A weekend trip to that beautiful city behind the dunes. Where should you be? Saskia went on a city trip to The Hague with her family. She went in search of the nicest sustainable spots. And that resulted in a long list of great tips. Here they come!
City trip The Hague: sustainable food, drinks and more
I can recommend it to everyone: celebrating your birthday in another city. This year, I blew out 39 candles in The Hague with my family. My present is an amazing memory that will stay forever. Of course, we knew The Hague mainly because of the Binnenhof, Noordeinde Palace and the Peace Palace. But this city has so much more to offer, even if you are looking to make a weekend break in a city more sustainable. I share our best (green) discoveries complemented by tips that my followers, mostly green locals, shared.
Sustainable shopping in The Hague: where to go
My number one tip for a more sustainable (and in my opinion: more fun) weekend away in The Hague: avoid the shopping district near Central Station and the Grote Markt. Rather rent a bike or put on good shoes for a nice city walk. Where can you find those cute and quaint streets? Here you will find the cute boutiques, the vibrant culinary hotspots and the little terraces and cosy coffee bars where you can settle down for a cup of coffee:
- Noordeinde, Hofkwartier, Oude Molstraat, Prinsestraat and Molenstraat
- Denneweg and Frederikstraat
- Frederik Hendriklaan
- The Zeeheldenkwartier, Piet Heinstraat, Prins Hendrikstraat
- Lange Voorhout and Denneweg
- Weimarstraat
- Palace garden (there is a nice playground here)
- The hofvijver (a beautiful place anyway, but when we were there, there was an organic market with terraces on Saturday and Sunday)
City walk through The Hague.
Sustainable shops worth a stop
Trust me, you won't get bored during a weekend in The Hague. There are so many cute little boutiques to be found in the fine shopping streets. Don't forget to look up every now and then before you walk into a shop, the historic buildings these entrepreneurs are in are often a museum in themselves. A few sustainable shops that are definitely worth a detour for: clothing shop Wwen, SUSHES vintage boutique, clothing and concept store Couqou (hidden gem hidden on Noordeinde), Haagse Helden Collectiv (Schoolstraat), The Hague children's bookshop (Zeeheldenkwartier).
Wining & dining: fun hotspots in The Hague
Ahead of my birthday weekend, I asked my followers: ‘what are the nicest sustainable restaurants in The Hague?’ I received a nice list with lots of choices. There was one restaurant that stood out head and shoulders above the rest: the organic and vegan restaurant Lizard I have been tipped dozens of times. And so we placed a reservation there (on time) on my birthday. We enjoyed a delicious vegan cheese fondue made from cashew nuts. And the location in an old school is downright insane.
City trip The Hague: vegan dining out at Hagedis
Sustainable eating in The Hague
Other fun sustainable(er) hotspots in The Hague that I've been tipped (on weekends, don't forget to make reservations at a restaurant in time):
- Plenty: coffee, breakfast and lunch in a stylish setting in the hip Zeeheldenkwartier.
- June café: According to a follower, this is a hidden gem of The Hague, the photos of the terrace certainly look that way.
- Greens in the Park: organic food in the kitchen garden or greenhouse (on the way to Scheveningen).
- Local and organic food with cocktails at Zebedeus, near Prinsestraat.
- Restaurant Ethica: sustainable, local and homemade.
- Nice to have seen briefly for a drink and a (drink) snack: The Foodhallen.
- Vegan Pizza Bar: ideal hang out after a day of neighbourhood sightseeing near Noordeinde and Hofkwartier.
- Another vegan favourite from my followers: Vegan Glory (near Frederik Hendriklaan).
- Restaurant Harvest: stylish living room restaurant on the Denneweg where fresh produce plays the starring role.
- Haley's Comet Breakfast Club: When I walked past it, I was immediately sold (also in Zeeheldenkwartier).
- Tommy's and Zuurveen: culinary enjoyment in an informal atmosphere where vegetarians and vegans are also considered.
City trip The Hague: vegan lunch at Plenty in Zeeheldenkwartier.
More sustainable hotspots in The Hague
- Looking for a fun hotspot on Prinsestraat? Go to Lunchroom Confetti!
