Leiden, also called the Key City by locals, is known for its beautiful old city centre and lovely canals. A nice city to wander around in. Or take a stroll past all the wall poems, for instance. But did you know you can also have a delicious and sustainable breakfast, lunch and dinner here? There are plenty of places with plant-based options on the menu or using local and seasonal produce. In this article, resident Lauri tips her favourite sustainable restaurants in Leiden!
Leiden: small city centre full of sustainable hotspots
Leiden is not a very big city, but that makes it nice and conveniently arranged. You can walk everywhere, especially in the city centre. And of course you can often make a stop in between, for instance for lunch, a tasty cake or just to quietly read your book or magazine. The cafes and restaurants in this list feature dishes with plant-based, local and/or organic ingredients. The menus often change with the seasons, meaning you can enjoy something different every time you visit! Go on an adventure, discover the sustainable restaurants in Leiden and let us know what you think. We love it!
Blossom
Out and about with small children? Then head to Blossom! A cosy tent next to the children's shop The Small Planet, where you can buy beautiful, honest and sustainable toys. By the way, there is also a nice play corner there for young children. Blossom's extensive menu is full of savoury and sweet options. Vegetables play the main role, making most of the menu plant-based. Besides breakfast and lunch, they also serve mezze here three nights a week. These are small dishes based on Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Ideal as appetisers or combined as a more elaborate meal. Ingredients left over at the end of the day are pickled and fermented. One thing is certain: your meal at Blossom will be colourful and tasty anyway. Enjoy it!
Botermarkt 25, Leiden
Restaurant Blossom in Leiden has a lovely terrace, but also a beautiful Bohemian-style lunchroom where you can enjoy lots of vegetarian and vegan options. The dishes are a picture!
Culture Café Leidse Lente
Lover of art and culture? Then you should definitely visit Culture Café Leidse Lente! With the menu in hand, you can travel all over the world without actually going out. Enjoy, for instance, fattoush from Lebanon, nkatenkwam from Ghana or seaweed bitterballen. The latter, by the way, just come from the Netherlands. There is live music every Friday night, and a comedy show every first Tuesday night of the month. Plenty to do there, then, at Cultuur Café Leidse Lente!
Haagweg 4 (A11), Leiden
Hortus Grand Café
In the centre of Leiden you will find the Hortus botanicus: the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands. And maybe that might sound a bit stuffy now, but it is not at all! You can take guided tours, admire the observatory, or go looking for lots of special flowers and plants yourself in one of the many greenhouses. But of course, that is not the only reason the Hortus is on this list: you can also have a delicious sustainable lunch at Hortus Grand Café! Will you go for the breakfast board, seasonal soup, vegetable croquettes or Mediterranean quiche? Or rather the oyster mushroom croquettes and brownie with pecan nuts? You can enjoy yourself at the Hortus all day long, even for (young) children. And tasty treats, of course!
Rapenburg 73, Leiden
Truly green: in the Grand Café of Hortus Botanicus you literally sit in the greenery and you will find plenty of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. Combine it with a visit to the garden? Photos: Ralph Reniers.
Grutsk Coffee Bar
Another topper along the Singel Park: Grutsk Coffee Bar! At this coffee bar, found in the refurbished Meelfabriek, you drink really good coffee. This location is perfect for catching up with friends or family, but also great for a company outing or birthday party. Besides coffee, you can enjoy tasty teas or smoothies. The menu is not very extensive, but very nice: for example, you can order gluten-free and vegan pastries from Baksas, a gluten-free bakery from Sassenheim. And a vegan tosti rendang! So are you planning a stroll through the Singelpark? Then definitely don't skip Grutsk Koffiebar!
Maalderijstraat 2a, Leiden
Restaurant Tanoor
Did you know that Arabic cuisine has many plant-based options? Think fresh salads, crispy falafel and all kinds of dips with Arabic bread. You can taste all this at Restaurant Tanoor! On the menu, the vegetable dishes are clearly marked and the service is happy to think with you about which options are all suitable for you. Restaurant Tanoor is in a beautiful location by the harbour, ideal for a (short) walk through the Singelpark after dinner. Or before dinner of course, whatever you like!
Harbour 62, Leiden
Grand Café de Stal
Are you coming to Leiden to visit museum Naturalis? Then have a nice lunch afterwards (or before of course) at Grand Café de Stal. The place where Herman once lived, the world's first genetically modified bull. Meanwhile, De Stal is no longer a stable, but a cosy café. Every weekday you can come here for tasty dishes with fresh, sustainable products. Will you choose the oyster mushroom croquettes, the sugar loaf French toast or the speciality of one of the staff members? Nice touch: De Stal is part of DZB Leiden, the work-development company of the municipality of Leiden. So they are not only committed to a sustainable earth, but also to opportunities for all.
Darwinweg 1, Leiden
Warehouse Leiden
Always wanted to have lunch or dinner in a listed building? Then go to the Warehouse! Weather permitting, you can find a nice spot in the courtyard garden, but there is also more than enough room inside. The menu changes regularly. And there are always several vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. How about roasted pumpkin or an Indian pastry, for instance? The Pakhuis is also the right place for all lovers of (non-alcoholic) special beer. You can even do a High Beer (or High Wine) there! More a fan of museums? Then combine your dinner at the Pakhuis with a visit to the National Museum of Antiquities or The Siebold House. To both museums you can practically roll.
