Culinary Twijnstraat

Whether you stroll, parade or run through Twijnstraat, you should step inside these establishments.

Stael and Sector 3
At Stael, you can come for breakfast, lunch and dinner. An impressive establishment with an industrial interior now occupies an old smithy. Lunch is served on enormous wooden planks in the afternoon. For example, sourdough bread with pulled pork from Brandt&Levie and chili mayo. Or a soup tasting, where you get all three soups on the menu. From two o’clock in the afternoon, you can put together your own bitterballen selection, choosing from ten varieties. From spinach and gorgonzola to Pakistani curry fillings. There is also a little brother, Sector 3, the bakery supplying the bread and patisserie at Stael.

Wijnbar ZIES

A place that reminds you of a narrow Spanish market street. The bar is central, and you can pull up a seat there for drinks or dinner. Alongside European wines, the wine list features wines from Morocco and Lebanon. A large portion of the dishes is prepared in the Spanish wood-fired oven. The lamb neck is slow-cooked in it and served with aubergine and ras el hanout.

Bierboetiek
A splendid shop run by beer sommelier Tomas Schroën. Here, you don’t just buy a bottle; no, you receive extensive advice. Including advice on what to eat with it. The shop is stocked with special types of beer that you won’t find just anywhere. A sweet shop for grown-ups.

Da Portare Via

Sometimes you can pretend Utrecht is Venice for a while. And what better way to do that than with a pizza from a wood-fired oven? For that, you have to climb down into a wharf cellar. It is not a place for romance or extensive service. You order your pizza at the bar and then sit down at a table. No table available? Take your pizza with you and eat it by the canal, with your legs dangling over the quay. Which one should you choose? The tartufi con coppa di parma, with tomato sauce, mascarpone, black truffle, coppa di parma, rocket and Parmesan.

As a drink, we recommend the homemade Thai iced tea with lemongrass and ginger

Yum Saap

The perfect location for a quick bite. Put together your menu with various classic Thai dishes, such as tom kha kai soup, a green papaya salad and spring rolls. As a drink, we recommend the homemade Thai iced tea with lemongrass and ginger. A Tiger beer is always a good choice too. For dessert, go for the mango sticky rice. It is so delicious that you’ll want to make it yourself at home. As it happens, we have the perfect recipe for you.

Visjes

The owner of this fish shop, Ron Kievits, used to be a chef. And that means there is more on offer than just a single piece of fish. He prepares his own fish köfte, various soups and meals for you. If you would rather cook yourself but have no idea what to make, be bold and ask Ron for a cooking demonstration.

Image: Wijnbar ZIES