Canterbury Tales (Den Haag, NETHERLANDS): A Tasteem Review
Canterbury Tales was a lucky find whilst I was looking for a place to have a drink and a snack with my toddler whilst my older girl was busy preparing for a dance recital. We had a couple of hours to kill before my wife would meet me and we would do a kid swap so that I could get to work (and she would be finishing...).
Anyway, this was the first place that looked pretty decent... although, the tagline "possibly the coziest..." was a little strangely uncommited!
The Space
The cafe is set in a pretty trendy area of Den Haag, nearby the incredibly interesting Weimarstraat of Den Haag wth it's artistic communities and interesting shopfronts.
Like most places in The Netherlands... the room space is long but a touch narrow in comparison to other countries. However, they layout of the tables and seating is such that you don't feel cramped. Always a great thing for a restaurant/cafe... there is no point cramming in more customers if it just makes for a decidedly un-cozy atmosphere!
... in keeping with the 'cosy' idea... the decor is full of wooden furniture and leather couches, with some really old style room adornments to round out the decor. It's really quite a relaxing and nice place to be in... and a stark contrast to the busy and stark white modern settings of newer chains.
There is also a little library of books and board games to pass your time...
... and most importantly for parents, a little play area for the little ones!
The Menu
It really should have twigged from the name of the cafe... and also the byline... but the place is run by and targeted to the English/expat clients that have a bit of a concentration in this area of Netherlands.
So, it is a lot of cakes, scones, cofee and tea that is one offer. All with that English way of presenting things... that unique sense of humour that is often quite misunderstood (or found to be frustratingly vague) on the mainland of Europe.
The Food
Initially, I ordered a cappucino for myself and a freshly squeezed orange juice for the little one... accompanied by a really nice lemon cake. As always, when you find a good coffee place... you have to remember it... and this was a decent coffee! (likewise, the orange juice was pretty good!).
The cake was nice and moist, and the lemon icing was a hit with the toddler... it's weird to be saying... make usre you eat the cake to a childl!
So, as I mentioned, I was waiting for my wife to do the child swap... such is the life of two freelancers...
... and so, I made sure that she had also a cappucino (and another orange juice for the toddler...) waiting for her when she arrived. Also, a scone (which she loves...)... traditionally served with clotted cream and jam!
The Experience
The atmosphere of the cafe is great... and the location is perfect if you are in this area. It was pretty quiet when we were there (in the mid afternoon)... but you could see it was popular with the locals in the area, with many of them greeting the staff (or vice versa) personally. It is a little bit off the main street, which meant that it wasn't heavily packed... as most people seemed to go for the cafes on Weimarstraat instead (which serve worse coffee....).
Tbe staff were nice... and the coffee was pretty good, as were the cakes/scones. The place is ideal for young families with the little play area... and also the clientele consisted of many families with young children.
This cafe is a nice little gem in the residential area of Den Haag... a nice find for the area, and a place that I will visit more often... as they serve much better fare than the places on the main street!
Opening Times
Monday Closed
Tuesday 8am–6pm
Wednesday 8am–6pm
Thursday 8am–6pm
Friday 8am–6pm
Saturday 9am–6pm
Sunday 9am–6pm
Contact Details
Address: Kepplerstraat 125, 2562 VJ Den Haag, Netherlands
Phone: +31 (7)0 785 2971
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://canterbury-tales.nl/
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Restaurant Information
Canterbury Tales
Kepplerstraat 125, 2562 VJ Den Haag, Netherlands
This post participated in the Tasteem contest Beverages with friends
That does look like a cozy spot! Any coffee house with comfy chairs and an assortment of books is a spot I wouldn't mind visiting. I actually kind of enjoy the cheek in the "possibly the coziest" tagline. Fun to see that same attitude spread throughout the menu, as in reference to the less-than perfectly presentable baked goods. I also always enjoy seeing local companies that support other local businesses and also have a mind to keeping their environmental impact smaller than many similar businesses. I'm not sure I'll ever make it to that part of the world, but if I do I'll keep this spot in mind! :)
Yes, the menu was one of the more amusing reads that I've seen! Better than the plain listings... definitely tongue in cheek!
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This place looks very homey and it is difficult to tell that it is a cafe and not someone's apartment.
Very interesting concept.
Apart from the staff.. it does have that home feeling with the decor! Well.... if you had servants, I guess it would feel exactly the same!
Yummy review! It looks so cosy just like home. I lived in Canterbury, but in New Zealand instead.
If you have some spare time, please check my new review 🙂 https://tasteem.io/post/40689
Thanks, it does look very homely... it does make it much more appealing than a regular restaurant/cafe!
I like how it looks, the massive furniture and the fact that there are not many tables, is not a crowded place. I think it's nice to drink some coffee there.
Interestingly, I also made a presentation for a coffee shop, as well as I like cappuccino.
Well chosen name. Canterbury Tales! It reminds me of Pasolini's film. Of course, no connection between them.
I don't know the film.... I only know the book (tales...) from old old times... is it the similar story? Now I'm curious!
The film is also old, considered an art film and is probably inspired by the book ... probably a pretext for depicting the era, morals, explicitly for the time it was made. I am not a fan of the movie nor Passolini ... the name of the restaurant reminded me of all this.
Ah! Lemon cake is one of my favorites and we have already plucked some lemons here in the garden for a lemon cake.
A great little place and a great review here my friend.
Blessings!
Ha.... home made lemon cake would be just awesome! Lemon Meringue pie is my favourite though!
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