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
When I first visited The Story Café and Concept Store shortly after it opened, I wrote about the sense of warmth you feel the moment you walk in — the hand-painted walls, the encouraging words on every table, the smell of soup and baking that makes you slow down. But on a second visit, I found something more. Behind the beautiful surface of this café is a woman with a very clear philosophy, and the more time you spend here, the more you understand it.
Meryem Hammiche is, depending on when you catch her, a dietician, a mental health coach and a wellness instructor. “I want people to feel good when they leave here, to also know they have a space where they feel comfortable” she tells me.
Nowhere is this philosophy more evident than in the café’s expanding range of sugar-free bakes and sweet treats. Not “good for sugar-free,” just good. Rich, satisfying banana bread that is paired with mascarpone and chia seed jam and the simple yet light, poppyseed cake which make for a gezellig afternoon treat that is good for mind and body.
But more than just food, tucked into corners and along shelves are beautiful small objects — candles, stationery, interior pieces, handmade cards — all from independent makers and small business owners that Meryem has chosen to platform. The idea is simple: if you’re a small business owner with a well-made product and nowhere to show it, you can reach out to Meryem and she will find a place for it here. It’s a living, rotating shop floor inside a café — and it means that every visit feels slightly different, slightly new. For the makers involved, it’s a chance to get their work in front of the steady stream of locals and regulars who call The Storycafe their own.
The newest addition to The Story Cafe’s offering is one I’m particularly excited about: art workshops, for both children and adults. Given everything else Meryem has built here — the mental health coaching background, the community-first ethos, the café as living room — it makes complete sense. Creative expression, she believes, is another form of nourishment. A way of processing, connecting, and showing up for yourself.
Whether you’re a parent looking for something meaningful for your child on a weekend, or an adult who has been meaning to pick up a brush for years and never quite managed it, this feels like exactly the kind of low-stakes, warm-environment way to start. Details on upcoming sessions are on their Instagram — and given how quickly things tend to fill up at places like this, it’s worth following sooner rather than later. Also on the calendar is a dog-friendly event — imagine a space where your furry friend is truly welcomed and the two of you can enjoy it together.
What strikes me most about The Story Cafe, on this second visit, is how rare it is. It’s easy to open a café. It’s much harder to build something with a genuine point of view — a place where the food, the space, the community and the programming all point in the same direction. Meryem has done that. And The Hague is better for it.
The Story Café and Concept Store is open seven days a week on Appelstraat 175. Small business owners interested in featuring their products in the concept store space can reach out via Instagram. Art workshops for children and adults, dog parties and more are coming soon — follow them so you don’t miss out.
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.
Connect with Sherika here