Hilversum, also known as Hillywood, is bursting with restaurants and lively hotspots. Good news for us, as there are also plenty of places that fit onto your greener dining list. With the help of our followers and readers, we have collected the best restaurants in Hilversum for your next visit. We sense a food tour Arrive!

Fun things to do in Hilversum!

Before we dive into the restaurant tips: Hilversum is a super fun city for a day out. And I should know: as a born and raised Hilversum local, I've trodden these streets many a time. Go shopping in the centre or stride on over to the Gijsbrecht, where you'll find plenty of lovely local shops, boutiques and mouth-watering delicatessens. De Kringloper in Hilversum is also well worth a visit. With two floors full of goods, trust me, you'll easily spend well over an hour browsing there. Watch the video of our visit to this charity shop. After that, cross the railway line and walk through the Raadhuiskwartier, past Dudok's iconic Town Hall, to the adjacent Boombergwijk. There you will find the botanical garden of Hilversum and right next to it the hidden one Costerus Garden (free admission every day, tip!). In short, plenty to do for a day out, or even an overnight stay in Hilversum. But where are you going to eat? Exactly, you can read that below!

The best sustainable restaurants in Hilversum at a glance

One restaurant cooks entirely plant-based, another opts for local ingredients, tackles food waste or has a social story. Different addresses, then, but all with a greener twist. These are the favourites of our followers and readers!

At the Gardener's

For At the Gardener's Leaving the centre behind us with love. This plant-based restaurant is a little tucked away on the Buitenplaats De Hoorneboeg estate, right in the middle of the woods and close to the Hilversum Heath. You might have to search for it for a moment, but what an absolute gem this is! The menu is entirely vegetarian and many dishes are plant-based or can be made vegan. Some of the vegetables and herbs come from their own vegetable garden next to the terrace; the rest are sourced as much as possible from local growers and producers. The menu changes with the seasons and is intentionally small to prevent food waste. Be sure to combine your visit with a walk across the heath. You can hardly get a greener restaurant tip than this.

Eating out sustainably in Hilversum? Then you immediately think of Bij de Tuinman on the De Hoorneboeg estate. Photo credit: N. Spakman.

Ninh Binh

Of all the tips from our followers, the Vietnamese restaurant Ninh Binh was by far the most frequently mentioned by the vegan community in Hilversum. The establishment is named after the North Vietnamese province where owner Phuong Tran's parents hail from. The menu features classics such as phở, bánh mì and fresh spring rolls, boasting what our followers say are the most vegan options in Hilversum. Ordering a table full of food and sharing everything seems to us to be the best tactic here. Ninh Binh located on the Groest, opposite the Hilvertshof.

Piment Lunchcafé

Another such green gem for which you briefly leave the city centre: Piment Lunchcafé at Landgoed de Rading. You can enjoy a completely vegetarian lunch here, with vegan options available too. Many of the vegetables and herbs come straight from the organic pick-your-own garden, Bodemvrucht, which is situated behind the café. An added bonus: clients from Zorgtuin Zonnestraal regularly help out as assistant chefs, chopping and preparing the dishes. When the weather is nice, you can find a spot in the leafy garden; on less sunny days, you can sit comfortably in the café or conservatory. Be sure to combine your lunch with a walk through the adjacent Zonnestraal Nature Estate. This is truly one of those places you just have to know about.

Chef by the Wharf

One well worth cycling or driving out of your way for! On Mussenstraat – just outside the town centre – you'll now find a culinary gem: Chef by the Wharf, described by Michelin as farm-to-table. Look, that's what we like at thegreenlist.nl. The restaurant is located in an old industrial shed at the former municipal depot, which immediately creates a special urban atmosphere. They cook with fresh, local and seasonal produce and the menu changes regularly. All dishes are intermediate course size, so you can order several and share them. A culinary and greener tip, therefore!

Those vegans

The name alone brings a huge smile to our faces. Those vegans is a completely plant-based lunchroom, patisserie and delicatessen. Owners Nienke and Tobias make an art of making so many delicious things veg. They make a lot of it themselves. From sausage rolls, sausages, pink fairy cakes and milkshakes to complete meals like rendang and even cheese fondue: everything is vegan! There is also plenty of choice if you eat gluten-free. We already went there once (watch the video here) and couldn't get enough of the sausage roll and the vanilla milkshake. You can find Van die vegans on Larenseweg, within walking distance of Hilversum station. Do check the opening times: at the time of writing, the establishment is only open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Vegan Paradise

The name says it all: Vegan Paradise specialises in vegetarian bites, with plenty of vegan options too. The display cabinet is filled with homemade Mediterranean delicacies, such as falafel, salads, grilled vegetables and many varieties of hummus. According to our followers, it is even the tastiest hummus in Hilversum and the surrounding area. You will find Vega Paradijs on the Gijsbrecht, you know, the street where you can also enjoy sustainable shopping. Strictly speaking, Vega Paradijs is not a restaurant or lunchroom, but it is the ideal greener stop for lunch to go, a snack or a nice meal for at home after your day out in Hilversum.

