Hotspots in Hoofddorp

Hoofddorp is a small town right between Amsterdam and Haarlem and very close to Schiphol. Its location is probably the only reason why you’d ever find yourself there. Unless you like cheap clothes (Hoofddorp has a Primark), there’s probably not much to do for you here. That being said, people often book a hotel here because of its location, so you might want to know where the nice places in Hoofddorp are.
If you’re looking for my favorites in other cities in The Netherlands, click here.

Papas Beach House

This ‘beach house’ is actually a lake house. This pavilion is located at the lake of the Haarlemmermeerse bos. A great environment for a nice walk or a swim on sunny days. They serve lunch, dinner and snacks. For lunch they have several sandwiches and salads. And for dinner they serve a variety of burgers and some classical dishes like salmon and rib eye. They don’t have many healthy options, the soup pictured above is probably the only one, but its great for comfort food after a long walk.

Zoet & Zalig

I don’t know if I’ve ever had this much topping on my sandwich before! Your sandwich comes with a pile of tasty ingredients at Zoet & Zalig. They’re open for coffee, pies and lunch. They’re located in the city center, so very convenient for the shop-a-holics (and the Primark visitors mentioned before). For lunch they serve soup, salads and a wide range of sandwiches. I had the vegetarian sandwich with pesto and grilled vegetables, although it’s hard to find the bread with all these veggies! They also have beautiful pies to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Bagels and Beans

Bagels and Beans has many locations in the Netherlands, their branch in Hoofddorp is located at the indoor shopping mall in the city center. As the name suggests they serve bagels and coffee. They have many healthy options for lunch. Also if you’re eating vegetarian or vegan you’ll find plenty of choices here. Although it wasn’t very photogenic, this oathy bagel with hummus was very tasty. Besides savory and sweet bagels, they also serve salads and muffins.

Restaurant l’Hirondelle

This place is adorable! Especially when the weather is good enough to sit outside. They have a terrace overlooking a lake, complete with pink flowers, old willow trees and a fountain. You feel surrounded by nature which makes it very relaxed. And very suitable for a romantic dinner as well!
As almost anywhere in Hoofddorp, they like meat and fish here but there are some vegetarian options on the menu as well. And they offer a ‘high prosecco’, it’s like a high tea but with prosecco!

Happy Tosti

Happy Tosti is a lunchroom selling all kinds of grilled cheese sandwiches. You can also find Happy Tosti in Leiden and The Hague. They have two vegetarian ‘tosti’s’, a savory one with Swiss cheese and leek and a sweet one with chocolate and banana. They also have a vegetarian panini with pesto and sundried tomatoes. Besides the big grilled cheese sandwiches there’s another reason to go Happy Tosti: they have indoor swings! If you like sitting on a swing whilst eating food you can also go to Hearth in Amsterdam.

Buitenplaats Plantage

I’ts actually not located in Hoofddorp but in Vogelenzang, an even smaller town about 15 minutes from Hoofddorp. But this place is so great that it would be a shame not to mention it on this page! This big location is mostly popular with good weather since they have a big outdoor area. Perfect for an escape from the city, because you’re in the middle of beautiful nature here. On big lounge seats you can enjoy your lunch like the sourdough toast with grilled vegetables pictured above. The only downside is that it’s a bit pricy, but you get the relaxing location for free with your order.