One of my favorite things to do is have what I like to call the “happy day”. Like a kid waking up for Saturday cartoons, whenever I have my happy day it mainly consists of soaking in the culture and love the city of The Hague has to offer. Nothing major or fancy goes on on my happy day except for the relaxing of the mind. This includes trying new lunch spots while walking around the city and going to a bookstore or two. Last week my happy day consisted of visiting this small cafe in the corner of Het Plein called “Eigen Houtje”.
Location
If you are somewhat familiar with The Hague you know that there are two squares in walking distance of the city to enjoy your day: Grote Markt en Het Plein. In one of the small alleys of Het Plein we visited Eigen Houtje.
This small street called Korte Houtstraat is an up and coming area for small lunch and brunch cafes such as Eigen Houtje, Bloom, and Fine Fresh Food. The exact address for this lunch/ brunch cafe is: Korte Houtstraat 8A. It’s a breeze to get to if you are nearby any public transport or have access to a bike. I would definitely suggest to hold off the car option as it is in the city and parking can be somewhat frustrating and costly.
Food
On to what we are all really here for: the food! If you have been following any of my articles you might be aware that I am a vegetarian, if not you know now! Finding great tasty dishes with a hint of health in it is always a great find for me. The menu here has a range of sandwiches with fresh bread, soup, and salads. Not too mention a “Smoothie of the Day” in case you just want to have something light.
I choose to go with a soup — pumpkin soup with red curry and coconut. You have an option of a small bowl or large; I of course went for the large bowl. It was as delicious as it looks. However, it can be quiet a heavy dish so if you are not feeling very hungry I would recommend choosing the smaller bowl.
The sandwich to the right was ordered by my lovely partner in crime. A simple B.L.A.T sandwich (the “A” stands for Avocado by the way) was a good start to the day with some fresh Desem bread (a type of sourdough).
The service
All around the reason why I liked this place was for its small and simple look, its basic but fresh and delicious menu, and most of all, they had great staff on shift that day. When you enter a place so intimate it is always great to see a smile at the end of the counter.
The concept is going back to simple basic without any elaborate menus ‘r hyped up pizzaz. That is something to appreciate nowadays when looking for some food.