Are you new to The Hague and curious to meet other newcomers? The Hague International Centre is organising a special edition of its Welcome to The Hague event on Thursday 26 November 2026, offering an engaging evening of activities, practical information and opportunities to meet fellow internationals.
This edition is part of Praat Nederlands Day, a nationwide initiative encouraging internationals to practise Dutch in a fun, welcoming and informal setting.
While Welcome to The Hague remains an opportunity to connect with other newcomers and learn more about life in the city, this special edition will also include activities designed to help participants practise their Dutch. Don’t worry if your Dutch is still limited. The idea is simply to have fun, give it a try and build confidence along the way.
The event takes place at The Fiddler, a traditional English pub in the centre of The Hague and a welcoming setting for a pub quiz.
Organised by The Hague International Centre together with its partner At Home Abroad, the evening will give participants an opportunity to test their knowledge of life in the Netherlands while meeting fellow internationals.
As part of Praat Nederlands Day, the programme includes Meet & Mingle Bingo and a Dutch Culture Pub Quiz.
Drinks and snacks will be provided by the organisers.
Registration is required. For catering purposes, The Hague International Centre asks everyone attending to register individually, including children.
Practical Information
Date: Thursday 26 November 2026
Time: Doors open at 17:30. Programme from 18:00 to 20:30.
Location: The Fiddler, Riviervismarkt 1, 2513 AM The Hague
Registration: Register through The Hague International Centre’s website.
The British Club of The Hague welcomes everyone to its Winter Fair on Friday 20 November, raising funds for Voedselbank Leidschendam-Voorburg, the local food bank.
Browse gifts, home accessories and handmade items from club members and local artisans. There will also be homemade cakes and bakes to take home or enjoy in the Winter Café, where coffee and tea are free.
The fair includes a Bottle Tombola, with a prize for every ticket, and a Gold Star Raffle.
The club has an international membership and a long tradition of choosing a good cause to support each year.
Date: Friday 20 November 2026 Time: 10:30–13:00 Venue: Pastoral Centre, The Hague. Entrance at Helenastraat 8, near Koningin Marialaan.
Edited by The Hague Online using ChatGPT Plus assistance.
Image: supplied by The British Club of The Hague for event coverage. Credit: The British Club of The Hague.
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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
Some restaurants feed you. The great ones transport you. La Bruschetta & Co, tucked along The Hague’s charming Denneweg, is in the second category. From the moment you walk in, something shifts. The walls are lined with photographs of Puglia — sun-bleached coastlines, dusty piazzas, the kind of images that make you want to book a flight immediately. Copper pots and pans hang overhead, a gift from the owner Francesca’s father, and the whole space carries the warmth of a family kitchen rather than a restaurant. Informal, cosy, and entirely unpretentious — this is exactly the kind of place you want to find on evening out.
Francesca opened La Bruschetta in 2018, leaving her home region of Puglia in search of new opportunities and a bigger life. She brought with her something that cannot be manufactured: a deep, lifelong relationship with food. Growing up in the south of Italy, cooking was not a skill you learned from a book — it was something absorbed at the kitchen table, passed down through generations, inseparable from family and memory. That upbringing is present in every dish that leaves her kitchen.
In the early days of La Bruschetta, Francesca’s mother would make fresh pasta by hand in front of the restaurant window — and locals along the Denneweg would stop to watch. It is one of those details that tells you everything you need to know about what this place is built on. Today, nearly 90% of the staff are from Puglia, which perhaps explains why the experience feels so cohesive and genuine.
The menu leans heavily into the traditions of Apulian cooking, and the pasta is where La Bruschetta really earns its reputation. It is, without question, the course most recommended by regulars — and having tried both the seafood pasta and the Tartufo truffle pasta on my visit, I understand why completely. The seafood pasta was rich and deeply flavoured. The truffle pasta was elegant and indulgent in equal measure and quite the theatrical watching it being prepped in the giant parmesan rind before being elegantly plated. Both felt entirely authentic — not the watered-down version of Italian cooking so often found elsewhere, but the real thing.
