How would you like to enjoy a meal created by the world’s smallest chef? At just 6cm tall, according to legend, he was born in April 2015 in Marseille, France.
Le Petit Chef is a fully immersive 3D dining experience where a tiny, animated chef is projected directly onto your table, cooking your meal right in front of your eyes. It’s playful, it’s cinematic, and it’s genuinely unlike anything you’ve experienced at a dinner table before — and he has officially taken up residence in The Hague for the very first time.
The concept was created by Belgian artist collective Skullmapping — Antoon Verbeeck and Filip Sterckx. Previously focused on projections onto house walls and streets, and participants in light festivals worldwide, the duo decided to try it out on tabletops. The premiere took place on Antoon Verbeeck’s terrace, where both artists cooked for their friends. Le Petit Chef himself is a 3D scan of Verbeeck’s son, and the inspiration for the entire show.
Le Petit Chef was previously only available in Amsterdam — however, voco The Hague, the quintessential hotel with Dutch design, wanted to bring this truly one-of-a-kind experience to our beach city. It’s an extraordinary dining concept, one that goes far beyond a traditional dinner, and they felt The Hague deserved its own piece of that magic.
Le Petit Chef offers different show editions globally, and The Hague is currently running Show 1. The menu is a set five-course offering, and what makes this version special is that the hotel has incorporated locally sourced ingredients from regional suppliers, keeping it rooted in local identity. A curated wine pairing option is also available to complement each course.
Each course begins with a show projected directly onto your table, right before your meal is served. From the chef dealing with a mischievous mole in the garden to sailing the sea in search of seafood, it’s charming and sweet — and right up your alley if you’re looking for something genuinely different.
So the show is the highlight, but what about the actual food? I tried both the classic and vegetarian menus, which were freshly made and satisfying. From a caprese salad with gorgeous burrata, beautifully plated, to a vegetarian main of rich and creamy mushroom ravioli and a classic main of beef sirloin paired with broccoli — the menu delivers lovely ingredients and flavours you may not expect.
Le Petit Chef is an evening that will surprise you, and a wonderful way to mark a special occasion. Click here to read about the concept and to make a booking: https://lepetitchef.com/the-hague/
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.
Images: voco The Hague and Sherika Rooplal-Clappers
A fresh independent publication is featuring local creative stories in The Hague. Twenty Four The Hague recently celebrated the launch of its third print volume with a pop-up event at Kunstbar, bringing together local community creatives.
The third edition of the zine was launched during a relaxed get together at Kunstbar, where visitors could pick up a copy, meet others from the community, and stay for drinks and conversation.
The magazine is run by the talented Francine van der Wansem and focuses on visual storytelling, culture, local people, and city life in The Hague. The project combines print publishing with a strong social media presence on Instagram and TikTok and has quickly built a recognisable identity within the city’s creative scene.
Features in this edition include:
Humans of The Hague – Roben of Dutch Language Cafe (written by Laura Linga)
Hidden Gem – Kunstbar
Museums
Limited print editions are available, but you can also follow stories and photographs are also available via:
Follow their Instagram for updates on future events and editions.
Francine is also a co-founder of The Hague Creators Community, along with Ali Parpaei of Holland Park Media. This dynamic duo are well known in The Hague’s creative scene, organising a variety of co-working and creative events:
In 2026, Voorlinden in Wassenaar celebrates its tenth anniversary. In that short time, the museum has grown into a beloved destination for modern and contemporary art, architecture and nature. The milestone will be marked with an impressively large anniversary exhibition, a striking solo exhibition by world-renowned choreographer William Forsythe, a new artwork on the estate, and a special art bookshop for art lovers.
To mark the anniversary, founder Joop van Caldenborgh and director Suzanne Swarts were photographed together beside Swimming Pool by Leandro Erlich, one of Voorlinden’s iconic works. With his feet in the water, Van Caldenborgh speaks about his passion for sharing art. ‘There is nothing more wonderful than seeing other people light up in response to an artwork that moves you as well. For me, Voorlinden offers the opportunity to share art with as many people as possible.’ Suzanne Swarts adds: ‘Everything at Voorlinden is centred on creating the best possible experience of art. We truly see the museum as a place where you can be surprised, enjoy yourself, recharge, and return home filled with new impressions.’
Icons of Voorlinden During the anniversary year, Voorlinden will present a special programme. On 6 June, a solo exhibition by the world-renowned choreographer William Forsythe will open, featuring his ‘choreographic objects’, in which the visitor’s experience and movement are central. On 12 September, the anniversary exhibition Celebrating the Icons of Art will follow, in which iconic works from the museum’s own collection enter into dialogue with masterpieces from the twentieth century. For this exhibition, landmark works will be borrowed from partner institutions and collections. Visitors will be able to see works by artists including Damien Hirst, Ron Mueck, Lucio Fontana, Louise Bourgeois, Francis Bacon, Roni Horn, Claude Monet, Yayoi Kusama, Roy Lichtenstein, Tracey Emin, Pipilotti Rist, Lara Favaretto and David Hockney.
Ron Mueck, Boy, 1999, ARoS Collection | photo: Mads Smidstrup
New: Outdoor Artwork and Art Bookshop Inspired by the lush natural surroundings of Voorlinden, the Italian artist Giuseppe Penone – a friend of the museum who had a solo exhibition there in 2022 – has designed the outdoor sculpture Identity – Wild Grass that will be unveiled in the summer. In September, the museum will also open a special bookshop for art lovers and connoisseurs. Visitors can look forward to a carefully curated selection of limited-edition artist books, distinctive coffee-table books, exhibition catalogues and works of art on paper.
