Kids to go: the tastiest catering industry in Dutch nature
Nowhere is it as nice to drink coffee as in the middle of the greenery while the little ones can mess around outside. Sure, we love cafes in the city and terraces in the park, but we are really happy with a place in the forest, on the heath or on the edge of the dunes. And if all goes well, they will also serve it homemade lemonade and the tastiest pieces of cake. These are the nicest catering spots in nature:
Okay, we'll do some smuggling here, because this 'orangery' is located in Joure, but surrounded by water and greenery. So it's allowed, we think. Around the tent you can sit on one of the three terraces in the business. One terrace with a view of peace and nature, on the other side a more 'civilized world atmosphere' with a view of the marina. Best of both worlds. Inside you will find a beautiful conservatory where you can also sit down for dinner or lunch.
Can we have a moment? Because lord (bland, sorry) what a beautiful Dutch castle this is. Plus hotel, plus restaurant, plus food from vegetable greenhouse and herb garden. Can it get any better?! Not normally beautiful with those funny facades, stairs and turrets. Not to even start about the land bordering the castle walls. This is how a notable and worth-seeing spot came to be admired, in the Limburg town of Limbricht.
You will find the beautiful estate between Den Bosch and Utrecht Glory Mariënwaerdt, clearly indicated from the highway (it's almost impossible to miss). You can have fun in the shop with all the (homemade) vegetable garden jams, chutneys, curds, but also delicious estate cheeses, fresh juices and much more delicious from the own estate. Famous and renowned? Baroness Van Verschuer's walnut cake. You won't regret it.
Delicious cheeses are made at Mariënwaerdt, with equally nice names; Jonker (light and spicy), Even Located (mature), Nicely Located (spicy, spicy), Wonderfully Located and Oude Adel (old). There are also various herbal cheeses; These can also be added to your shopping list.
Just outside Utrecht, in Bunnik actually, a lovely bike ride from the center of Utrecht, you will find De Veldkeuken. Read more: The Field Kitchen
One thing is certain: bee The Hunting Farm there is always something to do. In addition to a care farm, it is also a shop where you can buy various fresh juices, jams, nuts, eggs, seasonal fruit and more. You register in the same store if you are going to pick fruit in De Fruithof, which is possible from June to November. You will then be given picking boxes and you will look for honeyberries, plums and raspberries, among other things. De Jachthoeve is also a great place for a pit stop (or in case of a closed picking garden due to a limited harvest). You will then receive homemade cake on the terrace - everything you need to get back to full speed. If you brought the kids with you, they probably won't want to leave here, if only for the special treasure hunts including assignments in De Fruithof, or the opportunity to make your own cake during children's parties. The lovely staff knows the ins and outs and is happy to tell you about all the types of fruit in the garden.
Ever heard of the Dutch Cadier and Keer? No? Oh well, we tell it once and you forget it never never again. Get to know Cadier en Keer, a forgotten village a stone's throw from Maastricht and the place where Heerdeberg estate can be found. And that estate is what makes Cadier en Keer so much fun. Because people, this is a beautiful place! An outdoor restaurant that is, but also a butcher and an outdoor kitchen. And a holiday home. And a regional market. And and and. There's so much more we can say, but... in the end the bottom line is that Landgoed Heerdeberg is always a good idea. Even if only to taste the delicacies from the (outdoor) kitchen. The Heerdeberg estate cooks and lives according to the rhythm of the seasons. What the estate offers can be found fresh on the plate. Vegetables and herbs picked from your own garden, a bunch of foraging and walking animals between all the festivities and before you know it you will be under the tiles for an entire afternoon.
Is it the South of France? Is it a dream? No! It's the Uitspanning the Houtzagwerf! On the edge of Kortgene in Zeeland, between the farmlands. Right behind a still-operating sawmill, a French country estate opened with a cozy, warm (dark) indoor restaurant. Especially in the summer months, an afternoon or evening here is an un-Dutch gift: chickens roam around the jumble of tables and folding chairs, softly colored cushions and blankets and the small menu are everywhere. The small menu consists of fresher than fresh products and is prepared with a strong French twist. And everything so, so soooo good. A holiday from the books, even if only for a day. Enough space for the kids, swinging, playing, romping, it's all possible.
well-located in Groenlo you will be more than pleasantly surprised when you enter. A garden and veranda with a view over the canal of the historic fortified town. In the garden there is also a greenhouse for your own fresh herbs (it is the same as at the Rijksmuseum but even bigger, ha!) Children can play in the riverside garden, bake their own pizzas or roast marshmallows in the garden. For us a menu with fine classics. You taste the sun in your glass. Celebrate life and enjoy is what they want to convey at Welgelegen, well believe us, they more than succeeded, congratulations! Also fun after lunch or drinks, sailing a boat with the family. Nice detail: the skipper tells you everything ins and outs about the fortified town.