The grilled rib eye was equally impressive – well-rested, and treated with the respect good meat deserves. The mixed seafood platter was light, cooked well and included a good variety. And then there were the desserts, classics like tiramisu and sgroppino, which I will simply say should not be skipped under any circumstances. The wine list is well-considered and the mocktails are a thoughtful touch for those not drinking.
What strikes you most by the end of the meal is how rare it is to find a place that has held onto its identity so firmly. Eight years in, La Bruschetta still feels like a small, family-run restaurant in the south of Italy — the kind of place where the owner knows the regulars by name, the recipes haven’t changed because they don’t need to, and the food on your plate carries the weight of real tradition behind it.
The Denneweg is already one of The Hague’s most beloved streets. La Bruschetta & Co is one of the very good reasons why.
La Brushetta & Co is open for lunch and dinners Tuesday – Saturdays on Denneweg 57. Follow them on Instagram to stay updated
Photos: Sherika Rooplal-Clappers
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.
Piet Heinstraat is one of my favourite streets in the city — lovely cafés, restaurants and stores line it, and you could easily spend half a day exploring it all. One of the most charming spaces there is, And Concept Store.
Run by Bénédicte Cador-Robinot, originally from Paris, the store has quietly been part of the neighbourhood for three years now. She brings her French eye for beautiful things to The Hague, both through her own handmade jewellery and a store filled with gorgeous finds.
Walk in and you’ll understand immediately why people lose track of time here. The store brings together artists from around the world, and every single piece is handmade: clothing, scarves, candles, jewellery, trinkets, the kind of gifts that feel personal rather than generic. It’s the sort of shop where you go in looking for one thing and leave half an hour later with three, all of them for people you love.
But what I really want to tell you about is the workshop I joined.
I sat down one Tuesday evening to make a pair of earrings using glass Miyuki beads, those tiny, jewel-toned Japanese beads that catch the light in a way that photographs never quite capture. There was no rush, no pressure to get it right the first time, just the quiet, repetitive motion of threading bead after bead while conversation drifted easily around the table.
It struck me, somewhere in the middle of it, how rare that kind of stillness has become. We fill our days with screens and speed, and here was a room full of people choosing instead to make something slowly, with their hands. It felt less like a craft class and more like a small meditation, the kind where you finish not just with a finished pair of earrings, but with your mind a little quieter than when you sat down.
The rising popularity of analog hobbies says a lot about what we’re all craving right now: fewer screens, less doomscrolling, more time spent actually making something with our hands.
If you’ve been looking for a reason to visit And Concept Store, let this be it, and mark your calendar for something extra special while you’re there. On 26 November, the store is hosting Pink Christmas, an evening of drinks and festive cheer to welcome the season in style. It’s the perfect excuse to start your holiday shopping somewhere that actually feels like a gift in itself.
So next time you’re wandering Piet Heinstraat, step inside. Browse slowly, pick up more than you planned to, and if you get the chance, sign up for a workshop. You might just leave with something you made yourself, and a little more stillness than you walked in with.
And Concept Store is open Tuesday – Sundays on Piet Heinstraat 92A with workshops on Tuesday evenings and one Saturday a month— follow them on Instagram for more details
Do you have a story about your own space 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.
The Netherlands is one of the most dog-friendly countries in the world, and as a dog owner myself, it’s been a joy watching my rescue, Lily, explore and settle into life in The Hague after getting her from Romania. From the dunes to dog-friendly café terraces, this city makes space for dogs in a way that still surprises people who move here.
Dogs have also come to mean more than just companionship at home. More and more owners are recognising the real benefits that come with having one, from lower stress to a built-in reason to get outside and meet people. Walking Lily has certainly been mine; some of my favourite discoveries about this city have come from the places she’s dragged me into.
So here are my favourite spots to enjoy together in The Hague.
The beach. Scheveningen and Kijkduin are among the best places in the country to let a dog loose, but the rules shift with the seasons. In winter, from 1 October to 15 May, dogs are welcome on the whole of the Den Haag beach. In summer, dogs are limited to certain stretches during the day, so check the signs at each beach entrance or the municipality’s website before you go. Make sure you clean up after your dog.
