1. Outdoor desserts

Shall we pop outside for a bit? This summer it’s even more tempting, especially with new spots like Buiten Toetjes by Aafke Hofman, the founder of Buiten Toetjes (and previously of Buitenontbijtjes, Museumontbijtjes and Bij Keuken).

With Buiten Toetjes on Columbusstraat she is opening a dessert bar, open from Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm to 10pm. Create your own bowl or choose from the desserts of the week: think tiramisu, peanut butter and banana ice cream, warm crumbles and more. Organic, homemade and prepared with care. Take it to go or enjoy it at a table outside. A sweet and relaxed way to end your summer day.

📍Columbus Street 266
www.instagram.com/buiten.toetjes

2. Jacob's Bar & Grill

New at Anna Paulownaplein: Jacobs Bar & Grill. A new hotspot in the building that used to house Publique, awarded with Bib Gourmand,here, it’s all about cooking over open fire and charcoal. The chefs prepare Jacob’s Cut, premium cuts of meat like sirloin, ribeye and rump steak, as well as fresh fish and seasonal vegetables straight from the grill. Inside is cosy, but on the terrace with a cocktail in hand you can easily watch the square. A great spot for lunch, drinks or dinner, open every week from Wednesday to Sunday.

Tender grilled aubergine with baba ganoush. Photographer: Platefully

📍Anna Paulownaplein 4
www.jacobsgrill.nl

Read also: Missed June? Back then, these five new spots made the cut.

3. Dr Wines

Another newcomer at Anna Paulownaplein. Wine lover Annick van Bladel and wine enthusiast Hidde-Jurre Griffioen opened Dr. Wines at the square in early July. The couple, who know the place well from their time at Wicked Wines, combine their passion and expertise to create an accessible wine bar with more than a hundred wines, ranging from a glass at 5 euros to a bottle at 500 euros.

Hidde-Jurre grew up surrounded by wine: his mother is a wine expert and he earned a master’s degree in Wine and Spirits at the Burgundy School of Business in Dijon, where he spent a year studying among the vineyards.

The kitchen combines French and Asian influences with dishes like steak tartare, salmon tataki and roasted cauliflower steak. Vegan options are also available.

Fancy a glass of wine and a tasty bite? Then you know where to go. Cheers!

Image: Bart Verkuijlen, LAV Photography

📍Bazar Street 42
www.drwines.nl

4. Grandpa Pino

Scheveningen has gained a sweet new counterpart: Opa Pino, the ice cream shop by Jamal Redouani and Talisa Redouani La Via, the duo behind restaurant Oma Toos. While Oma Toos focuses on traditional Dutch classics, at Opa Pino you can enjoy Italian-style ice cream and sandwiches.

The ice cream shop is named after Talisa’s grandfather, an Italian bon vivant who spent years at the market with Oma Toos selling poffertjes and oliebollen. That love for food and people is at the heart of everything they do here.

Besides the ice cream (think hazelnut and stracciatella), the menu also features schiacciata—flatbread from Tuscany. For example, with mortadella, pistachio pesto and aubergine, or with burrata, tomato and basil pesto. Whether you live nearby or are just passing through, this is the kind of place you’ll want to remember.

Image: Modern Media Hub

📍Dr. Lelykade 198
www.opa-pino.nl

5. Niko Udon

Not open yet, but definitely one to add to your list: Niko Udon. A new spot on Prinsestraat where thick Japanese udon noodles will soon take centre stage. Behind the place are Milan, Max and Finn Unger, three brothers from The Hague, together with chef Yuta Kawagoshi, who grew up in Osaka.

In the spot where Soma Ramen used to be, a welcoming bar is opening with udon soup, tempura, pressed sushi (oshizushi) and soon also an omakase menu. With an omakase menu, the chef decides what you get, often featuring small, refined dishes that match the season. Everything comes with a Japanese soul, Hague hospitality and music that’s taken as seriously as the food. A friend is building the speakers, usually seen at festivals. There might even be a DJ booth.

The udon noodles themselves are freshly made using a machine costing thirty thousand euros, funded by a successful crowdfunding campaign supported by regulars of restaurant Niko, their father’s place on Veenkade.

Opening sometime in July. We’ll keep an eye on it.

📍Prinsestraat 23
www.instagram.com/niko.udon