Have you been to Groningen in the Netherlands yet? This impressive city has become our home base in Europe and I keep falling in love with it a little more each day. One of the best parts is all the great restaurants in Groningen. There literally is a place for every budget and since the city is so multicultural, it has a lot of different cuisines too!
The café culture is also very much alive in the city. You will find loads of people hanging out at cafes especially during lunch time. On sunny days, most of the restaurants in Groningen set out an outside seating area. This way you can catch a bit of the sun and enjoy the vibe of the city. Pretty epic if you ask me.
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Table of Contents
Best Breakfast Restaurants In Groningen
If heading out for breakfast is your things then these are the restaurants in Groningen that should be on your radar. Each of them has their own unique vibe but all of them have exceptional food. Some have a great vibe too! It all depends on what suits your mood.
1. Pernikkel
If you are looking for great cafes or breakfast restaurants in Groningen, look no further than Pernikkel. Located at Westerhaven, this place has the best vibes. We absolutely loved the outdoor seating during the warmer months. It gave the children a chance to be themselves and it was sooo good to soak up the sun.
The coffee here is the absolute best. We had a large breakfast here and ordered two. This was more than enough for two adults and two toddlers. Mind you, that is if you aren’t extremely hungry.
The prices are pretty reasonable. You will also find that Pernikkel is very accessible. In fact, it is located just right opposite the bus stand!
Address: Aweg 2, 9718 CS Groningen
Hours: Wed – Sun: 9am – 6pm
2. Croissanterie Pigalle
Pigalle is one of the best restaurants in Groningen.
Located bang in the heart of the city is a super cool restaurant called Croissanterie Pigalle. This place has been on my bucket list since we arrived in the city but its always so crowded. I recently managed to snag a seat here and I was not disappointed.
Now Pigalle is a great place brunch and lunch. Its also a great place to head to if you just want a snack. They have a variety of sandwiches that you can try out. I had a steak sandwich was delightful. My daughters on the other hand decided that they wanted to go with the pink croissant aka crompouce. Between the two of them, the polished the platter.
Pigalle has a nice laid back environment inside. Its warm, comforting and a great place to spend time. Since its pretty much in the budget range and they have good food, you will find that they have a constant stream of loyal clientele.
Address: Stoeldraaierstraat 17, 9712 BT Groningen
Hours: Open everyday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Best Bakeries In Groningen
I’ve heard all about the French bakeries but no one ever told me how amazing the Dutch baked goods are. Seriously, during the time we have been here we have become addicted to all the different kinds of bread that are available in the Dutch markets.
Some of the best places to eat in Groningen are actually bakeries. Here you get freshly baked pastries, sandwiches and more. Some of them have a spot for you to sit at, some don’t. Irrespective of whether you can dine in or not, the best bakeries in Groningen have their steady clientele.
3. Broodje Van Eigen Deeg
The day we arrived in Groningen, our landlord gave us a file with all of the important information about the city. In that file she had highlighted Broodje Van Eigen Deeg as the best bakery in Groningen. She was not wrong.
I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve been to this bakery. We’ve been there for birthday tarts and cupcakes, for the best bread and for the famous cheese twisters that the kids are addicted to. The only downside is that Broodje Van Eigeen Deeg does not have place to sit and dine. That doesn’t really deter anyone.
You’ll find that everything sells as fast as the bake it!
Address: Brugstraat 11, 9712 AA Groningen
Timings: Open everyday from 7am – 6pm except on Sundays when it is open from 12pm – 5pm
4. Backwerk
Backwerk is one of the best budget bakeries in Groningen. You can head here for breakfast or lunch or just a snack. They’ve got loads of great stuff. You can pick one of the numerous sandwiches, pour yourself a hot soup, grab a smoothie or just catch a pastry. No matter what you pick you won’t be disappointed.
We had the salmon bagel, the egg sandwich, the barbeque chicken sandwich and the pasteis de nata. Our favorite was the bbq chicken sandwich and the pasteis de nata. Oh and the coffee here is served in huge mugs and is absolutely delicious! Highly recommended!
Address: Akerkhof 5, 9712 BA Groningen
Hours: Open everyday from 10am – 5:30pm
Best Vietnamese Restaurants In Groningen
Would you be surprised if I told you that there are Vietnamese restaurants in Groningen? We haven’t checked them all out but it certainly is on our list!
5. Mr Dam
If you’ve been following us, then you probably know that we love Vietnamese food. Even when we were in Bangalore, we would actively search for places where we could get some Vietnamese food.
Luckily for us, Mr. Dam offers some great Banh mi in Groningen. The bread is pretty authentic. The fillings could use some work. I mean, they add mayo in it and I’m not the biggest fan so I just ask them to skip it when I order.
Mr. Dam offers both dine in and take out. There isn’t much place to sit and eat comfortably though. Hence I would recommend takeaway.
Aside from the Banh Mi, Shawn also loves to order their noodles. Packed with flavor and really filling. Oh and a bonus… This is also one of the budget restaurants in Groningen.
Address: Astraat 6, 9718 CR Groningen
Hours: Open every day from 11am – 8pm except on Sundays when it is open from 12pm – 6pm
Best Italian Restaurants In Groningen
There is no shortage of Italian food in Groningen. From extremely expensive to uber cheap, there is a place where everyone can get their fix of pastas and pizzas.
