My Statenkwartier: The Spots I Actually Go To

People ask me for Den Haag recommendations constantly, and I always feel slightly conflicted. The honest answer is that my favourite spots are not famous, do not have impressive Instagram grids, and a few of them I’m half-tempted to keep to myself. But here we are.

This is not a “10 Hidden Gems” list. This is just where I actually go.

Coffee

My morning spot in the Statenkwartier is Perron X Coffee on the Torenstraat — it started life as Lot Sixty One and the quality followed the rebrand. Good beans, they roast on-site, and there’s a proper garden out the back that becomes the best terrace in Den Haag on any halfway sunny day. The staff know what they’re doing and don’t make you feel like you’re intruding by staying two hours.

For something closer to the beach, Tigershark Coffee on the Badhuiskade in Scheveningen is the one. The owner Vinnie is a barista who surfs, which means the place attracts exactly the right kind of people on weekend mornings.

Food

The Indonesian places on and around the Van Boetzelaerlaan are where I go when I need actual comfort food. Den Haag has one of the best Indonesian food cultures in the Netherlands — a legacy of the post-colonial connection — and the rijsttafel tradition here is something the city does quietly and well. My mum used to bring me to the neighbourhood as a kid. Some habits are worth keeping.

Walking

The route I walk at least twice a week: from the Torenstraat through the side streets toward the Laan van Meerdervoort, then left through the residential streets with the big art nouveau houses. Most people walk the main boulevards. The residential streets are where the architecture actually is. Take your time on the Nassaulaan and the Koninginnegracht. Den Haag is one of the best-preserved early-twentieth-century cities in Europe and most people walk past it without looking up.

That’s the real guide. No booking required, no queues, no Instagram captions needed.