Finding good restaurants in the Netherlands during tulip season can take a little planning, especially in The Hague where popular dinner reservations book up quickly. De Basiliek The Hague ended up being one of our favorite meals from the trip because the food felt creative and elevated while still staying approachable and familiar.
The food was creative and delicious, the atmosphere felt moody without being too dark, and almost everything we ordered was excellent. If you like Bib Gourmand-style restaurants where the food feels high quality without completely annihilating your budget, this fit that category very well for us.
If you’re planning a broader Netherlands trip, this worked well as part of our Where to Stay in the Netherlands (Best Areas to Do in One Trip) itinerary alongside stops in Delft, Gouda, Haarlem, and Amsterdam.
De Basiliek has a menu that is modern European with Mediterranean and Asian influences mixed throughout. The dishes felt ingredient-focused and seasonal and super flavorful.
The menu changes regularly, but while we were there you could find things like tuna crudo with jalapeño and watermelon radish, crispy squid bao buns, cauliflower tempura, lamb skewers with whipped feta, steak dishes, Iberico pork, seafood, and multiple tasting menu options.
What I liked most was how flexible the menu felt. Some tables were sharing smaller plates and drinks while others were doing full tasting menus or more traditional multi-course dinners like we did. It made the restaurant feel lively and relaxed instead of overly formal.
The atmosphere was dimly lit but still bright enough that you could actually see your food.
Yes. I would absolutely make a reservation ahead of time.
That said, I was still able to get a reservation about three weeks before our trip, which felt reasonable considering how popular restaurants can get during spring travel season in the Netherlands.
If you’re visiting The Hague during tulip season or over a weekend, I would not wait until the last minute.
If you’re road-tripping around the country like we were, I’d also recommend reading Driving in the Netherlands (What It’s Really Like for Tourists) because parking rules and city layouts varied a lot between Dutch cities during this trip.
We ordered a mix of dishes across the menu and honestly liked almost all of them.
We started with the white asparagus dish because white asparagus season is a huge deal in the Netherlands this time of year. The plate came with hedgehog mushrooms, egg yolk, and parmesan.
I had never tried hedgehog mushrooms before and became mildly obsessed with them after about two bites.
The asparagus dish felt very seasonal and fresh and the parmesan and egg yolk gave it enough richness that it still felt satisfying.
We also ordered the cauliflower tempura with capers, raisins, and almonds. That combination sounded slightly crazy on paper but worked surprisingly well together. It had crunch, sweetness, saltiness, and acidity all happening at once which was a party in my mouth.
For mains, we ordered the Babette steak with smoked onions, crispy garlic, and pepper sauce along with the polderhoen chicken dish.
The steak was very good, but the standout for me ended up being the chicken, which surprised me because I rarely order chicken at restaurants since I eat it constantly at home already.
The polderhoen came with crispy leek, shiitake broth, and gyoza, and the whole dish had way more depth than I expected. It felt comforting and rich without becoming heavy. By the end of dinner, this was the plate I kept thinking about afterward. The steak was still very good, but the chicken was easily the standout between the two.
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We also ordered two desserts because the menu made that feel like the correct life choice.
The panna cotta came with mango, verbena, white chocolate, lychee, and black sesame ice cream. It was lighter and more refreshing than the rest of the meal, which balanced everything out nicely after the richer savory dishes.
But the sticky toffee cake with vanilla ice cream and miso caramel completely won the night for me.
It was warm, rich, soft, and exactly the type of dessert that makes you immediately start calculating whether ordering a second one would make you look unreasonable in public.
For the quality of the food, I thought the pricing was very fair.
We did a starter, main course, and dessert and spent around €50 per person.
Most starters were around €17–18, mains were generally around €30, and desserts were about €12. They also had smaller bites for sharing like oysters, bitterballen, and jamón.
Compared to a lot of upscale restaurants that end up feeling more focused on presentation than flavor, this felt like a good balance between creativity and food you genuinely want to keep eating.
The service was excellent throughout dinner.