Mockups Giuseppe Penone, Identity –Wild Grass, 2023 & Andrea Milani, art bookshop
A Dream Realised Voorlinden was founded ten years ago from the private art collection of Joop van Caldenborgh. He donated his collection of modern and contemporary art, the historic estate in Wassenaar and the museum building to the Voorlinden Foundation. He also established a supporting foundation to ensure the future of Voorlinden and the continued growth of the collection. Suzanne Swarts, who once started as an intern working on the art collection that would later become the basis of Voorlinden, has now been the museum’s director for ten years. With the ever-growing collection as the beating heart of Voorlinden, she has organised more than sixty exhibitions and collection presentations over the past decade. Today, Voorlinden has become an indispensable part of the Dutch museum landscape.
It gives me great pleasure to launch my new book entitled: Geloven is Humor? Fun in Faith. It is written in both Dutch and English and contains 40 funny stories from 40 years of pastoral ministry, of which 28 in The Hague.
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Fr. Sjaak de Boer has been the Pastor of the International English-speaking Roman Catholic Parish of Our Saviour in the Hague since 1998. Every Sunday about one thousand people from 60 different nationalities gather there from all walks of life. Ambassadors and refugees share the same pews. Ordained as a priest in 1986, he worked as a Mill Hill missionary in Kenya and Brazil, as well as in several other countries.
His PhD at Louvain Catholic University focused on poverty as an avoidable source of suffering. Prayer gains more credibility when we not only ask God for help but also offer to do something about poverty ourselves. Pastoral ministry offers many surprising opportunities for connecting people, both in and outside the church.
In 40 stories, Fr. Sjaak illustrates how, in the most challenging and powerful moments of life, a dose of humour and humility can help keep one’s feet firmly on the ground for 40 years.
In ACCESS Stories this month, Deborah Valentine shares insights and experiences around navigating death while living abroad…
Suddenly a friend dies, a colleague who is a central part of your working environment. Now many of us are learning at a different speed in a different register. Grief has a way of stripping the tourist layer from everything. What you encounter during those first days and weeks is the country at its most unguarded, and yourself at your most vulnerable.
Before you move abroad, no one tells you about the bureaucracy of dying. Death in a foreign country — or the death of someone at home while you live abroad — generates a huge stack of paperwork that ignores the fact that you’re in a state of grief. However, within that state we had a wonderful sense of surprise that even in bureaucracy and rules, there is also care and respect.
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.
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
It was while living in Australia, in a tiny mining town, that Clo Darras met her Dutch partner Ziggy Douw. It was there that they heard locals share the story of the Green Birdflower plant — small and unassuming, you most likely wouldn’t even notice it, and that would be a shame, as its leaves are uniquely shaped like a bird. A wonderful reminder to stop and take a moment to look around you, as beauty surrounds us all the time. Ziggy gifted the plant to Clo on a date, so it holds a special place for the couple, and it felt only natural that it would become the name of their now beloved café, Birdflower, located at Professor Kaiserstraat 55.
After travelling the world for 10 years, cooking in different restaurants and learning as much as they could about food and flavour, the couple decided to make The Hague home — where Ziggy is originally from. Clo, being French, made the city her own and felt at home here from day one. With the large expat community, it was easy to make connections, and Clo loved that nature was always around the corner — from the beach to the dunes, greenery can easily be found here.
The couple experimented with a pop-up during Covid, which was a success, and then decided to turn it into a café. This July, they will celebrate the café’s 4th birthday. The menu changes every three months — everything homemade — and they only cook and bake with ingredients that are in season, staying true to nature. This means everything on the menu is fresh and the produce is at its most delicious. Clo is extremely passionate about locally sourced ingredients and supporting the suppliers who care for them, including miso sourced from a Japanese supplier in the city, made from buckwheat rather than soy. She lights up talking about it, and that passion also comes through in the food itself — the pastries are beautifully crafted works of art that tell a story when you eat them.
The menu is made up mainly of pastries and a handful of other items, including some Asian-inspired dishes such as kimchi toast. The kimchi is punchy and bursting with complex, savoury flavour, paired with nutty Comté cheese and sandwiched between soft sourdough toasted to golden perfection, served with a dollop of rich, tangy mayo — all proudly made by Clo and Ziggy. They also offer seasonal drinks like juices and iced teas, and rotate their coffee beans throughout the year — fruitier blends for spring and summer, shifting to deeper, warmer roasts in the colder months.
I tried the vegan pistachio and raspberry cookies — indulgent and chewy, and more than satisfying for any vegan. The chocolate torte, made with hazelnut mascarpone, olive oil and sea salt, was rich, moreish, and my personal favourite. The vanilla cheesecake — gluten-free, with chocolate crémeux and fresh berries — is a decadent, artisanal dessert that combines a velvety, dense texture with rich contrasting layers and vibrant toppings. And Clo’s personal pick? The pain au chocolat, one of the best in the city — it will transport you straight to Paris.
An honourable mention goes to the iced chai latte. As someone of South Asian descent, chai is often botched in Western cafés, so I was thoroughly satisfied with this one and would happily return for it.
Clo is clearly passionate about the hard work that goes into the café, and supporting the local community is what drives her — she wins when they win, a shared joy all round.
Earlier this year, the couple opened a second location — a takeaway spot at Azaleaplein 1K — and for their sit down café, they have plans for some small renovations and a more streamlined menu in the coming months, allowing them to focus on what is truly working: the coffee, pastries and sandwiches.
No visit to The Hague is complete without stopping into Birdflower. And as a reminder — I hope you take a moment to pause during your busy day and look out for the beauty that surrounds you. It’s probably closer than you think.
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.
Images: Sherika Rooplal-Clappers and Sheryl Holliday
