On our special days, anniversaries and birthdays and such things... we like to treat ourselves to a nice night out with at a nice restaurant without the kids! This usually means finding a great place that isn't too expensive for the quality as we also need to cover the costs of babysitting for the kids in addition to the wine and food and everything else!

Thankfully, the restaurant culture in Den Haag has improved tremendously over the last decade, and we are able to find more and more interesting and really decent places to eat...

Villa la Ruche is one of these places that isn't quite Michelen star yet manages to have a pretty decent reputation as well. It stands under the umbrella of the JRE (Jeunes Restaurateurs) organisation which is for promoting up and coming new and young restauranteurs.

Conveniently enough, it is also a short bike ride away from our home... although, I do wonder if drinking and riding a bike is just as dangerous as drinking and driving a car...

The Space

The restaurant is situated in a suburb a short distance away from the centre of Den Haag called Voorburg. It is an area that is home to many expats and wealthier folk, and so it is no surprise that there are restaurants popping up here to cater for their tastes...

The outdoor area is quite large, whilst the entrance to the restaurant is a bit of a non-descript side looking door...

However, once you enter inside... it is really a cosy and lavish sort of feeling. They have really put a good amount of thought into the lighting and layout of the restaurant... these things really add (or detract) from a general dining experience, and it is a sign of a good restaurant that they take care of these peripheral experiences.

On this particular day, we chose to sit outside... it was a warm evening, and there is just something undeniably comfortable about eating in the open rather than indoors (especially when the weather is good!) .

The Menu

Although it is definitely possible to order "a la carte" at this restaurant... when we come to these sorts of places, we tent to order from a set menu. Partly it is a cost thing... but also, it is the best way to sample a little bit of everything, plus it is usually the best dishes that the restaurant has to offer!

The Food

Okay, this was a multiple course meal... so, there are going to be many parts to this!

Most restaurants of this quality offer a little nibble to whet your appetite whilst you are choosing something from the menu... this was no different, an interesting take on the Dutch fried goods... it was really a nice way to start the evening! A potato based fried nibble with a good helping of mustard.

Next up was the bread service... there was a huge tray of different types of bread to choose from, and I ended up choosing this particular one (my wife did as well...). For some reason she thought that there were hints of banana in it... I'm not totally sure... however, the bread was really quite amazing, and we returned back to the a couple more times throughout the night!

Now, bread by itself is okay... but it does need to be accompanied by some really decent additions. Top quality butter, and an interesting cream based spread with a great tasting olive oil was the order of the day here... honestly, if I had a complete meal out of this (and the bread), I would have been a very happy diner already!

Another little taster to keep us going in between ordering and the food arriving... a little fish based nibble with a beetroot based sauce. Nice! I was definitely tempted for more to come...

A slice of raw Makerel in buttermilk, served with radishes, peas and a little bit of herring eggs... raw fish can be an aquired taste... I'm quite fond of it in moderation... this was quite a great start to the menu proper... clean and the sauce was a great little accompaniament.

Next up was a bit of a cleanser... watermelon with capers and mustard oil. Interesting, but it was really a dish that was preparing us for something more to come....

Pata Negra (Iberian Ham) with Canterelle mushrooms, celeraic and asparagus. I was glad to start on the warm part of the menu... I was fond of the colder dishes, but there is nothing like starting on the main meat parts of the meal!

Great cut of meat, and the vegetables were a great addition... I do like asparagus, but my pee will smell funny in the morning!

Prawn served with shallots and a really nice mouthwatering sauce (I'm don't quite remember what it was...). The presentation of this dish was quite nice... and the tastes went well, I have to say that the sauce here was the highlight!

Lamb from the Dutch island of Texel with a range of vegetables... Lamb is definitely one of my favourite red meats... however, in Netherlands it can be hard to get decent lamb... often it is tough and strong tasting, leaving me feeling quite queasy... however, this time... it was perfect, almost as good as Australian lamb!

Onwards to the best part of the evening! The sweets... starting off with a bit of another palette cleanser. A cold sorbet Mohijto! Mint, Rum and Lemon... it's hard to describe how good this was!

... and then the real dessert! Berries soaked in vodka served with a really thick yoghurt and hard toffee slices! Teehee... YUM!

The Experience

Seeing as this restaurant wasn't a Michelen starred restaurant (but was included in the guide..) it really was great value for money! The quality was high and the service was great. The atmosphere and the seating was perfect, and on a warm evening the outdoor setting was really something that you should try!

The up and coming restauranteurs is really an area that we should check out more often... just like any other field, there is really a great opportunity to discover a gem before it really takes off!

Weirdly enough, the two service people (a waitress and waiter) seemed a bit stilted. It was an incredibly strange experience... it was almost as if they had had a screaming match or lover's quarrel before their work shift began... and they were really behaving oddly towards each other, which flowed a bit out towards the diners as well. Ah well, it did provide us some food for conversation at least...

Highly recommended place.. the food was great, the atmosphere was perfect, and the staff were .... interesting!

Opening Times

Monday Closed
Tuesday 6–10pm
Wednesday 6–10pm
Thursday 6–10pm
Friday 12–2pm, 6–10pm
Saturday 6–10pm
Sunday Closed

Contact Details

Address: Pr. Mariannelaan 71, 2275 BB Voorburg, NETHERLANDS
Phone: +31 (0)70 386 0110
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.villalaruche.nl/

Facebook
Instagram

Michelen Guide
TripAdvisor
TheFork
JRE