The staff spoke English very well and were extremely helpful when we had questions about ingredients or dishes we didn’t recognize. At one point, one of the servers even pulled out their phone to show me a picture of an ingredient I didn’t understand, which is above and beyond in my opinion.
That kind of interaction always stands out to me because it makes the whole experience feel more comfortable instead of intimidating.
Especially when you’re staring at a menu trying to confidently pretend you know what something is.
I think De Basiliek works especially well for:
It felt romantic and upscale, but still relaxed enough that dinner never became overly serious.
If you end up loving De Basiliek like we did, we also got several restaurant recommendations from a local waiter while we were in The Hague.
The recommendations are more modern and food-focused instead of heavily traditional Dutch restaurants, which matched the dining experience we had at De Basiliek.
Yuzu Dining was one of the biggest recommendations for a more upscale dinner.
It’s known for sushi, creative plating, and a more polished atmosphere.
De Zoute Kater was recommended as a cozy wine bar with small plates and more of a neighborhood feel.
Bar Bowie felt more trendy and cocktail-focused compared to some of the others.
The recommendation made it sound ideal for drinks, smaller dishes, and a younger crowd later at night.
El Bar was suggested for Spanish-style tapas and cocktails.
Compared to some of the quieter restaurants nearby, this one sounded more energetic and social with lots of shared plates and a livelier atmosphere.
One of the better local recommendations we got was to spend time around Anna Paulownaplein.
The square is filled with restaurants, wine bars, cafés, and terraces, and it is noticeably more local compared to some of the busier tourist areas around the city.
It had an atmosphere where people were lingering outside over drinks and dinner instead of rushing through meals, especially later in the evening.
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No landmarks, no crowds, no souvenir shops. Otterberg is the everyday side of Germany 🇩🇪
It’s a small town just outside Kaiserslautern. Lunch at Putai inside the historic Das Blaue Haus means crispy chicken in coconut curry and spring rolls with homemade sweet chili sauce, then a slow walk past the old church and quiet streets. The Palatinate Forest and Humberg Tower views are close by. If you want a packed itinerary this isn’t your town, but if you like good food and nowhere to be, you’ll love it.
Save this for your Germany road trip!
Every 6 minutes a new round unlocks, and you can eat your way around the world for two hours. 🌍🍽️
Masons in Kaiserslautern: Korean BBQ, Jamaican jerk chicken, raclette potatoes, crispy baked ricotta from Monaco, and the Belgian cookie cheesecake you’ll still be talking about the next day. €39-45 per person. Bring a group and pace yourself, because they charge for leftovers.
Save this for your next trip to Germany
Sedona got me again 🌵
This was my second trip, and somehow I liked it even more. Every visit adds another trail, viewpoint, or restaurant to the list, and the list keeps getting longer. This time I stayed near Airport Mesa, with sunsets right outside my door and none of the crowds.
My Substack has everything I’d tell a first-time visitor: the lodge I’ve now stayed at twice, the experiences I’d do first, and the restaurants I’d plan my days around.
Subscribe for free so you don’t miss the next one. Link in bio ✨
YES is always the answer... ✈️
I’m Wendy, and yes, I travel for a living (still pinching myself). After 15 years teaching middle school math, I traded the whiteboard for a passport and never looked back. Knoxville is home base, but Arizona sunsets are on another level, and if it’s been sitting on your list, this is your sign to finally say yes and book it. City guides, hotel reviews, and foodie spots are all on the blog. So glad you’re here 🌵☀️
A café, bakery, market, and wine shop all in one Phoenix stop 🍊
At La Grande Orange, order the crepes first, they’re the thing I’d go back for. The chicken salad sandwich is perfect if someone wants lunch while you’re still on breakfast, and the red velvet mini cupcake and a chai latte round it out. The sea salt chocolate chip cookie is heartier than gooey, so it’s best for dunkers. It’s counter service with easy parking, and the market has quirky gifts you won’t find elsewhere. Leave time to browse, because you’ll stay longer than planned.
Save this for your Phoenix trip ☀️
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