The perfect example of a perfect outdoor setting for that well-deserved coffee with the kids, that is Buiten in de Kuil in Lage Vuursche. In Drakesteyn's Pit you get an instant holiday feeling all year round. Wood stove in winter, outdoor shower in summer, everything has been thought of. Bring your dogs, your horse and certainly your children. The menu for the youngsters includes a toasted sandwich or croquette sandwich (also vegetarian) and in the evening crispy chicken or chef's ribs from the big green egg. Too many tasty treats for adults to choose from. Also check the website for the activities at Buiten in de Kuil and don't forget the sled in winter, because then the pit is the best place to slide.
At Heidezicht on the Bussumerheide it's a party every day; if your child is before 24e time down the slide, you can enjoy a piece of freshly baked apple crumb and a cup of coffee. There is an amazing terrace that overlooks the playground and when it is colder, you can sit just as comfortably inside. Free parking spaces nearby and you can bring your four-legged friend with you.
all year round a wonderful place to drink tea and have lunch. And to let the child romp around, because there is plenty of space both inside and outside. In terms of looks, it is Naturalis in Leiden meets the hortus in Amsterdam and a hint of the Plantage van Artis. So green and good. The Winter Garden is located in the Cantonspark of Baarn and is a beautiful setting for four seasons. Play corner check, the tastiest homemade cheesecake and children's cocktails. Also fun: you can do a treasure hunt through the park together with your child.
Another nice one in 't Gooi: teahouse 't Bluk in Laren. This lovely, sweet spot is located in the middle of the forest and on the edge of the heath. The apple pie with whipped cream is worth the detour and you will make your child happy with the frankfurters on the menu. In terms of furnishings, it resembles a farm, with old rattan chairs inside and outside. Outside there is a playhouse, a slide and a swing and if the sun shines for a moment, you will always find a spot on the terrace.
Each and every one of those places where you prefer to end up 'spontaneously' and actually want to stay there all day long. Of the meal jars van NaturNes Bio you are always prepared for such a situation and you can stay as long as the weather allows (and until the kitchen closes :))
It's no secret that we absolutely love the beach of Castricum, but secretly the entire dune area and the forest are worth a long bike ride. A hidden spot and the dream of every outdoor child is the Hof van Kijk-Uit, between the trees and near the Geversduin campsite. The old hunting lodge on the edge of the North Holland dune reserve has a wonderfully spacious terrace where you can always get a spot. The place offers people with disabilities the opportunity for meaningful daytime activities, whether in the vegetable garden or in the service. All that remains is to say that the specialty beers here are very good and that your UK will have fun for at least an hour on all the balance bikes and play tractors. One and one is two.
How we love Broek. A fifteen-minute drive from Amsterdam, you can get a big shot of fresh air and a delicious iced latte at Theetuin Overleek. On the terrace on the water you can eat fresh scones with your feet in the grass while your mini climbs into the plum tree or plays with the rabbits. Do you have a taste for it and a child who can sit still for a while? Rent a whisper boat and discover the oh-so-beautiful Waterland. Bring a picnic basket and set sail.
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One that should certainly not be missed here: the recently renovated Kraantje Lek in Overveen. The historic building on the edge of the forest has been transformed into a café for young, old and everyone in between. The renovation also included a new menu with, in addition to pancakes, also delicious deer ham sandwiches or a salad with grilled tuna. Outside you sit right next to an amazing playground and with your buttocks on a rattan chair with sheepskin. You won't hear us complaining. In fact: the little ones are happy, we are happy, we can easily stay here for a few hours.
Also near Haarlem and recently extensively renovated: Hoeve Duin and Kruidberg. On the dunes and a stone's throw from the picture of Landgoed Duin en Kruidberg, which has a picture perfect swing but is otherwise not super child-friendly. De Hoeve, on the other hand, does, because there are few places where the best ice cream in the region is made and there is as much entertainment for the kids outside as here. Your child can race around on a toy car, there is a life-size chess game and there are skippy horses lying around everywhere. Moreover, the place is wonderfully no-nonsense and therefore so charming. The ideal starting point or the place for a pit stop when cycling through the dunes.
At the beginning of June, restaurant De Eendracht opened on the Tafelbergheide near Blaricum, in what was previously known as the Tafelberg. New name, new look, but in the same magical place with an amazing sunset. A great tip is the wood-fired pizza, but you can also go here for a cup of hot chocolate or a snack around lunchtime with a fresh homemade iced tea on the side. Scottish Highlanders and sheep roam around on the heath and the sheepfold further away is open every Sunday. The place to admire lambs in the spring.
Last but of course not least is Buitenplaats Plantage in the town of Vogelenzang. The beautiful greenhouse (once part of a garden center) now houses a fantastic restaurant that serves excellent food seven days a week. In the garden you can enjoy a picnic, swinging, lounging and lazing in one of the hammocks. The view is fantastic and the grunting pigs complete the outdoor picture.
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