Helen Hartmann’s favourite spots in The Hague
Editor Helen Hartmann shares her favourite restaurants, hidden gems and local tips in The Hague, from cafés to shops and seaside escapes.
DATUM
17 oktober 2025
TEKST
Helen Hartmann
BEELD
PR
Helen Hartmann’s favourite spots in The Hague
Editor Helen Hartmann shares her favourite restaurants, hidden gems and local tips in The Hague, from cafés to shops and seaside escapes.
Favourite restaurant
Cosy and sophisticated. This small restaurant, with a tiny kitchen, is as central as it gets in The Hague. Zebedeus is located in a side wing of the Grote Kerk and has a terrace with prime people-watching potential. But let’s talk about food. The menu is nice and concise with plant-based options that don’t feel like an afterthought and for the full experience you can choose wine pairing.
📍Rond de Grote Kerk 8
www.zebedeus.nl
Best lunch in town
Not far away from the Grote Kerk is another favourite because we love Baladi (Torenstraat). These Lebanese filled flatbreads are my idea of comfort food, and this place never fails us if we are in town shopping and I might be close to hangry.
Baladi flatbreads
📍Torenstraat 95
www.baladionline.nl
Guilty pleasure
When I first moved to The Hague I worked for the Japanese embassy where a two-hour lunch break was mandatory. Ridiculous, but if I timed it right I could catch a full movie and get back to the office without any problem at all. The Metropole cinema is long gone now but I still love a good daytime movie at the Filmhuis (Spui). Besides good indie films, the cafe and bar are also a good place to spend time.
📍Spui 191
www.filmhuisdenhaag.nl
Golden tip
I’m not precious about my hair because there are too many other things in life worth spending my time on, but also because I have a great hairdresser. Nick van Leent is a fellow Japanophile and the owner of Agga Yama (Loosduinseweg). Besides being a skilled hairdresser, graphic designer and lovely human, Nick also literally built his salon with his own hands. He sourced all the recycled materials to make a unique place with a downtown Tokyo alley vibe. Including a bar.
📍Loosduinseweg 611
www.instagram.com/agga.yama
 | Lees ook: Haagse tips van redacteur Jasmine Groenendijk De redactie van Bij Ons In De Residentie over gouden tips, guilty pleasures en bijzondere winkels |
Speciality shop
House of Hats on the Papestraat is a definite eye-catcher with a weathered parquet floor, Persian carpet, background music and the shop dog, it feels a little bit like walking into another time but instantly welcoming. Milliner and shop owner Susan has a small workplace at the back of the shop where she makes custom designs or carries out repairs. Brands on offer include Stetson, Mayser, Borsalino and Panama but also newer brands covering different budgets.
📍Papestraat 24
www.houseofhats.nl
Nature in the Hague
We live in an apartment near the Zuiderstrand and I pretty much start every day with a swim at the beach, all year round. As soon as tourist season starts and the beach gets crowded I escape to quieter places. I might cycle out to the Zandmotor near Kijkduin, which is a brilliant example of Dutch coastal management and guaranteed spaciousness.
De Zandmotor in Kijkduin
Staycation
I don’t have a garden and although I love the idea of one I’m realistic enough to realise that it’s plenty of work. One of my favourite places in the city, Emma’s Hof (Galileïstraat), is a wonderful initiative by residents who transformed a neglected inner courtyard into a community garden. A real city oasis, Emma’s Hof is a well-maintained shared space for anyone to enjoy. Sometimes I just pass by on my way home and take a walk around the garden, or I might take my lunch and settle into a quiet corner with a book.
📍Galileïstraat 36
www.emmashof.nl
tekst Helen Hartmann beeld PR
Favourite restaurant
Cosy and sophisticated. This small restaurant, with a tiny kitchen, is as central as it gets in The Hague. Zebedeus is located in a side wing of the Grote Kerk and has a terrace with prime people-watching potential. But let’s talk about food. The menu is nice and concise with plant-based options that don’t feel like an afterthought and for the full experience you can choose wine pairing.
📍Rond de Grote Kerk 8
www.zebedeus.nl
Best lunch in town
Not far away from the Grote Kerk is another favourite because we love Baladi (Torenstraat). These Lebanese filled flatbreads are my idea of comfort food, and this place never fails us if we are in town shopping and I might be close to hangry.
Baladi flatbreads
📍Torenstraat 95
www.baladionline.nl
Guilty pleasure
When I first moved to The Hague I worked for the Japanese embassy where a two-hour lunch break was mandatory. Ridiculous, but if I timed it right I could catch a full movie and get back to the office without any problem at all. The Metropole cinema is long gone now but I still love a good daytime movie at the Filmhuis (Spui). Besides good indie films, the cafe and bar are also a good place to spend time.
📍Spui 191
www.filmhuisdenhaag.nl
Golden tip
I’m not precious about my hair because there are too many other things in life worth spending my time on, but also because I have a great hairdresser. Nick van Leent is a fellow Japanophile and the owner of Agga Yama (Loosduinseweg). Besides being a skilled hairdresser, graphic designer and lovely human, Nick also literally built his salon with his own hands. He sourced all the recycled materials to make a unique place with a downtown Tokyo alley vibe. Including a bar.
📍Loosduinseweg 611
www.instagram.com/agga.yama
| Lees ook: Haagse tips van redacteur Jasmine Groenendijk De redactie van Bij Ons In De Residentie over gouden tips, guilty pleasures en bijzondere winkels |
Speciality shop
House of Hats on the Papestraat is a definite eye-catcher with a weathered parquet floor, Persian carpet, background music and the shop dog, it feels a little bit like walking into another time but instantly welcoming. Milliner and shop owner Susan has a small workplace at the back of the shop where she makes custom designs or carries out repairs. Brands on offer include Stetson, Mayser, Borsalino and Panama but also newer brands covering different budgets.
📍Papestraat 24
www.houseofhats.nl
Nature in the Hague
We live in an apartment near the Zuiderstrand and I pretty much start every day with a swim at the beach, all year round. As soon as tourist season starts and the beach gets crowded I escape to quieter places. I might cycle out to the Zandmotor near Kijkduin, which is a brilliant example of Dutch coastal management and guaranteed spaciousness.
De Zandmotor in Kijkduin
Staycation
I don’t have a garden and although I love the idea of one I’m realistic enough to realise that it’s plenty of work. One of my favourite places in the city, Emma’s Hof (Galileïstraat), is a wonderful initiative by residents who transformed a neglected inner courtyard into a community garden. A real city oasis, Emma’s Hof is a well-maintained shared space for anyone to enjoy. Sometimes I just pass by on my way home and take a walk around the garden, or I might take my lunch and settle into a quiet corner with a book.
📍Galileïstraat 36
www.emmashof.nl