If you want a reliable summer option, locals point to the Noorderstrand, beyond the last beach access at the Zwarte Pad, where dogs can run freely all day.
The dunes. The dunes of Westduinpark and the Hollandse Duinen National Park are beautiful for a long walk, but dogs must stay on the lead. Loose dogs disturb the nesting birds and wildlife that live here, so keep to the paths and read the signs at each entrance.
The Haagse Bos. For shade, space and a quieter pace, the Haagse Bos is a favourite for dog walkers. Look for the “uitrengebied” signs that mark areas where dogs may run free.
Zuiderpark. The Hague’s largest and oldest public park is a major green space, sports hub and cultural venue all in one. A few smaller areas allow off-lead running, but for the rest, it makes for a lovely on-lead walk.
Coffee with your companion
A good dog-friendly café doesn’t just tolerate your dog, it makes room for them. My favourite spots include:
Bartine – the famous bakery on Piet Heinstraat doesn’t just have great coffee, service and pastries, it also makes for a lovely spot to enjoy with your dog.
Arket’s café – the chic Swedish fashion store houses a café serving great cappuccinos and provides the perfect setting for “fika.” The staff love seeing dogs, so expect fresh water to be brought out for yours on arrival.
De Oude Tol – the classic South African lunchroom near The Peace Palace has a lovely outdoor terrace, perfect for warmer days with your furry friend.
Parkoers – housed in Zuiderpark, this makes for a delightful stop after a morning walk with your dog. The menu serves standard Dutch classics, but the atmosphere is properly gezellig.
The Story Café – this cosy neighbourhood café on Appelstraat serves up delicious meals, and they even have pup cups on the menu!
Beach clubs like Hito, De Staat and Zuid – perfect stops after a run on the beach!
Policies can change, so it’s worth a quick message or a look at the door before you go. My rule is to sit outside when the weather allows, and pick somewhere quieter in winter so your dog can settle under the table while you enjoy your meal.
What I love most about walking a dog in this city is how it shapes your day. The same park at the same hour, the same café table — these become a rhythm, and rhythms turn into community. People who would never have spoken to each other end up knowing each other by their dogs’ names.
Lily is not just a dog to me, she’s part of my family. Seeing how excited she gets to explore new places and try new things inspired me to create a dog-friendly event, which I’m delighted to share. On 31 October, I’m teaming up with The Story Cafe’s owner, Meryem Hammiche, and artist Ale, to host Dog P(ART)Y — a few relaxed hours in the morning with you, your dog, and a small group of like-minded individuals.
Here’s what to expect:
Delicious bites for you and your dog
A doggy artwork activity, where your dog gets to make art (yes, really)
A small, cosy group of other owners and their dogs
When: Saturday 31 October 2026 Where: The Story Cafe & Concept Store, Appelstraat 175 Tickets and extra info can be found here Good to know: Dogs must be friendly and socialised, and kept on a leash. You are ultimately responsible for your dog’s behaviour and safety. There will be 2 sessions – one for smaller dogs and one for larger breeds. Check out the link above for full details.
We wanted to create a space where your dog not only feels welcomed, but gets to engage with you in a fun, safe activity. Grab a ticket, bring your best boy or girl, and try something new!
Reach out to sherika@thehagueonline.com for all lifestyle topics and events
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.
In ACCESS Stories this month, Rawia Liverpool reflects on more than three decades of international life, beginning with her first move to the Netherlands in 1992. Relocation, career changes, motherhood, caregiving, bereavement and divorce repeatedly required her to adapt and rebuild her life. Along the way, she discovered the importance of community, transferable skills and asking for support. Now an NLP coach and Transactional Analysis counsellor, she draws on these experiences to support other internationals navigating relocation, identity shifts and major life transitions.
ACCESS is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit organisation that has supported the international community in the Netherlands since 1986. English-speaking volunteers provide free, independent information and guidance on living, working and settling in the Netherlands, via a helpdesk, email support and partnerships across the country.
