, both sweet and savoury. This restaurant is the place with the nicest view to eat them. Visit website
Very cute restaurant with some of the best hummus in town! All dishes are vegetarian and the staff is super friendly. Located in a very nice neighborhood of the Hague. Visit website
LUNCH PLACES
Juni
To be found in a hidden garden right in the city centre, in Juni it always seems June! Very good salad bar for lunch. Not open during weekends. Visit website
TEDS All Day Brunch
As revealed in the name, you can eat brunch here all day (until 4pm)! This means unlimited pancakes, mimosas and the best sandwiches. Located on one of the most popular streets among locals. Visit website
BARS
O’ Casey’s
Located on the most royal street of The Hague, O’ Casey’s is one of the best Irish pubs with a lovely beer garden. Perfect for an afternoon beer or some entertainment, they also regularly organize pub quizzes and there is live sports. Visit website
Huppel the Pub
One of the nicest pubs in an area where many locals like to go for a drink. Come here for the cozy atmosphere and the large selection of beers and whiskeys. Visit website
Grote Markt
The old market square of The Hague (which we pass by on our tour) is now filled with terraces (with heaters!) where locals go for a drink with friends at the end of the day. Visit website
SHOPPING
Haagsche Broeder Monastery Store
Authentic monastery store with products made by the monastery in The Hague, such as their special locally brewed beer! Very limited opening hours, check their website for the current ones. Visit website
Bookstor and Bookstore Stanza
Bookstor is one of my favorite spots in The Hague! It is a lovely book store and cafe, with a large selection of English books. The book store located on the opposite of the street from Bookstor is also recommendable for its large selection of English, French, Italian and Spanish books. Visit website
Vintage Clothing Stores
I am a big fan of vintage/ second hand clothing stores and The Hague has some very nice ones, such as Vintage Factory, Vintage Island and Zusjes Vintage Boetiek.
MUSEUMS
Mauritshuis
The Mauritshuis is really a classic you can’t miss. One of the prettiest buildings of the city and the starting point of our tour. Make sure to check out, besides the beautiful 17th century paintings, the ceiling on the top floor! Visit website
Humanity House
A personal favourite, that represents the international character of peace and justice of The Hague. In this small, interactive museum you can experience what it is like to be a refugee. They also host very interesting events such as lectures or documentary screenings in the evenings, often in English! Visit website
Panorama Mesdag
A museum dedicated to 19th century painter Mesdag and his wife Sientje, and their Panorama of Scheveningen, a circular painting which entirely surrounds you and which feels as real as if you are standing in 19th century Scheveningen, looking out over the beach. A unique experience! Visit website
PARKS / BEACHES
Paleistuin
This is the palace garden which we pass by on our tour. It is not very big but perfect for a picknick or a little break during your city explorations.
Meijendel
Beautiful, peaceful nature park with dunes, little lakes and trees, which borders the beach. Many people from The Hague go here to bike or walk around in the weekends.
Zuiderstrand
Don’t like the busy atmosphere at the Pier in Scheveningen? Go to the beach at Zuiderstrand instead for more quietness! Fewer beach bars here but it is a great place to relax and go for a swim in the sea.