There are sometimes places that you think less about when you go into the city. Often because they are not in the center, which means that it is less in your 'system', or simply because it is not fun or tasty there. But at it Harbor Cafe that is certainly not the case. You should go there just for the terrace on the water, where the boats pass by in the summer. There is no better terrace in the city.
Drinks and restaurant
The Harbor Cafe has been around for a while. It has had several owners, but in recent years entrepreneur Pol de Bruin has held sway. 'The concept we have here is shared dining, but you can also sit here for a main course or a nice snack. On one side of the restaurant there are higher tables with stools, which is an ideal place for drinks, while on the other side it is more of a restaurant with low tables.'
Four terraces
"Our business is actually known for its terrace," says Pol. 'We have four terraces. A facade terrace on (how could it be otherwise) the facade, with those nice benches that you can unfold and where you can have a nice drink. In front of our entrance we have a small terrace on the water for about 45 people. On the side there is also a terrace adjacent to our restaurant area. A place where guests actually dine and sit a little longer. On the hottest summer days we can also set out our island terrace, which is the largest terrace we have. During peak times this means a maximum capacity of more than 200 seats.'
Shared dining card
Harbor Cafe opens at three o'clock in the afternoon on days with nice weather, an hour later on bad weather days. The menu that you can choose from all day consists mainly of shared dining dishes. 'You can select your own shares,' says Pol, 'or you can choose from one of our 'full table' menus, where you can choose from 3 or 4 courses including appetizers, which the chef will then put together for you. Naturally, allergies and dietary requirements are taken into account.'
International influences
If you look at history, the place where Harbor Cafe is located is also a place where catering has always been located. "It really is a unique place," Pol emphasizes. 'It was one of the most important supply routes, perhaps even the most important, from which larger ships could easily sail to the Oosterhaven. From there they sailed on to the warehouses in the area.' And that is what the Harbor Cafe concept is based on. 'With a lot of fish on the menu, of course, and especially fish from the North Sea. But also the use of different spices, because that is of course something that used to be taken on those boats.'
For more information on www.harbourcafe.nl.
