Classics in Het Gooi
In beautiful Het Gooi, there are an incredible number of places to see and be seen. But there are also plenty of places where you can taste the real Het Gooi. And we’re not talking about trendy places or establishments for the rich, but classics where you can experience Het Gooi as it originally was.
Moeke Spijkstra
Say Blaricum, and you say Moeke. This is a quintessential brown café, with carpet on the tables and wagon wheels as lamps. The menu features classics such as stamppot, venison stew and steak. Moeke is visited by well-known figures from the village. And we’re not just talking about celebrities, but especially the village’s original inhabitants: farmers.
Moeke Spijkstra
Torenlaan 10, Blaricum
Open daily from morning until midnight. See the exact opening hours here.
Het Bonte Paard
This is another old favorite. Think pool tables and countless paintings and photos on the walls. There are regular live music nights that draw the whole village. And the terrace? That’s where you do what you have to do in Het Gooi: see and be seen. Tip: do as the locals do and follow the sun from Het Bonte Paard to Mauve across the street.
Het Bonte Paard
Naarderstraat 1, Laren
Open: Monday through Saturday from 08:00 until midnight. Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00.
Nick Vollebregt’s jazz and eatery café
Many a major artist has performed at Nick’s. The formula of “no table reservations, but wait at the bar” leads to plenty of mingling with familiar faces. Inside, the atmosphere is just what you’d expect from a brown jazz café, but in summer the quiet, sheltered garden is still the nicest place to be.
Nick Vollebregt’s jazz and eatery café
Naarderstraat 40, Laren
Open: Monday through Sunday from 16:00.
Het Hert
Eetcafé Het Hert in beautiful Naarden-Vesting is the oldest establishment in the city and was built as early as 1630. This is the place to come for no-nonsense dishes at reasonable prices. It is absolutely the place to have a drink or a meal after a walk along the impressive fortress walls and double moat.
Eetcafé Het Hert
Cattenhagestraat 12, Naarden
Open: daily from 12:00 to 23:00.
De Haven van Huizen
One of the most beautiful spots in the town center, right on the water, is De Haven van Huizen. The old elements of the former fish smokehouse and horse stable have remained intact, so you can always enjoy an atmospheric setting here. The kitchen serves up some lovely dishes too. For example, there are fish market evenings where you can choose your own fish. And a terrace at the harbor in Het Gooi—who wouldn’t want that?
