Restaurants in Groningen

The best-reviewed restaurant in Groningen for years, holding first place on TripAdvisor with 590 reviews and a 4.8 rating, and awarded 13 points by Gault and Millau. Owned since 2017 by brothers Koen and Sjoerd Mulder, who transformed a former grand cafe into a small, warm, and deeply personal restaurant. The kitchen is tiny, which is why there is no menu: a surprise menu of three, four, or five courses changes daily based on what the kitchen finds best. Bread is baked in-house, the opening snacks set the tone, and the chef comes to the table regularly to talk through the dishes. Wine, beer, and non-alcoholic pairings are all available. The Volkskrant called it in 2023 exactly the kind of warm, generous restaurant with reasonable prices that the Netherlands needs more of. Book well ahead, particularly for weekends.

Opened in late 2023 by Janick and Leonie Niemeijer, who trained at The Jane in Antwerp, La Rive in Amsterdam, Oud Sluis in Zeeland, and Vue de Monde in Melbourne before returning to their Groningen roots. The restaurant has earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand, a Gault and Millau listing at 13 points, and recognition as an asset to the city. The open kitchen at the centre of the Scandinavian-influenced interior is the visual anchor of the space. The menu is a la carte, a genuinely unusual choice in the current era of mandatory tasting menus. Produce comes largely from their own garden in Gasselte, including herbs, vegetables, flowers, and honey from their own bees. Dishes such as farm duck lacquered with their own honey alongside textures of kale and zuurkool jus, and a signature refined eierbal starter with vadouvan and honey, demonstrate the kitchen’s ambition and its local roots simultaneously. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

A restaurant and bar on the tenth floor of the Forum Groningen cultural centre on the Nieuwe Markt, with a 360-degree panoramic view over the city and the surrounding Groningen and Drenthe landscape that is unmatched anywhere in the north of the Netherlands. The menu is deliberately eclectic, drawing on Dutch and international ingredients and combinations without adhering to a single cuisine. Two distinct areas coexist: the restaurant side facing the Martinitoren with a bar, and the sky bar facing the Grote Markt, where DJs and live music run on a regular programme. Open for lunch and dinner throughout the week. The rooftop of the Forum itself, accessible by escalator from the entrance, is free and offers the same views without the meal, which makes NOK the choice for those who want to eat well in an extraordinary setting. Also covered in the museums guide for the Forum building.

A veteran of the Groningen restaurant scene that has been serving seafood and vegetarian cooking for over thirty years, ranked 4.4 on TripAdvisor with nearly 300 reviews. The chef forages flowers and collects honey from an edible garden with beehives, sources fish carefully from smaller North Sea boats for freshness, and buys the natural wines personally on trips to Germany, France, and Italy, with a strong preference for small producers. The menu changes with the season. Signature dishes include a risotto of shellfish and crustaceans, skrei served with mussels and dill beurre blanc, a cheese fondue with five varieties, and an artichoke with tzatziki and smoked paprika. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30pm, closed Sundays and Mondays.

A historic all-day restaurant and stadscafe in the shadow of the Martinikerk, a short walk from the Grote Markt, occupying a building that was a private residence until 1914 and is now one of the most atmospheric dining rooms in the city. Breakfast, lunch, high tea, and dinner are all served seven days a week, with a kitchen open until 9pm. The seasonal menu emphasises locally sourced ingredients. A hidden garden terrace provides one of the best outdoor dining spots in the city centre. Popular for private dining, events, and celebrations alongside daily use by Groningen residents for a long lunch or a post-shopping coffee. One of the most consistently recommended all-round dining spots in the city by locals who use it regularly.

The Woon- en Eethuis Voor Allen, shortened to WEEVA, has been on the Zuiderdiep since 1871 and is one of the most historically anchored restaurants in the north of the Netherlands. A genuinely Dutch dining experience: honest, generous, and unpretentious, serving traditional Dutch dishes including poffert, the Groningen steamed grain pudding, endive mash with sausage and gravy, and a rotating lunch and dinner menu built on regional produce and recipes. The combination of the historic character, the affordable prices, and the authentically Dutch menu makes it a natural choice for visitors who want to understand what Groningen eats rather than what it imports from elsewhere. Staff are notably friendly and the kitchen stays open late.

A Groningen landmark and institution, the Three Sisters grand cafe occupies one of the most prominent positions on the Grote Markt with a terrace that is one of the largest and most popular in the city on a warm afternoon. The format is classic grand cafe: broad menu of Dutch and international dishes throughout the day, extensive beer and wine list, and a social atmosphere that makes it more of a gathering place than a destination restaurant. With over 1,000 TripAdvisor reviews it is by some margin the most reviewed dining establishment in Groningen, reflecting its role as the city’s default outdoor terrace. Worth understanding as a social hub rather than a fine dining experience. For those who have not been to Groningen, a late afternoon drink on the terrace here with the Martinitoren behind you is as representative of the city’s character as anything.

Also covered in the bars guide for its evening character, Het Concerthuis functions equally as a restaurant throughout the day with its food sharing concept. The kitchen produces small plates influenced by world cuisine, all designed to be shared across the table, with a full vegetarian and vegan offer integrated throughout the menu. House-roasted coffee, specialty beers, and a board game menu make it genuinely all-encompassing. The Sunday Brakke Brunch buffet is a Groningen institution in itself.

A popular Italian restaurant in the centre of Groningen making fresh pasta in-house daily in the tradition of a proper Italian pasta laboratory. The concept is simple and executed well: the pasta is made fresh, the sauces are straightforward and good, and the prices are fair. Consistently recommended by the Groningen international community as the best Italian in the city and as a reliable choice for group dinners where not everyone agrees on a restaurant type. The informal atmosphere and the open kitchen showing the pasta being made give it a warm and genuine character.

A relaxed all-day cafe and restaurant on the Schuitendiep canal, with a terrace by the water and a menu that runs from breakfast and brunch through lunch and light evening dishes. A popular working and socialising spot for the Groningen international community, with English spoken throughout and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere for newcomers to the city. A good option for a first proper meal on arrival, or for anyone who wants a light, international menu in a pleasant waterside setting without the commitment of a full evening restaurant experience.

A cosy Dutch-Turkish eetcafe on the Zuiderdiep with two locations and a loyal following for its relaxed atmosphere, generous portions, and honest home-style cooking. The menu blends traditional Dutch eetcafe dishes with Turkish-influenced preparations, and the combination works in the warm, informal setting. Particularly good for breakfast and lunch, with a brunchplank option for two and a warm, home-away-from-home atmosphere that makes it a favourite for students, locals, and visitors who want something unpretentious and satisfying. Described consistently as the place that feels like someone’s living room, in the best possible way.