Spandershoeve

This is one for the insider tips category. Tucked away in the upscale Hilversum neighbourhood of Trompenberg – you know, near that lovely botanical garden we recommended earlier – sits Spandershoeve. This Indonesian family restaurant has been around since 1972. The famous rijsttafel is also available in a fully vegetarian version and can be prepared completely vegan upon request, featuring plant-based jackfruit rendang, among other dishes. At the time of writing, the rijsttafel costs 42.50 euros per person and can be ordered for two or more people. Just let them know when booking that you are going for the vegan option. Enjoy your meal!

Paisan City Garden

Are you getting on here Paisan City Garden stepping inside on the Naarderstraat, you wouldn't expect such an enormous garden to be hidden behind the premises. You'll find an outdoor bar, plenty of seating in the sun, and even several petanque courts. The Mediterranean menu features small mezze to share, with a good amount of plant-based options. For example, order falafel, hummus, and baba ghanoush with a homemade pita on the side.

With such a cosy terrace and boules courts we are soon won over, but Paisan also has plenty of veggie and vegan dishes on the menu. And that is why, as far as we are concerned, it belongs in this list of more sustainable restaurants in Hilversum.

Foodhall MOUT

From Paisan you can walk straight on to Foodhall MOUT on the Marktplein, perhaps Hilversum's best-known hotspot. This food hall is located in an old cinema and features various world cuisines on a single menu. One person orders sushi, another Italian, and yet you still eat together at the same table. There are also quite a few veggie and vegan options on the menu. A top tip is the flatbreads from Pitabar Benny. There you can order pita bread with crispy falafel, grilled vegetables, hummus and baba ganoush, among other things. In good weather you can settle down on the lovely terrace. And inside, around the long picnic tables, there is always a cosy Friday night vibe.

Eating out in Hilversum? MOUT Foodhall is the ultimate hotspot for a bite to eat or a drink. Thanks to the various food stands, there is something for everyone, with plenty of options that fit your more sustainable lifestyle too.

De Groene Afslag

De Groene Afslag is the circular meeting place of the Gooi! Strictly speaking, this hotspot is in Bussum, but the location at Crailo is right next to Hilversum. So we therefore feel this hotspot is definitely worth a mention. You can find De Groene Afslag on the former barracks site between Bussum, Hilversum and Laren, close to the Bussumse Heide. The restaurant is entirely plant-based and cooks as much as possible with local and seasonal ingredients. Thought has also gone into the smaller details: for instance, the tea supports Dutch biodiversity and the pastries come from a social bakery that uses rescued ingredients. Be sure to look around after eating, as the building is full of art and repurposed design, including a ceiling made of millions of old banknotes. You can go there every day for breakfast, lunch, drinks and dinner, and nowadays you can even stay the night. This is much more than just a restaurant!

De Serre Tasting Room

Officially, it lies De Serre Tasting Room in ’s-Graveland, but this spot fits your greener list so well that it simply has to be mentioned. Besides, you can get there in no time from Hilversum: just head down the ’s-Gravelandseweg and before you know it you are at De Serre. The tasting room is located in a modern greenhouse at Land & Boschzigt, the oldest biodynamic market garden in the Netherlands. The vegetables, fruit and herbs are organically grown on the estate and picked by the team themselves. What is harvested partly determines what appears on the changing seasonal menu. You can drop in for coffee and cake, lunch or drinks. When the weather is fine, you can sit on the terrace overlooking the fields; if it is chilly, you can find a spot inside by the wood-burning stove. Perfectly combinable with a walk around the ’s-Graveland country estates.

With such a lovely location surrounded by greenery, we simply have to recommend De Serre. Officially the restaurant is in ’s-Graveland, but it practically borders Hilversum. Photo credits: Jurrian Photography.

Even more nice restaurants in Hilversum

And we aren't done yet, because luckily in Hilversum there is still much more to choose from. The Mediterranean eatery Gio Dio the Indian-Nepalese one has quite a few veggie options Surya has an extensive vegetarian and vegan menu, at Spaghetteria you can also order tasty vegetarian pastas and also at the Thai Chiang Mai many dishes can be made vegetarian or vegan. During the day are Your Coffee (with locations in both Kerkstraat and Gijsbrecht), where, according to one of our followers, you can get the best vegan cake ever and eat Matthijs Boon, for good sourdough bread and coffee, nice places. Also Kweek Foodbar is a convenient stop in the town centre, with plenty of vegetarian and a few vegan lunch options, including plant-based rendang. In short: in Hilversum you really don't have to search long for something tasty that completely fits your greener lifestyle!

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Photo credits: main image: Chef aan de Werf (left), N. Spakman (middle, Bij de Tuinman), Mout Foodhall (right). Other: N. Spakman (Bij de Tuinman), Paisan, Mout & Jurrian Photography (De Serre).