- FOAM: vegan breakfast and lunch on Frederikstraat, near the Denneweg.
- A really nice little restaurant on Oude Molstraat that I've been tipped by followers and on the terrace is Milú. Reservation though, unfortunately we were too late. Therefore, on the advice of the same tipster, we went to Le Café (French bistro, also nice).
- Can't choose or fancy tapas appetisers? Then definitely check out Tapisco even.
- For when you have something special to celebrate: Hoftrammm. Sumptuous dining in an old tram (do make reservations months in advance or check on the day if there are any cancellations).
- Another tip from a Hague follower: Traditional Vietnamese food at Little V. Nice hotspot if you also want to see Chinatown for a while.
- Capriole café and restaurant: sustainable dining in an old, distinctive paint factory.
- Cocktails and Mexican food on the Denneweg at Queru.
- In the tasty category: according to my father Florencia Best ice cream shop in The Hague.
Also fun to check out: Fast & Vegan, Buddha Bowl, Old Fashion, HUmmUS, The Vegetarian Toko, Lunchroom Coco, Portfolio Restaurant, Wicked Wines, La Passione, With Him.
Scheveningen beach, Madurodam and other fun kid-friendly activities to do
If you want to get out of the city for a while (emotionally), The Hague also offers plenty of escapes. Our absolute favourite activities are Madurodam, One Planet (former Omniversum) and the beach in Scheveningen, the sustainable surf school The Shore is a tip for a bite to eat. Many followers additionally tipped the Literary and Children's Book Museum, the nature reserve Meijendal or a representation of the Royal Theatre. Art lovers should definitely take a look at The Mauritshuis, The Escher Museum, Heavenly Vault whether it Rijksmuseum De Gevangenpoort.
Child-friendly weekend in The Hague: palace, Madurodam and the Palace Garden.
Sleeping sustainably in The Hague
Start your green weekend trip in style and choose a sustainable hotel. Now The Hague has quite a few luxury hotels with a Green Key Certificate. It is also nice to actually choose alternative places to sleep, often these are also a bit more affordable than the bigger chains. Especially for my birthday, we were invited to sleep in Stayokday The Hague. This sustainable hostel chain has traditionally been known as a youth hotel with dormitories, but nowadays the characteristic locations also have private and family rooms. At Stayokay in The Hague, you sleep in an old coffee and tea factory that has been fully restored, but where you can still see the old elements of the factory in the interior and exterior. A really cool place to sleep!
Discover The Hague by bike
Extra nice is that you can rent a bike with your stay. It takes less than five minutes to get to the city centre and twenty minutes to cycle to the beach. And not unimportantly: a bicycle also makes it easier to get to all the other quaint little streets that make The Hague so great.
City trip The Hague: sleeping in the sustainable Stayokay hostel.
Alternative greener places to sleep in The Hague
If you're looking for something a little different, here are some inspiration ideas for your sustainable weekend getaway:
- Court Garden Hotel: the city's most sustainable hotel in trendy Zeeheldenkwartier.
- Hotel Sebel: Sustainable boutique hotel in the same fun Zeeheldenkwartier where you can eat, walk and shop and be centrally located.
- Hotel Carlton Ambassador: a stately boutique hotel close to the embassies, if you do like a bit of international allure.
- La Paulowna: Sustainable petit hotel with nine comfortable rooms, also in the Zeeheldenkwartier.
- Hague Beach Cottages: and/or Kijkduin Beach Cottages: one for the bucket list, at least if you manage to get in with your booking.
- Voco: luxurious rooms in a beautiful old bank building, this is how to give a golden edge to your weekend getaway in The Hague.
City trip The Hague: what's your sustainable tip?
Are you now thinking ‘golly, I'm missing a great The Hague tip’. If so, please let me know and I will lovingly add it to the more sustainable The Hague list. You can get in touch with the editors via the contact and follow buttons at the bottom of this page.
More sustainable getaway tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Also see: Green Light District, a day of sustainable shopping in Amsterdam.
- Also see: On discovery in sustainable Breda.
- Also see: 24 hours in Tilburg? This is the place to be!
- Also see: The nicest vegan restaurants in Leiden.
Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
