Venue provided complimentary food and drinks during Sherika’s visit for this feature. The Hague Online retained editorial control, and the views expressed are the writer’s own
There’s a particular kind of idea that only makes sense once someone says it out loud: build an entire menu around the potato, in a country that eats them almost daily. At Potato Batata, tucked away on Maliestraat 1, that’s exactly what you can expect.
Lama Yazbeck, the owner of Potato Batata, is Lebanese born and bred. She arrived in the Netherlands five years ago, settling first in Amsterdam, where she found much of the food lacking in flavour and variety. When she moved to The Hague two years ago, she knew she wanted to bring something new to the city.
Back in Lebanon, she had worked mostly in the NGO sector, but she also made and sold chocolate truffles from home as a side gig, and she enjoyed every minute of it. Eventually, she felt the calling to get back into food. This time, the question was what. So Lama did what many of us do when we’re searching for direction: she sat down with her mother and started listing meals.
Somewhere in that list, a pattern appeared. Potatoes kept turning up. In Lebanon, she told me, the potato isn’t a main ingredient, more of a supporting player. But the more they wrote, the more the idea made sense. The Netherlands loves its potatoes, and the quality is excellent. Why not take an ingredient the city already trusts and let it carry an entire menu?
It’s a lovely piece of reasoning, and a very expat one: start with what you know from home, and make it work for the place you’re in now.
The menu is potato from start to finish, with a Lebanese and Mediterranean flavour profile. There are wraps, potato salad, quiche-inspired pies, soufflé and, for dessert, a sweet potato pie. “All potato” sounds unusual, but the range is wider than you’d expect, and it’s clear that real thought went into moving one ingredient through savoury, comforting and sweet flavours.
I tried three dishes:
- The messy potato wrap, filled with roast potatoes, coleslaw, pickles and lettuce, and served with a tangy sauce. Be warned: it is indeed messy!
- The rustic potato pie, which is similar to a quiche, with basil, cherry tomatoes and olives running through the filling. The crust, made in-house, was flaky and perfectly cooked.
- The sweet potato pie, which closes the meal and shows off the sweet potato in a lovely dessert.
The first thing you notice about the flavours here is how gentle they are. Lebanese cooking is often bold with garlic, lemon and fresh herbs, however here the food is simple and mild, comforting rather than punchy: the basil and olives in the rustic pie are present but polite, and the tangy sauce on the wrap is the liveliest flavour on the plate. All in line with a more Dutch palette.
Many items on the menu are homemade, like the hummus, and gluten free. Meat lovers, fear not: marinated beef is available and can be added to your meal. Around 90% of the ingredients are locally sourced, the meat is halal, and vegans will find great options too.
Potato Batata is a place for a relaxed lunch, for anyone curious about a new concept, and for potato lovers, of whom The Hague has plenty. What it has is a clear idea, a personal story behind it, and a gentle, approachable take on Lebanese flavours.
Go for the crust, the comfort, and a menu that makes one humble ingredient do a surprising amount of work. Potato Batata has only been open for a few weeks, but plenty more is in store. They offer catering for events, and from November will be serving early dinners from 16:30 to 18:30, with more seasonal dishes such as mashed potatoes.
Photos provided by Lama Yazbeck/ Anouk Bouten for Potata Batata
Potato Batata is open for lunch on weekdays at Maliestraat 1 . Follow them on Instagram to stay updated
Do you have a story about your own café, restaurant or bar in the city? Reach out to sherika@thehagueonline.com to possibly be featured.
Sherika Rooplal-Clappers is a contributing writer for The Hague Online, covering culture, lifestyle, and local events. With a passion for storytelling and international perspectives, she highlights the people, places, and experiences that make The Hague a dynamic city.
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