The treats of Utrecht – Dutch medieval masterpiece

WHAT is the Dutch for Liver Sausage Guilt? Googling this, I come up with the rather cumbersome “schuldgevoel over leverworst’. In front of of me, dark and porky, are seven succulent slices of Utrecht’s finest, crafted by the firm of Vocking since 1891. This ‘snack’ is accompanied by pickles, mustard and, given the Netherlands’ Indonesian culinary heritage, a tinglingly spicy sambal. 

While transforming the interior they found a fossilised rat that now is mounted on the wall

To my tonsils’ rescue an IPA from De Kromme Haring (the Crooked Herring), just one of the local craft beers on tap in De Drie Dorstige Herten (The Three Thirsty Deer). After a couple of days exploring Utrecht’s thriving plant-based scene this is my moment of carnivorous recidivism. 

An immersive morning in the Catharijneconvent Museum of Medieval Art with its depictions of crucifixions, martyrs and beatific visions of heaven makes me ready to wallow in the earthly delights of this great Dutch beer bar opposite.

It takes the name of the adjacent 14th century alley. Utrecht, fourth largest city in the Netherlands, is home to its best preserved medieval centre, radiating from the iconic Dom Tower – at 369ft the country’s tallest church tower. All very walkable, spared the tourist throngs that make Amsterdam a tiring visit these days.

De Drie Dorstige Herten is a delight for not being in any time warp. Brother and sister patrons Menno and Kayleigh de Bruin describe the main focus as their ‘Tasting Room’, where they can guide you through contemporary spirits and wine as well as beer.

As long as aniseed and licorice are to your taste I’d recommend ordering there a shot of De Balliekluiver, a gin-based ‘Kruidenbitter’ liqueur, containing 40 special spices and herbs. It’s a homage to those locals who used to lean over bridges, often waiting for work below on the city’s two-tiered canal system. Kluiven means ‘lean’, balie ‘railing’. The Gaardebrug, spanning De Oudegracht, the main waterway, hosts a Balliekluiver statue.

Along the banks, set in the road, look out, too, for the city’s ‘poem with no end’. De Letters van Utrecht is an evolving work, written one character at a time, stone block by block, one carved letter added each Saturday. In 2012 the first 648 blocks were laid out and backdated to the Millennium. There is no date for its completion.

A further literary initiative is the Neude Library’s invitation to unpublished authors to submit manuscripts for display and scrutiny. What a setting, another Utrecht must-see. Dating back to 1924, this ornate art deco-esque building was formerly the main post office, nicknamed the ’Temple of Post & Telegraph’. The monumental domed hall features huge statues bearing the names of the continents and glazed bricks in the shape of carrier pigeons.

Whimsy is big in Utrecht. A literary street art contribution is the huge mural on the on the corner of Amsterdamsestraatweg and Mimosastraat. 49 book covers feature, the titles nominated by local residents. 

No appearance by the book character most synonymous with Utrecht – Miffy, created by homegrown author/illustrator Dick Bruna. Not that the eponymous rabbit is underplayed. Above, in the Mariaplaats, is me with one of several citywide statues, Hardcore fans will want to visit two MIffy meccas in the Museumkvartier. The bunny’s Dutch moniker is Nijntje, hence the Nijntje Museum (basically a themed playpen for pre-schoolers and their parents seeking distractions for them). Across the road the Centraal Museum has recreated the Dick Bruna attic studio alongside a wealth of archive material.

The rest of the wide-ranging collection is determinedly eclectic, high art meets domestic design, a joy to wander round and make connections. Take your pick. From the early 17th century Utrecht Caravaggists, influenced by his Roman canvasses, to Gerrit Rietveld, the influential furniture maker, whose Rietveld Schröder House, designed in 1924 is a De Stijl modernist masterpiece worth the trek out to the suburbs for. 

But, of course, the eminently medieval centre remains Utrecht’s big draw. In my recent Confidential piece on equally historic Schiedam I mentioned The Dutch word for a leisurely meander on foot: ‘slenteren’. This ties in nicely with Slowlands, a tourism initiative promoting the Netherlands as a destination to escape the fast pace of modern life. 

My slenteren focus inevitably is about dropping in on bars, bookshops and food markets, but if vintage clothing, vinyl, comic books and quirky artefacts are your bag, Utrecht offers a wealth of individually owned shops (plus corporate retailers if you really must – head for the huge Hoog Catharinej complex near the station).

Start your peregrinations along De Oudegracht, ‘The Old Canal’. Midway along it, our hotel The Conscious makes a perfect base. And what a back story. Across 750 years it has served as a monastery, orphanage and trade union HQ. After a period as a squat it became the Tivoli gig venue, hosting the likes of Prince and NIrvana. Now part of a boutique hotel chain, it still retains a leftfield identity.