6. Napoli
We stayed in Westerhaven for 6 months before we tasted the delights at Napoli. Again, this was one of the restaurants in Groningen that we discovered when we were renovating our new home.
We would head back after a long day of painting and laying floors and have absolutely no energy to cook. Napoli was right around the corner so even our toddlers could walk.
Now if you are wondering what to order in Napoli, I would say anything but my favorite is the Carbonara. The pizza list is extensive and it is super hard to choose.
Aside from the taste being one of the reasons why we head here often, we found that the portions are huge so we would take a parcel home too. That would cover lunch on the next day.
If you are looking for budget Italian restaurants in Groningen then seriously don’t look any further. Napoli should be your pick. I have to warn you that you have to make a reservation in advance though. We’ve had the misfortune to arrive at a fully packed restaurant before and heading out elsewhere was very disappointing. So do yourself a favor and call in advance.
Address: Astraat 9, 9718 CP Groningen
Hours: Open everyday from 2pm – 10:30pm
Best Poke Bowls / Japanese Restaurants In Groningen
One of the surprising things about Groningen is the sheer number of Japanese restaurants. Now there are different ones for every budget. Sushi is pretty amazing and authentic! So if this is a cuisine that piques your interest, take a look at the different restaurants that I recommend.
7. Ke Kou
Ke Kou is my newest obsession. I’ve always loved my burrito bowls and poke bowls. Not only are they delicious, they are super healthy. We were really busy with updating and remodeling our house so we ordered in from Ke Kou. It was absolutely love at first bite.
No Ke Kou has loads of options. The Poke bowl (with rice as the base) or the Poke bowl mix (rice and lettuce as the base) are definite favorites. You get to add a lot of toppings including but not limited to avocado, edamame beans, seaweed and more! Oh and for protein you can choose between salmon, shrimp, tofu or chicken. All great choices mind you!
The best part is that the bowls are just 11 euros so it is super affordable and one bowl is more than enough for a meal.
Address: Grote Markt 56a, 9712 HV Groningen
Hours: Mon – Wed: 11:30am – 9pm, Fri – Sat: 11am – 9pm, Sunday closed
8. Watami
We wanted to catch some good sushi so we picked Watami. The restaurant is on the mid-range when it comes to price. The sushi was average but the reason why I am recommending this among the other restaurants in Groningen is because it has amazing Teppanyaki bowls and great poke bowls too.
The ambiance is pretty laid back. Unlike many of the bustling restaurants in Groningen, you will find that Watami is busy but not so busy that you have to make a reservation. The décor inside the restaurant is also pretty cool. It is reminiscent of the cherry blossom festival in Japan.
Address: Astraat 16, 9718 CR Groningen
Hours: Wed – Mon: 12pm – 9:30pm
Best Cafes & Restaurants In Groningen
The café culture is very much alive in the city. Many of the cafes double as restaurants in Groningen. Well that’s mostly because people will stop for a quick sandwich and a coffee for lunch too. After all broodje is life here! You may not understand it but once you have a taste of the delicious versions of bread in the Netherlands you will be converted too!
9. Doppio
Doppio has kind of a dual vibe. It is like a cafe but a lot of people head here for lunch too. The location is very central and during summer there are loads of tables that are set out in front of the cafe.
The food is great. It has some great coffees and sandwiches. I personally loved the smoothie bowl. The reason why we really loved this place is because it has a kids play area in the back. So if you have young kids or toddlers, head on right to the back. Not only does it keep the kids happy, it lets the parents enjoy a meal in relative quiet.
Address: Brugstraat 6, 9711 HX Groningen
Hours: Mon – Sat: 8 am – 7 pm, Sun: 9 am – 7 pm
10. Douwe Egberts Café
The Douwe Egberts café is one of the most popular cafes in Groningen. You will always find people bustling both in and out of the café. And if you are in Groningen but haven’t placed this café yet, you probably will recognize the iconic DE logo that is written in red and white.
One of the reasons why this café is so popular is because of the ambiance. There are loads of nice comfortable lounge chairs and you can easily just carry your laptop and work here. My recommendation is to try out their sandwiches. Very filling and pretty budget friendly.
Address: Brugstraat 28, 9711 HZ Groningen
Hours: Open everyday from 8 am – 10 pm
Best Fries Restaurants In Groningen
There are no fries like Dutch fries! You just can’t get enough of them. We seem to find our way to the fries shops in Groningen at least once everyone. Generally, we head back to the same place over and over again.
11. Frietwinkel
We found this restaurant on a random winter day. We were super cold and wanted something hot to warm us from within. We saw loads of people trooping in and Frietwinkel looked really welcoming.
The menu here is really simple. You can choose a size of fries (regular or large) and then a sauce. Generally speaking you get frietsaus which is a sauce that is similar to mayonnaise. You can swap it out for some of their other sauces. Our favorite is the curry sauce.
Oh and if you want to have a heavier meal then I would suggest ordering the fries with beef stew. Super delicious!
Address: Folkingestraat 63, 9711 JV Groningen
Hours: Tue – Sat: 11:30am – 8:30pm, Sun-Mon: 12 – 8:30pm
And there you have it… These are some of the best (and that includes budget!) restaurants that we have visited in Groningen in the past couple of months. We definitely head out pretty often nowadays so you know that this list is going to be updated frequently. So bookmark it and keep!
Have I missed any really good places that deserve to be on this list? Let us know in the comments below. As an avid foodie, I definitely want to check out new hot spots in town!
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