Food Hotspots in Tilburg

Tilburg is booming! More and more (healthy) lunchrooms and restaurants are opening up in the 6th biggest city of the Netherlands, making it a more appealing city to visit. It’s only 90 minutes by train from Amsterdam or Antwerp. And even though in the past Breda and Den Bosh were the cities in Brabant that I would recommend, Tilburg has caught up on them
Below are my food recommendations for my new favorite city in Brabant, and while you’re there don’t forget to visit De Pont, a great modern art museum.
Looking for a place to spend the night? You can go for Hotel Mercure in the city center or B&B de Nieuwe Warande in a nature area on the edge of Tilburg.

If you’re looking for nice (healthy) options in other cities in the Netherlands, check out this page.

Buutvrij

Buutvrij, a creative coffee shop, can be your first stop in Tilburg. They don’t have an extensive menu, but you should go here to drink a great cup of coffee, get inspired by their interior and discover local talent (they display art by young designers). They’ll always have a vegetarian option and at the moment they have vegan pancakes (if you skip the honey). Buutvrij often organizes special activities like music performances, so keep an eye out on their facebook page. They’re conveniently located, on your way to the city center from the central station.
Click here to read more about Buutvrij.

Locals

A short distance away from Buutvrij you’ll find Locals. They serve a delicious lunch with local products and handmade pastries. Besides the vegan sourdough bread with homemade baba ganoush and grilled vegetables that I often take, they always have a couple of vegetarian options and a nice gluten free quesadilla with spinach and avocado. If you didn’t get your caffeine fix at Buutvrij, they also serve nice coffees here.
Click here to read more about Locals in Tilburg.

De Houtloods
When you’re dining in the Houtloods, you can literally look in their pans. Due to their ‘kitchen bar concept’, the guest will eat a bar attached to the kitchen or at one of the tables surrounding the kitchen. Located in the industrial area at the North side of the train station, the ‘Spoorzone’, their interior is a great combination of old and new with big glass walls. They’re open for lunch and dinner and their menu changes regularly.
Click here to read more about De Houtloods.

De Wagon

Right next to the Houtloods the owners transformed an old train wagon into a restaurant. De Wagon offers a very unique setting when you’re having dinner inside, or a sunny terrace when you’re having lunch outside. The menu changes regularly. I had these pita breads when they just opened up, and I had delicious pancakes when I was there last month.

Auberge du Bonheur

Speaking of celebrating, Auberge du Bonheur, or as it’s now named: La Nouvelle Auberge, is a perfect spot to celebrate! You can rent it as your wedding location, but it also has a nice restaurant that has been completely renovated in 2018. The new look is natural chic. And even though you’ll still have the feel of eating in one of Tilburg’s best restaurants, it’s now also a place where I would go for a dinner with friends. This is also because the waiters have a new look, note their fancy white sneakers when you go there! Speaking of the waiters; the staff at Auberge is very friendly and makes you feel right at home.

NOIR

The name might not sound new to you, cafe Noir has been around in Tilburg since the seventies. But as of December 2018 it has got two new owners and a complete make-over. Whereas I wouldn’t recommend the old Cafe Noir to you, I’m a big fan of the new NOIR!
NOIR is open from lunch to late. They don’t have a dinner menu but they have a ‘borrelkaart’, so they have all kinds of delicious finger food dishes that’ll make sure you don’t leave hungry.
Click here to read more about NOIR Tilburg.

Vine

Vine is a winebar in Tilburg that serves delicious wines from their extensive wine list. And to go with your wines, they’ve got delicious tapas style dishes. The tapas menu reminds me of my favorite restaurants in Barcelona. So they’re not the tapas you’ll find at those all-you-can-eat restaurants, but high quality dishes to share. The croquetas are my favorite!

Waanzinnig
Waanzinnig is a restaurant that mostly serves vegetarian (‘vegetarisch’) food. They have several vegan options, but also some meat and fish options. They pretty much cater everybody needs. Most of their products are local and organic. As a starter I’d recommend the falafel and as a main dish I had this delicious pumpkin burger with cranberry compote. Waanzinnig is also open for lunch, click here to read all about it.

Stadsbrouwerij 013

Stadsbrouwerij 013 is a beer brewery located at the Piushaven in the city center of Tilburg. Besides brewing beer they also serve lunch, dinner and snacks. I had this vegetarian falafel salad that was filled with countless ingredients. Besides good food and home brewed beers, the kindness and knowledge of the waiting staff is also a reason to visit Stadsbrouwerij 013.
Click here to read more on Stadsbrouwerij 013.

