On this page I’m sharing the best restaurants in Leiden in my opinion. Leiden is a nice city right in between Amsterdam and The Hague. Leiden has the oldest University of the Netherlands and is still a popular city with students. But it’s also a great city for a day trip if you’re staying in Amsterdam or the Hague. You could visit Naturalis, a museum and research center about bio-diversity or visit the museum Volkenkunde which is about cultures from all over the world. There’s also a botanical garden and the old and new Rijn river meander through the old city center.
As always, I’ll tell you about my favorite reataurants. I’m sharing my favorite food spots in Leiden, from breakfast to lunch and dinner and from coffee to cake. I’ll tell you where to eat at hotspots in Leiden. All listed places have great vegetarian options.
Tootje
One of my favorite restaurants in Leiden is Tootje. Tootje is the nickname of the owner, who created a lunchroom with a ‘Central Perk’ feel to it. The small but cosy restaurant feels like the livingroom of your creative friend, with colorful accessoires and inspirational posters. The lunch dishes on the menu are mouth watering; from smashed avocado toast with chives cream and cherry tomatoes to one of the most satisfying grilled cheese sandwiches you’ll ever have. Craving something sweet? Then the Lotus Speculoos Pancakes are right up your alley.
Leidsche Koek
The perfect souvenir, for yourself or someone else, from Leiden is the ‘Leidsche Koek’. The young owner Olivier started it as a school project when he found an old recipe for ‘Leidsche koek’ at a bakery museum. He quit college to follow his passion and turn his cookie project into reality. The cookies come in two flavors: the original cookie with a chocolate filling and a chocolate cookie with a white chocolate filling. You can also buy a pink tin filled with cookies. The cookies are baked fresh on the spot, and he’s open until he’s sold out. Best is to come by at noon when he opens, because you never know when the cookies will all be gone.
In Den Doofpot
Looking for a great restaurant to take your partner, parents or to spoil someone else? Then high-end restaurant In Den Doofpot is the place for you. The fine dining dishes at IDD are Michelin star worthy. They serve a 4 or 5 course menu, with an optional wine pairing. Vegetarian is no problem. Be amazed by all the different textures, flavor combinations and plating that’s a work of art. Restaurant In Den Doofpot also has a boat that you can book for your own private dinner for groups from 4 to 20 people. A real unique experience where you enjoy the culinary dishes while you sail through the canals of Leiden.
Bikini Bikini
Bikini Bikini is the place to be on a sunny afternoon. Feel like you’re on the South of France coast while you enjoy a good glass of wine. The terrace overlooks the harbour, so the resemblance with Marseille is not far off. They’ve got tasty sharing bites like oysters and Burrata. But you can also just order a lunch or dinner dish on your own. I love ordering one of their mocktails, while I enjoy the sun.
Anne et Fred
Speaking of France, at Anne et Fred you feel like you’re at a Fench petit-cafe. Whether you sit inside at one of the high tables in the stylish interior, or outside on their terrace that has sun all day long; enjoy a good glass of wine with culinary dishes. They’ve got all kinds of shared dining dishes, inspired by the French cuisine.
Roos
ROOS is one of my favorite breakfast spot in Leiden. Their tagline is Taste & Smile, and I’m sure whatever you’ll taste at ROOS it’ll bring a smile to your face! They have several healthy and vegetarian breakfast options like an acai bowl, a vegan kickstart breakfast with overnight oats and Greek yogurt with granola. But if you feel like a cheat-meal for breakfast I recommend their French Toast. As you can see on the picture you’ll get a generous portion! They have two versions: one with fresh berries and one with baked banana, maple syrup and (optionally) bacon.
Chummy Coffee
My favorite place to go for a nice piece of carrot cake is Chummy Coffee. They always have a variety of cakes available. The offer varies daily but luckily they pretty much always have their famous carrot cake. Other cakes you can expect are apple crumble cake, chocolate fudge cake and banana bread. As the name suggests, Chummy Coffee has many coffee specialties. They have no less than 7 different cappuccino’s and an impressive 11 different lattes. If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth with a warm drink you can also go for one of the 10 hot chocolate drinks, for example with marshmallows, Toblerone or Maltesers. They also have several frappes and milkshakes. Their coffee blend varies every 2 or 3 months and they have a different espresso blend every week!
Borgman Borgman
Speaking of coffee, Borgman Borgman is Leiden’s only coffee roasting ‘factory’. They’re located on the Nieuwe Rijn and in their small shop with Scandinavian feel they roast their own coffees. The beans are roasted with a slow-roast method two or three times a week. You can of course enjoy a good cup of coffee in their shop, but you can also buy a bag to take home with you.They also have several sweets that you can enjoy together with your cup of coffee. I had their vegan chocolate cake with avocado!
City Hall
City Hall is an Italian bar and bistro where you can get some great Italian food for lunch or dinner. They have all the Italian classics like bruschetta, pasta and pizza. They also have ‘piatti piccolo’, small bites to share. For example olive ciabatta with pomodori-tapenade, burrata or grilled vegetables. Looking for healthy options? They have 4 salads, of which 3 are vegetarian. Pictured is the Insalata di lenticchia, a salad with lentils, rocket, ricotta and crispy polenta.City Hall is housed in the old city hall, it has great elements like tiled pillars and a 7 meter high cabinet filled with Italian products.