The Dom (Cathedral) Tower is contemporaneous, foundations laid in 1321, but only completed 60 years later. 1674 is the apocalyptic moment in its history when an epic tornado tore away the nave, separating it from the rest of the Cathedral… and confirming it as Utrecht’s proudest symbol. It took a further 200 years to finally clear rubble and create today’s Dom Plein Square.

There are 465 steps to walk up to reach the highest viewing point. Book in advance to join one of the guided groups. Good news, your guide halts on three separate levels to tell the story, so easing the calves. The medieval bells inside are stunning, the views even more so. I do believe you can see Amsterdam on a clear day; I’m less convinced by the London Eye claim.

Take a tour 

You get a different level view when you take a Schuttervaer boat trip. The basic tour is one hour long and takes in the bridges, tall townhouses and the cobbled quays with their elegant Pyke Koche lamp posts designed in the 50s by the Magical Realist artist of that name.

The revelation, though, is the unique wharves way below street level, created when the canal sides were raised to reduce flood risk. The dry cellars are home to small businesses, cafes and restaurants reached by stairs.

Food tours are an essential part of weekend breaks, but I’ve never experienced a plant-based version. Appropriate here because the Netherlands feels far more vegan than the UK these days. Step forward local foodie Patrick Boone and his V for Food small group expeditions, taking in assortment of venues in a relaxed way. We combined this with booking at other restaurants championing meat, fish and dairy-free dishes. 

It was interesting to encounter, via Patrick, two Utrecht ventures tapping into the mainstream. Last Vegas comes up with Sin City, a vegan take on Kapsalon, the cheesy loaded fries with a kebab that is the snack of choice for Dutch urbanites. The diner uses the same seitan gluten meat substitute for their take on bitterballen, ubiquitous beer-friendly, breaded meat croquettes. And, no, I couldn’t spot the difference.

Founded in Montreal in 2014, Copper Branch is a global chain trading on its sustainable practices in creating a menu of plant-based burgers, bowls, wraps and more. Fun and family-friendly but not re-inventing the wheel. Other vegan restaurants in town are more creative…

Vegan Utrecht eateries worth a visit

Le Jardin This Michelin-recommended French-influenced restaurant on Mariaplatts creates a menu each day dependent on what is available from the market. Primarily plant-based, they will add fish or meat to your plates. No need when their enhancement of humble root veg is so satisfying.

Life’s A Peach This bijou cafe was named Best Bakery and Patisserie 2025 by the Dutch Vegan Society. Essentially it’s a focacceria, inspired by designer Vanessa Bronzina’s Italian roots (though she was raised in Scotland). Go for the beets and greens topped version and finish with a pastel del nata.

Restaurant Broei makes its own sourdough bread and champions local sourcing, while the chic Restaurant Kasvio applies the same sustainable ethos with foraging and natural wines to the fore.

To source your own ingredients, visit the Organic Farmers’ Market on the central Vredenburg Plein each Friday from 10am. The standard market takes place there on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Beer, fried fish and cocktails fit for an Emperor

Cafe de Rat Round the corner from the Conscious Hotel, this is the perfect cosy ‘brown cafe’ with six beers on tap and a huge range of bottles, including sours. The name comes from when the bar first opened in 1973. While transforming the interior they found a fossilised rat that now is mounted on the wall.

Belgisch Biercafe Olivier On a different scale. Approach it along the Achter Clarenburg and there’s no indication of the soaring space that awaits you inside. The reason? This was a former Catholic ‘clandestine’ church. The current secular incarnation retains the altar and organ, but it is the range of Belgian beers you come here to worship.

Visjes Lunchtime queues are long at stalls selling the classic broodjes – sandwiches served on a soft roll (bolletje) and filled with herring, cheese or some more exotic filling. It’s worth, though, the trek along De Oudegracht to the city’s finest fried fish shop. Nothing fancy inside, but their kibbeling (worth the upgrade from catfish to cod) are battered perfection.

Grand Hotel Karel V This luxurious five-star hotel in the heart of the city was once a 14th-century monastery that served as a shelter for knights and priests. It’s on the site of a Roman burial ground. Its name comes from Emperor Charles V, who stayed here in 1546. Features from that time are lovingly preserved. Karel’s coat of arms, the two-headed eagle carved out of sandstone, is above the Michelin-starred dining room mantelpiece. You can bask in all this history for the price of a cocktail in its Bar & Lounge. And all just a 10 minute walk from the Central Station and your train back to Schiphol.