8 Best Restaurants in The Randstad, Netherlands

As you walk down the narrow alleyway to this gem, it's easy to be misled by its unassuming exterior, but the interior is cozy, and the rear opens out into a breezy conservatory, with views of a beautiful walled garden dominated by a 200-year-old beech tree. Fashionable locals come here for generous portions of grilled meats, excellent salads, and an unusually large vegetarian range.

This café, with an excellent menu ranging from breakfast to a sirloin steak dinner, has the widest terrace and so catches the most sun (when there is any) of the cafés along Winkenburgstraat and Neude—large trees soften the view across the square. Inside, floor-to-ceiling framed magazine covers reflect the general news theme, and the long communal table inside is stocked with newspapers, including a few English-language titles.

This Delft staple has loyal regulars, drawn by a mean Indonesian satay, served at one of the many terrace tables on a small square overlooking a narrow canal. There's a smart restaurant on the first floor, but the bar and mezzanine have plenty to offer, with lunch snacks, a reasonable menu for dinner with the latest tracks on the speakers, and great fries and salads.

This place is on Ledig Erf, one of Utrecht's small squares, which becomes a hive of energy and is filled with huge shade umbrellas when the sun comes out. The café's tables spill over the bridge, so you can sit overlooking canalside gardens as you tuck into basic rolls and salads at lunch or steaks and homemade burgers in the evening.

One of Haarlem's best eetlokaals (dining spots), which attracts locals with its long bar, cozy tables, and lovely sun trap of a garden, is also extremely popular—get here early or book ahead to snag a table. The menu offers standards but with a twist: try the Popeye Blues Salad—a wild spinach, blue cheese, and bacon number, with creamy mustard dressing for a lighter option—or, for dinner, lamb with ratatouille and rosemary jus.

Chic, modern decor forms a welcoming backdrop in this extensive café, which serves an inventive range of salads, rolls, and burgers, but a bigger draw awaits outside. Sunny skies will have you heading for the tables, set under leafy lime trees out front on the picturesque square.

This sprawling Neoclassical "palace" started out in the 18th century as Holland's first department store and is fronted with columns and cast-iron statues of women that conjure images of Grecian abundance. You can dine either on the terrace overlooking the canal or in the high-ceilinged Grote Zaal, and select from an international menu of pasta, steaks, salads, and more that is designed to satisfy all tastes.