Discover Benelux | Bustling Utrecht | Top Eat, Drink & Sleep Spots
Homely ambience and metropolitan vibes TEXT: JANINE STERENBORG | PHOTOS: ORLOFF CAFÉ & ORLOFF AAN DE KADE
Located at two prominent locations in Utrecht, Café Orloff serves quality food and drinks in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The homely café under the Dom Tower offers a typical local Utrecht experience, while Orloff aan de Kade radiates an industrial, metropolitan vibe and acquaints you with an upcoming creative area. In the heart of Utrecht, at a stone’s throw away from Dom Tower and in the middle of the hustle and bustle of local cyclists, shoppers and bar hoppers, you will find Orloff. Here you are welcomed with a big smile while the comfortable warmth wraps around you like a fleece blanket. Open from early in the morning until late at night, Orloff is an ideal place to start the day with a cup of coffee while classical music is gently played, or to end the 32 | Issue 25 | January 2016
day toasting with one of the six taste bud-teasing house wines combined with a snack or dinner. For a typical Utrecht beer experience, surprise your senses and order a beer from one of Utrecht’s microbreweries: Orloff always has one on tap. The small pub is located at the corner of three gorgeous, small and car-free streets. “This was the view of Miffy’s creator Dick Bruna for years,” tells owner Martijn Cools, “he spent many mornings at one of the window tables.” On warm summer evenings, the crossing is crowded with guests of Orloff and its neighbouring cafés, who enjoy drinks and conversation. And in winter time you can also comfortably enjoy the outdoor view of city life from underneath the terrace heaters. Watch locals saunter and
cycle by with monumental buildings as a backdrop, just like a fairytale sight, especially when it is snowing. At Orloff you get to experience Utrecht life as it is. Cools: “It’s a place where people come together. You can easily drop by when you’re by yourself and chat the hours away with other guests and personnel. Orloff is a place for everyone.” Orloff’s food adds to this local experience: all of the meat served comes from Lindenhoff, a farm from a village between Utrecht and Amsterdam. These selfproclaimed ‘ambassadors of authentic taste’ have been delivering sustainable, high-quality local produce to renowned restaurants since 1989. “Their meat is absolutely delicious,” adds Cools, who is happy to spoil his guests with the great tasting foods.