As you may have gathered from this blog, I love to travel. Abroad. However, there is a lot to be discovered in the Netherlands as well and after years of travelling to The Hague for work, I have recently discovered, that the third largest city in the country really is a culinary city in its own right, with lots to offer. It stands to reason, considering The Hague is the most international city in the Netherlands, with the biggest expat community.

Last weekend, I headed out to The Hague again with some friends, with neighbouring coastal town Scheveningen as our first port of call for the best seafood you can imagine. It’s not new, rather iconic and the oldest seafood restaurant in town, but nothing beats a visit to Simonis. Simonis has three outlets, however, I would recommend the inland venue, even though it doesn’t offer a scenic boulevard view, you get the wholesale ambiance with everything on display. And seeing really is believing. Make sure you get there early to secure a seat as it packs up very fast and order the fantastic crab soup. Simply delish. Other favourites are the garlic prawns and the lemon sole.

For ‘afters’ head into The Hague city centre where you’ll find two absolute gems opposite each other, situated in the Korte Poten. There’s the Wiener Konditorei serving up typical Viennese cakes, pastries and pretzels as well as delicious hot chocolate. On the other side you’ll find Cupcake Chic, which only has two outlets in the Netherlands, one in The Hague and one at Schiphol airport. All cupcakes are equally divine, but my favourite is the aptly named OMG!

If you’re planning a visit to the Netherlands, I would definitely recommend visiting The Hague. It’s history, food, shopping, architecture and seaside all rolled into one.