The best of Nijmegen
When you walk through the city as a foodie, you naturally only want the very best of the best. Here is a list of top spots in Nijmegen.
Coffee
de Blonde Pater
You go to de Blonde Pater for the very best coffee. Employees of de Blonde Pater win coffee competitions one after another. Have a brownie with almonds and caramel or a blondie with raspberries with your coffee.
Fine dining
De Nieuwe Winkel
At this restaurant, vegetables take center stage. For €44, you get three courses. You can also opt for a ‘vegetable tasting menu’; six courses for €54. The kohlrabi with black garlic and horseradish sounds simple, but tastes incredible. Entirely in keeping with the philosophy, you can order a juice pairing instead of a wine pairing at this restaurant. The atmosphere is lovely, relaxed and far from stuffy.
Bistro Flores
At Bistro Flores, they prefer to cook from head to tail and from bone to plate. We love that. Throughout the evening, the dishes that have run out are crossed off on a large chalkboard. That way, you know what is still available. When it’s gone, it’s gone. So everything is fresh. They serve lots of natural wines, many of them by the glass. You sit wonderfully in this restaurant; the patio at Bistro Flores is beautiful.
Picnic
Kronenburgerpark
This city park in the center of Nijmegen is a lovely place to spend time. Bring a blanket, buy a bottle of wine and settle down with friends.
Waal beaches
Watching ships sail past while picnicking on a beach in the middle of the city. You can do it in Nijmegen.
Lunch
Smaakrijk
De Lange Hezelstraat is the oldest shopping street in the Netherlands. You can shop there and enjoy a good lunch. If you feel like a classic, no-frills sandwich after a morning of shopping, go to Smaakrijk. Have brown farmhouse bread with aged Frisian cheese and mustard, or a BLT. The Parma ham sandwich with buffalo mozzarella from the oven is also highly recommended.
Café
In de Blaauwe Hand
Right in the center, on the Grote Markt, you’ll find café In de Blaauwe Hand. The building that houses this old-fashioned brown café dates back to 1340 (!). The café is old-fashioned, and that is precisely what makes it so charming. People from all walks of life know this pub as the place to go for a beer.
Hip creative hub
Honigcomplex
This old Heinz/Honig factory exudes art, culture and delicious food and drink. Oersoep and Stoom brew their beers here.
Brown café
De Plak
You go to this café-restaurant on Bloemerstraat for the house specialty: kaasgehakt. Yes, you read that right. Imagine a vegetarian version of a meatball. Kaasgehakt has been on De Plak’s menu for thirty years and holds nostalgic value for many. Everyone who studied in Nijmegen has eaten this dish at least once.
Snack bar
Cafetaria Keizer Karelplein
The people of Nijmegen affectionately call this snack bar ‘t Keetje. After a night out, you come here in the dead of night to get a ‘frietje super’—special fries with a frikadel inside. With two frikandellen, it’s called a ‘frietje catamaran’. What more could anyone want? There are many more snacks with unusual names, by the way.
Baker
Bakker Arend
Arend has been baking bread since he was seventeen. He bakes all his bread traditionally; his bakery sells only naturally leavened bread. He mainly uses ingredients from the local area. For example, the cheese for the cheese butterflies comes from Zuivelboerderij Groenhouten in Leuth, and the eggs come from organic market garden Rafelder in Etten.
Delicatessen
JP Vincken & Zn
Come here for good hams, cheeses and sausages. Or buy your pasta, risotto rice and olive oil here. You can also have coffee or eat a sandwich. They have sourdough bread from Bakkerscafé Brood op de Plank. They cut you a slice, which you can then have topped with anything displayed in the counter. Bellota ham from Spain, for example. Or Nijmegen liver sausage.
Image: de Blonde Pater, Bistro Flores, In de Blaauwe Hand, JP Vincken & Zn.
