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Restaurants
Leiden offers a wide range of different restaurants and cafe’s, from traditional Dutch food, to the cuisine of different countries and kitchens. Don’t ignore the eetcaf’es. These are bars that serve also food and many of them are very good and are entitled to be referred as restaurants. Their prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is usually cosy and friendly. Mostly, if you like the place, you can stay a little longer for a few drinks. The mane meal in Leiden is dinner, which is served in restaurants at about 6 pm – 9.30 pm. Popular restaurants start to fill up at about 7 pm, so make sure to make reservations if you choose to eat around that time.
Leiden Cuisine
The Dutch cuisine hasn’t got a worldwide reputation as one the best cuisines. In fact, The Dutch traditionally don''t use very sharp spices and are very fond of pouring gravy onto everything. The main ingredient in old-fashioned Dutch dinners is potatoes, usually accompanied by meat and boiled vegetables. Dairy products are also eaten to great extent, Dutch cheeses are world-renowned with famous cheeses such as Gouda, Edam and Leyden. The Dutch have however always been internationally orientated and nowadays you can expect to find meals varying from China, Italy, Thailand or Mexico.
In restaurants that define their kitchens as Italian, Spanish, Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Turkish and Indian, you will get food that is familiar to you from home, but it could sometimes be suited to the Dutch taste and to the cooking ingredients in the Netherlands.
The vegetarians have nothing to worry about. Almost every restaurant has a few vegetarian dishes.
A few traditional Dutch dishes that are worth trying wile your visit to Leiden:
Stamppott – A traditional Dutch peasant dish made from a combination of mashed potatoes and vegetables served with sausage of some kind and applesauce.
Hutspot – Similar to the Stamppot but cooked with carrot, onion and meat.
According to the myth, the recipe came from the dishes that were left behind by hastily departing Spanish soldiers during their siege of Leiden in 1574 during the Eighty Years War when the liberators breached the dikes of the lower polders surrounding the city. All the fields around the city were flooded and the Spanish soldiers camping in the fields were flushed out. This event, which includes Hutspot in every corner, is celebrated every year in Leiden on October 3rd.
Erwtensoep – A very thick pea soup served with a smoked sausage or bacon.
Kroketten – The croquette or croquet is a parcel of food such as minced meat, fish, shrimps or vegetables, shaped into a cylinder or circle, encased in breadcrumbs and deep fried, served with mustard.
You can also find around Leiden many typical Dutch bakeries or stands in the market that sell all kind of Dutch pastry. The most famous Dutch cookie is the Stroopwafel, made from two round waffle-like wafers with a caramel filling in the middle. Nuts or other flavours may be added to the fillingand. The most delicious Stroopwafels are the fresh ones that are made right in front of your eyes. These can be found at Leiden’s market in the city centre every Wednesday ND Saturday.
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