Gastrobar Rix

You can find Gastrobar Rix at the Piusplein. Next to all the bars where the students go out at night, this restaurant offers the best food of the square. Gastrobar Rix is open for lunch and dinner. They have a very extensive lunch menu with pancakes, waffles, grilled cheese sandwiches, egg dishes and much more. In the evenings you can order several dishes for dinner or be surprised by the chef!
Click here to read more about Gastrobar Rix.

GIST

GIST opened up in the spring of 2023. They’re located in the Langestraat, a side street of the Heuvelstraat, where Don’s Noodle Shop used to be. From the first time I went there, it became one of my favorite restaurants in Tilburg. They’ve got many vegetarian options, they serve culinary dishes with a lot of flavor, and their menu changes every 2 weeks so that they always cook with seasonal products. Many of their vegetables even come from Groeituin013, a vegetable garden in Tilburg. Even though I love working with seasonal products, I hope their Espresso Martini Ice cream dessert stays on the menu forever!

Te Koop in Tilburg

Te Koop in Tilburg is a real hidden gem. You can find them in the pretty neighborhood Armhoefse Akkers, just East of the city center. The restaurant has a warm, living-room feel and very good service. You can choose your dishes from the menu or let the chef surprise you with the Chef’s menu. The menu changes every season but the marinated watermelon pictured above is a signature dish that’s on the starter menu every spring and summer. Another great aspect of Te Koop is that you can order each main dish as a starter as well. Surprise yourself with this local hangout.

Albatros

Albatros is located on a boat in the Piushaven. In the beginning they had the same food menu as their big brother Stadsbrouwerij 013, but now they’ve got their own menu with streetfood dishes from all over the world. And they’ve got many great vegetarian options, like Patatas Bravas, Falafel and Gobi Manchurian (cauliflower with Indian spices).

Gourmet Market Central Station

Gourmet Market Central Station is a food market with many different kitchens inside it. From Spanish to Greek, there’s something for everyone. The great thing about this food market compared to others is that you can order from your table. So you don’t have to wait in line anywhere and you can be together with your friends all the time. The drinks are also delivered at your table.

Cinecitta

Cinecitta is a beautiful art-house film theater, that also houses a restaurant called Ristobar. They’re open for lunch and dinner (and of course for drinks before or after your movie). They have many vegetarian options on the menu. For lunch you can for example go for one of the vegetarian soups or french toast with Greek yogurt and cherries. For dinner they have a delicious ravioli with mushrooms and ricotta, and my favorite vegan burger of all times: the Dutch Weed Burger.

Van Planten

Van Planten is a completely vegan bakery. All cakes are made by Ella. She doesn’t have her own bakery but sells her cakes in several restaurants in Tilburg. And you can also order her cakes online and have them delivered all over the country.
Click here for all my favorite vegan food spots in Tilburg.

Monarh

Do you have something to celebrate? Or are you just in the mood for something fancy? Monarh is the place to be. Located in an old monastery, Monarh brings your taste buds to the next level. I suggest you let the chef surprise you (you can let them know if you’re a vegetarian or have any allergies) with a ‘menu du Chef’ with wine pairing. The taste and texture combinations of master chef Paul Kappé will amaze you. It’s not cheap, but considering they’re the first restaurant in Tilburg ever to get a Michelin star, it’s totally worth it.
Click here to read more about Michelin star restaurants in Brabant.

Also nice in Tilburg:
Doloris, meta maze and rooftop bar with lunch, dinner and bites.
Zoete Moed for the best cakes and home made peanut butter.
Couscousbar, the couscous bar for a dish to stay or to go!
Mr. Morris for sandwiches and fresh juices.
The Fat Greek for modern Greek food and delicious pancakes.
Stoom013 in the Spoorzone.
Dwars for (vegetarian) hotdogs.
Berlijn Cafe for a cafe with bar food and a living room feel.
Restaurant Rak for lunch or dinner on the water.
Restaurant Good Mood for comfort food at the Piushaven.
Pizzabar Rijslust for pizza’s with toppings from all over the world.
Het Wapen van Tilburg, for an affordable meal.
Chocolate Company, for chocolate lovers.
Bistro St Sjaak, for culinary classics.
Sarban, for Afghan food
Silk Road, for Middle-Eastern and East Asian food