A bustling café for lovers of good food. In the middle of the Hortusbuurt, a stone's throw from the Noorderplantsoen in the city of Groningen. Where you can go for a delicious cup of coffee, a good glass of wine and mouth-watering dishes that are slightly different than you are used to. That is Cafe Lily. A new concept will open on January 13 at the location where Restaurant Eetwaar was located for 17 years, run by catering couple Pim & Marieke Wiegman. The duo was ready for a new adventure and so Eetwaar closes at its peak to make way for new dreams.
Edibles
Thirteen years ago the couple opened Restaurant Eetwaar. A restaurant in the lively Hortusbuurt, which focused on the higher segment. There was a limited al a carte menu and a 5-course surprise menu was served with a choice of matching wines, which Marieke carefully selected. “When we opened our restaurant in January 2011, we agreed to do this for a period of ten years,” says Marieke. 'That period lasted a little longer, but that's why we really knew what our next step should be.' Pim adds: 'We still have the age, and therefore the energy, to set up something else and do it again. to go all the way.'
Concept
The name Lily is a no-brainer, named after the street where the café is located: Kleine Leliestraat. It should be a living room, accessible to everyone and where you immediately feel welcome. A café where you actually want to stay all day. Like a warm bath full of goodies that you step into.
“At Café Lily there are a number of regular faces in addition to the two of us, so that guests always feel at home,” says Marieke. Together with the current employees and new professionals, they also want to make this business a success. “We're really looking forward to it,” they say, beaming.
Food and drink
“Just like with Eetwaar, we continue to make everything ourselves and we only put the things on the menu that we like to eat,” Pim explains. 'The fries and mayo are homemade, just like the croquettes and the broth. Seemingly simple dishes made with the best products.'
You can eat everything on the menu at any time of the day. From snacks and appetizers to share, to a main course or dessert. “If you feel like having a steak and fries at 12 noon, that is possible,” says Pim.
Marieke has put together a beautiful wine list that, in addition to exclusive wines, also includes very accessible wines. The drinks menu has a nice selection of beers, both on tap and in the bottle, which they are very much looking forward to working with.
About Pim and Marieke
Pim and Marieke have more than 25 years of experience in the catering industry. Pim started his career as an apprentice chef at fish restaurant Het Wad (Groningen). He completed his chef training at De Pauw and then chose to work in IT. Yet the catering industry remained his first love. He followed his heart and became a catering entrepreneur.
Marieke's first job was at Chateauhotel/restaurant de Havixhorst in Schiphorst. This is also where her passion for good food and drinks arose. She studied psychology and Dutch and also worked at De Pauw and de Parelvisser (Groningen). When she met Pim, she chose to turn her passion for food and drinks into a profession. “Eating and drinking is in our blood,” she says. 'Even when we are free, we are busy with that. We have already experienced many impressive restaurants in Europe, and we really enjoy this!'
Cafe Lily is open Wednesday to Monday from 12.00 noon to 23.00 p.m.