Jeffrey’s Personal Tips For Utrecht

Getting around in the city is easy with an extensive system of trams, buses and trains. Visit the English-language webpage of OV9292 to plan your route.

Mediterranean: A few feet from the Dom is a Greek place called Sirtaki, a Greco/Italian restaurant right under the tower. The kitchen prepares authentic dishes utilising classic Mediterranean ingredients like aubergine, feta, minced lamb, and fresh seafood. The secret is that across the walkway, there’s a hole-in-the-wall doner place with street food. During the day, half the food for Sirtaki is made on their street grill! Same stuff for half the price. There’s even some limited outside seating so you can hang out.

Vegetarian Street Food: Vegetarian? You are in luck! FLFL (pronounced simply as “falafel”) is a highly popular, 100% plant-based street food chain in the Netherlands, widely celebrated for serving what has repeatedly been voted the best vegetarian/vegan food concept in the country. It’s cheap, fast and tasty, a great healthy option for locals and tourists alike.

Italian: The kitchen at Il Pozzo focuses on classic Italian trattoria fare blended with a modern focus on seasonal salads. They prepare all dishes utilising fresh bread baked daily in their own in-house bakery. Since 2004, the massive venue—which features 350 seats directly at the water’s edge—has been run by a local operator named Alex who makes sure his staff gets it right. It’s noisy and crowded, but that makes it fun, especially at lunchtime.

Shared Dining: Craving a stylish night out? Ruby Rose is an opulent, over-the-top wine and food bar located in a historic Art Deco style 1904 flower shop on Korte Jansstraat. The kitchen specialises in elegant Mediterranean shared dining, sending out small plates of fresh oysters, burrata, pizzettas, and Iberico ham alongside an extensive wine menu. The centrepiece of the venue is its magnificent, 14-metre-long bar and a “floral wonderland” interior dripping with pink roses and Gatsby-style decor. For a memorable midday meal, grab a friend and order their famous “Ruby Tree”—a striking, rose-tree tower holding nine different Mediterranean dishes to share!

Grand Café: In the shadow of the tower, this fun place has been serving students, tourists and expats since 2012. The Grand Café Lebowski is a vibrant, eccentricity-filled bar and restaurant located right on the bustling Domplein in Utrecht. The main draw of Lebowski is its famously bizarre and eclectic interior with mismatched antique velvet sofas, retro crystal chandeliers, vintage birdcages, and an array of eccentric taxidermy—most notably a towering, life-sized stuffed giraffe wearing a crown that stands right in the middle of the bar room. Secret: Tucked away up the back stairs is a hidden, secret speakeasy room designed for private gatherings and event bookings.

Bar: Looking for a serious drink? Named after the iconic strip club in The Sopranos, Badabing is a character-filled pub sitting directly on Domplein that mashes up the gritty energy of a Brooklyn dive with the cosy warmth of a classic London tavern. While they serve comfort food, the real focus here is the liquid menu. The bar features an exceptional selection of whiskies, bourbons, craft beers, and creative cocktails. Liquid highlights include daily happy hours from 14:00 to 17:00, “Whisky Winged Wednesdays”, and regular weekend DJs that turn the pub into a packed, late-night dancing spot. It is cheap, unpretentious, and stays open until 3:00 AM on weekends—making it a prime spot to down a few drinks right under the shadow of the Dom Tower.

Beer Tasting: Ready to do some serious beer tasting? A legendary fixture of Utrecht’s nightlife since 1984, Kafé België sits directly on the Oudegracht and functions as a high-energy shrine to the art of drinking. The massive drink menu is a beer-lover’s dream, boasting over 20 tap handles and an immense bottle selection that features more than 200 distinct Belgian speciality beers. The vibe inside is buzzing, communal, and wonderfully loud, often soundtracked by retro rock tunes while patrons down classic Trappist ales, fruity lambics, and heavy tripels.

Belgian Beer Café: Looking for a truly religious drinking experience? The Belgisch Biercafé Olivier is housed inside a spectacular, soaring 1860 former hiding church (schuilkerk). While they serve mussels and frites, booze is the absolute doctrine here. The cavernous sanctuary—complete with its original church organ, vaulted ceilings, and altar niche—vibrates with the energy of locals downing an elite rotation of dozens of rotating draft taps and over 100 bottled Belgian speciality beers. Keep your eyes peeled while you drink: the tavern is famously patrolled by its resident white pub cats since 1904.

Vintage Shopping: If you’re into second-hand items, vintage fashion or retro collectibles, Utrecht is the place for you. I love thrift store shopping, and Utrecht has over two dozen such shops right downtown, most on the canals. There’s a complete list with addresses I’ve created here for your reference. Check out – https://freewalkingtourutrecht.com/canal-tours-boat-rental/vintage-shopping/