Het Veerkwartier Haarlem
Remember my review of Buitenplaats Plantage? A lovely restaurant/cafe/bar/lounge/indoor-outdoor place in a greenhouse near Haarlem? Well, Het Veerkwartier is a similar place.
You find this “restaurant-and-more” in Haarlem’s Waarderpolder. Park your car on the parking lot across from the KPN tower and from there it’s only a short stroll to lake Veerplas and het Veerkwartier.
Interior and exterior decor
This popular hang-out is located near a man-made lake and small beach, making it a perfect spot for families with small children.
It is set up in a playful combination of sea containers, greenhouses and terraces, creating different ‘rooms’ and nooks.
I’m a huge fan of eclecticism, creativity, playfulness and more is more, so I absolutely love the decor.
Underlayment is a cheap material, normally hidden under or behind a prettier floor or wall. In my own house, I left the underlayment uncovered and visible, as they did at the Veerkwartier.
Pictures printed on wood, blankets as curtains and underlayment for the benches.
I love thinking outside the box, e.g. using materials in another way than intended. Blankets turned into curtains, benches made out of underlayment, sea containers as rooms; cool ideas!
Eat & drink
As in Buitenplaats Plantage, they serve healthy-ish food at the Veerkwartier.
Luckily for me they don’t overdo the healthy aspect, so I enjoyed the food.
It looks pretty too.
I went there with two dear, old friends and two very arrogant dogs, a Saluki and a whippet.
Friends since 15 years.
As beautiful as they are arrogant!!!
We sat there for at least three hours and were served free ‘herbal’ water all the time. Now THAT’s what I call service!
Entertainment
The Veerkwartier has all kinds of activities all the time, be it yoga, movie screenings, small concerts and more.
The place is perfect for children, with the ‘beach’ and lake so nearby.
My review
We visited Het Veerkwartier on a quiet monday afternoon. It was not crowded and there were only a few children, so we had a chill time there.
Lunch, chatting, chilling, laughing.
But I heard many stories about busy days (weekends, summer weather) when the place immediately is crawling with children. Since the Veerkwartier is not that big, I imagine it to get noisy and not relaxing anymore pretty fast.
Ofcourse I you are a parent with small children, then that’s no problem. On the contrary. But if you’re not, and if you look for some peace and quiet, then I suggest that you think twice when a crowded day can be expected.
Other than that, I definitely recommend Het Veerkwartier. It’s quirky and original, it’s charming, the F&B is yummy and the location is unique.
Dogs
Dogs are allowed in the Veerkwartier, but they have to be leashed on. Part of the year dogs are not allowed on the beach nor in the lake though.
When we visited Het Veerkwartier, we started of with rain, rain, rain. But then the sun broke through and it got hot fast. The dogs were overheated, so my friend J. (their owner) took them for a quick dip to cool them down.
“Why do you lie down all of a sudden? You almost made me trip!”
“Yeah, rub it in, buddy. That’s gonna be a lotta sand at home.”
Cooling dip!
Have you been to Het Veerkwartier? How was your experience? What’s your favorite hotspot in Haarlem?
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