Doelensteeg 8, Leiden
BetterBagels
Always wanted to try really tasty bagels? Then pay a visit to BetterBagels! Using mostly organic ingredients, they bake fresh bagels here almost every day of the week. You can choose from varieties with sultanas and cinnamon, to sesame seeds, poppy seeds or all kinds of spices. There is also a regular seasonal special. You can buy individual bagels or have your bagel topped right away. Many options are vegetarian and you can also choose vegan toppings. Do you have celiac disease? Then you can safely eat gluten-free bagels here. These are baked separately from the rest, so there is no risk of cross-contamination. Tip: pick up a tasty bagel to eat along the waterfront. And don't forget to take some loose bagels for home, you won't regret it.
Lange Mare 96, Leiden
Lab071
At Lab071 vegetables take centre stage. This former Leiden University laboratory therefore regularly experiments with new combinations. Meat and fish can be ordered as supplements, but you will find that the dishes are also delicious without animal products. How about a mushroom-lentil burger with tomato-apricot chutney, for instance? Or a raw kale salad with sweet potato cream? Some drinks are served in measuring cups, a nice nod to the old function of this building. The restaurant is located slightly outside the city centre, in a quiet spot next to a park. Very nice to sit during hot summer days!
Poelweteringpad 5, Leiden
Lab 071 is a sustainable restaurant tip in Leiden. The former laboratory of Leiden University also hosts regular experiments in sustainable cooking.
I Scream Coffee
Need a good cup of coffee? Then go to I Scream Coffee! The name says it all: real coffee lovers can come here. And if you don't like coffee, don't worry: you can also choose from many types of tea or delicious fresh juices. Don't forget to have a delicious plant-based cake too. Most are home-baked and some come from a local patisserie. Need somewhere quiet to work? Or finally finish that book? That too is perfectly possible at I Scream Coffee.
Nieuwsstraat 13-15, Leiden
The garden of the Blacksmith
It takes a bit of cycling by OV-bike, or walking of course, but you will be rewarded with a very nice hotspot! In the middle of Polderpark Cronesteyn you will find The Garden of the Blacksmith. A delicious place with an extensive menu full of vegetarian and vegan dishes. From pancakes and tasty sandwiches to soup with seasonal ingredients. Be sure to try one of the homemade cakes too. Tip: you can buy various local products in the small shop to take home. Or to give as a gift to someone, for example. Also don't forget to take a walk around the grounds, as all kinds of animals live there and are lovingly cared for by volunteers. In short: a place for ultimate relaxation and unwinding.
Polderpad 8, Leiden
De Tuin van de Smid is a restaurant tip outside Leiden's city centre. Here too you have many vegan options on the menu making this restaurant not to be missed as far as we are concerned on Leiden's sustainable restaurant list. Photos: Joosje Bosch.
Sophie Cat Cafe
Lover of cats? Then Sophie Cat Cafe really the place for you! Eight sweet cats live in this lunchroom. All adopted from the shelter. In Leiden they are showered with love, maybe they also like it when you come to cuddle them. The entire menu at this café is vega(n): from sandwiches to coffee and, of course, the delicious pastries. You can also buy cute gifts or join creative workshops at Sophie Cat Café. Fancy stopping by? Then don't forget to make a reservation via the website. Then you can be sure there is a place for you.
Haarlemmerstraat 241, Leiden
Paco Ciao
If you get off at Leiden railway station and want to pop straight in somewhere that will make your heart leap, you need to get to Paco Ciao Be. This hotspot is in a beautiful listed building where every room has a different atmosphere. Think: boho meets art deco meets urban jungle. The menu is bursting with vega(n) options and everything you get on your plate is as colourful and photogenic as the interior itself. From pink pancakes to bright green smoothies - your camera is guaranteed to eat along. You can come here all day long, whether you fancy a coffee, sumptuous lunch or an evening meal.
Stationsweg 25, Leiden
Catootje in the Market Square
A little further walk from the station, but trust us: it's totally worth it. Catootje in the Market Square is hidden under large trees on the Kaasmarkt and feels like a warm living room in the heart of Leiden. Here, a small and committed team lovingly cooks day-fresh dishes, often organic and as much local as possible. The menu changes regularly and rotates with the seasons, so vegetables always take centre stage. Vega(n)-choices galore! In summer, the terrace is lovely; in winter, lights and cosiness inside provide instant atmosphere.
Kaasmarkt 10, Leiden
Pure!
Looking for an atmospheric restaurant in the historic centre of Leiden where pure flavours take centre stage? Put Pure! then definitely on your list. Here, everything revolves around ingredients with a good story - not necessarily vegan, but certainly chosen consciously. Think salmon from Toet, Limburg monastery pig or beef from Palmesteyn. These and more dishes are traditionally prepared in their own kitchens. Whether you come as a romantic couple or with a group of friends or colleagues, Puur! is the place to be.
Pieterskerk-Choorsteeg 9, Leiden
Looking for more sustainable restaurants in Leiden?
Hopefully, this list will help you enjoy your time in Leiden. The conclusion: Leiden has lots of sustainable restaurants. Do you have another restaurant tip in Leiden that really belongs on this list? Let us know via the contact buttons at the bottom of this page. Together we will make the best and greenest hotspots visible!
More sustainable getaway tips
- Also see: The nicest sustainable restaurants in Groningen.
- Also see: The best greener outings with kids in Haarlem.
Photo credits: main image: Blossom. Other: Blossom, Ralph Reniers (Hortus Grand Café), Lab071, Joosje Bosch (The Garden of the Blacksmith).
