Adorable, handsome unique tower on the water; there is a pier behind the tower to view the…read moreentirety. There is a bar in the first floor that serves "The Heinekenbier" among others, and the restaurant on the 3rd floor descends back to the 2nd and is totally medieval in design, reached by tight winding brick staircase in the monkey tower.

My wife and I visited De Hoofdtoren mainly because of the novelty of eating inside a 1600s gate…read morehouse that used to be on the south sea (now on a lake). Turns out the food is really excellent and the service is friendly. They had just launched a new menu when we paid a visit and the sandwiches for lunch were delicious, though not exactly filling. Probably an appropriate serving size. The view from the small windows isn't too expansive, but the atmosphere is still very nice. We'd definitely skip the street level restaurants to dine here again.

The best cocktails in town if you ask me! They have the biggest cocktail menu and they even have…read morebig bowls and buckets they fill with a specific cocktail to share. You can also ask the waiters to fill a big bowl with a different cocktail. The prices are lower than avarage. The atmosphere inside is very cozy and they usually have good music playing in the background, at night they turn the music a bit louder. Outside they have normal tables and chairs but also lounge couches with heaters. The service could be better though. It's often quite slow!

From the owner: Dineren - Borrelen - 50 Lokale Bieren - 25 Open Wijnen - 200 Cocktailsread more

For the quality of restaurants normally found in Leiden, this one is rather excellent. All the food…read moreis fresh, well-prepared, and full of flavour. The restaurant itself has a nice welcoming atmosphere, even though the waiters and plate settings would indicate that it's rather stiff-upper-lip, the clientelle is relaxed and everyone is welcome. I would only give a few dings for the following things: (1) The service - yes, I know I should not complain of the service in the Netherlands, but I can't help myself. The waitress told us that as per the concept, they recommend ordering one 'small' bite, two 'medium' ones and one 'large' one. Setting aside the fact that this is actually an outrageous amount of food for one person, when our group of 4 proceeded to not follow the 'recommendation' and order haphazard amounts of everything from different parts of the menu, the waitress clearly panicked and started asking us about the order in which things should we served. We told her to essentially figure it out herself and were rewarded with fairly haphazard serving order in return. (2) Odd flavour combinations - while some dishes were absolutely delicious (like the classic Asperges a la flamande), others where they clearly tried to experiment were frighteningly bad. In particular the 'food shot' (served in a shot glass) of diced cervelat salami served with chunks of vodka jelly on top of a bed of sliced onions - this dish was not appealing in any way, shape or form. There were a few other similar clearly failed experiments and I'm not sure why they've chosen to keep them around on the menu. Other than this though, it's definitely an interesting place and worth checking out if in Leiden.

Love this place! Happy that we were able to get a seat quickly here because reservations are a…read moremust! Inside may feel and look cramped but it is super cozy. We were able to get seated right on the window area. We chose menu 5, which was just enough for two people. Everything was delicious! Their pea soup is out of this world. Don't know why as it is a simple dish but wow! I also love their herring. It was so delicious that I wanted seconds. It paired so well with their onions and mustard. And their bitterballen was just enough bite. Creamy and crispy! We also got a combination of the hutspot. They were all delicious! Although for me the meatball was just a tad bit salty but it is probably just me! Everything else was spot on. I love their dessert at the end. It was a great way to end the night. Our server and their staff were all amazing! Very friendly and welcoming. Yes it is a tourist spot but totally worth it.

This restaurant was on my wish list for places to definitely go while visiting Amsterdam. We…read morefinally went for lunch yesterday after our walking tour. Reservation recommended. We did not have one but they were happy to seat the 2 of us and invited us to switch tables once another couple left (they were checking out). Small space, can accommodate groups of 2-4, cozy atmosphere, lots of the traditional blue and white ceramics on the wall (dishes and tiles). Traditional Dutch cuisine: we ordered the Boerenkoolstamppot with smoked sausage and Zuurkoolstamppot with smoked sausage and a slice of apple pie to share for dessert. The food arrived piping hot in about 20 minutes. It was sooo delicious--the tasty juicy sausage pairs perfectly the mashed potatoes with either sauerkraut or kale. The apple pie was also tasty--larger chunks of apple and more spices less sugar than American apple pie from what I can tell. Perfect with whipped cream. A must visit if you're in Amsterdam and want to try traditional fare. Highly recommended!

From the owner: Ons huiselijke restaurant ligt aan de mooiste gracht van Leiden, het Rapenburg. Het is gevestigd in…read moreeen historisch pand, waar begin vorige eeuw een drogisterij onderdak vond. De 'Gaper' aan de gevel is nog altijd een markant herkenningspunt. Op het menu staan eigentijdse gerechten, die met veel aandacht voor zowel de ingrediënten als voor de gast worden bereid. En bij alles geldt: alleen kwaliteit telt! Parkeert u op de Haagweg, dan heeft u gratis vervoer naar ons restaurant.

Came here just for breakfast. The interior is spacious and elegant. The breakfast menu is a bit…read morelimited in my opinion, but still good. I got the Croque Madame which was yummy. Service was fine. I have no complaints about this place, but it was nothing mind-blowing.

We were 2 times it ws delicious but the menü is limited…read more Service eas good espresso was best of everything

From the owner: Verrassing van de Chef € 23,50 P.P. Laat je verrassen door…read morede creativiteit van onze chef en geniet van een smaakvol palet van mooie gerechten. Vanaf 2 personen. BBQ op tafel € 19,50 P.P. Met onze tafelbarbecues kun je het hele jaar door binnen gezellig barbecueën op houtskool. Geniet van een combinatie van lamsfilet, eendenborst, filet van Zweeds varken, diamanthaas en kippendij. Met vooraf een proeverijtje van heerlijke hapjes. Vanaf 4 personen.