We’ve all heard it countless times: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It helps you charge up your energy level and gives your body and mind a boost… and so on and so on. Well, I am one of those people who tend to skip it, which isn’t a good thing to do if you swear by the advice of many health gurus. But then there’s that particular morning when I felt like rolling out of the bed, straight to a place in town that serves a mean breakfast. I am talking about a steaming hot pot of tea and toasts with bacon and eggs. Yum! With that in mind, I made the following list of 21 best breakfast spots in Utrecht. We’d also like to hear your favorite place for breakfast. And ooh… if you know a place that serves kick-ass scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage, do let me know!
Breakfast outdoors
At Anne & Max on the Donkere Gaard, you can enjoy a very extensive breakfast in a lovely living room atmosphere. Make sure you don’t have anything else to do in the morning, because you’ll want to take your time for this breakfast. It’s such a pleasure! If there are two of you, order a complete breakfast. It’s brought to the table on a big board. It’s a feast of different types of bread and toppings, delicious croissants, a little pan with an egg and salmon or bacon, mozzarella and tomato, cheese and jam, avocado mash, and yoghurt with granola and fruit. And you can also choose from a selection of warm drinks, smoothies and juices. I’m willing to eat breakfast out every Sunday for this selection. Oh, you can also sleep in because on Sunday it’s all-day breakfast!
SLA, the organic salad bar, is known for its complete and varied meal-sized salads. But fewer people know that some locations also have a breakfast bar. In the early hours, you can head to SLA Hoog Catharijne for different smoothie bowls, overnight oats, chia puddings, smoothies, and other goodies from the breakfast menu. Get a matcha latte to go with your food and you’ll be ready to conquer the day.
De Rechtbank serves a breakfast buffet not only for their hotel guests, but also for visitors of the restaurant. The buffet offers different kinds of bread, juices, fruits, oatmeal, granola and yoghurt. And if you prefer something warm and savory, they also serve scrambled and boiled eggs, pancakes, bacon and mushrooms. Make sure you arrive at the restaurant before 11.00, which is when they start cleaning up the buffet.
Korte Nieuwstraat 14 | website
Rabarber is one of my favorite places for lunch, but they serve breakfast too. The menu is small but has nice breakfast items that you can order throughout the day. Yes, people, this is an all day breakfast spot!
Zadelstraat 20 | website
Bagel & Beans has two sweet breakfast options: freshly baked bagels with cream cheese and a variety of sides, served with coffee or tea. You can also order a bowl of yoghurt with ‘superfood’ toppings, smoothies and power juices. Since I prefer a savory breakfast, I usually order a BLT bagel.
Locaties: Mariastraat 48 | Biltstraat 60 | Amsterdamsestraatweg 302
De Yoghurt Barn is a unique concept and a great addition to Utrecht’s city center. The Yoghurt Barn offers a great variety of yoghurts (also soy-based) and all kinds of toppings, such as fruits, nuts, superfoods and many more, to make your own version of yoghurt delight. This is a great place to meet-up with friends in the weekend. And how about making a reservation for a romantic brunch for two at the Barn?
Vinkenburgstraat 15 | website
Situated at the heart of the bustling Biltstraat is De Keuken van Thijs, a lunchroom that serves delicious meals. Recently they have started serving breakfast as well. They offer a great variety of breakfast items on their menu, but you can also order oatmeal, pancakes, French toast and more. By the way, they recently opened an ‘organic’-fries shop, called De Pieper.
Biltstraat 41 | website
While KEEK, is actually a lunchroom and don’t have specials for breakfast, they are open from 9:30 am on weekdays and in the weekend. So, why not drop by for breakfast anyway? They have delicious savory bites, sweet scones with jams, sandwiches and cakes. I love their egg salad sandwich with a cup of hot tea and juice. They also have their own bakery on the Oudegracht, called ‘De Keuken van KEEK’, where you can order breakfast to-go.
Twijnstraat 23 | Oudegracht 362
Broei is the place to be for the ‘creative crowd’ in Utrecht, and is an excellent spot for remote working or just to meet up with friends. Broei serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Everything they serve is made of organic ingredients – homemade, healthy and tasty. So why not have breakfast here for a great start of your day? They also have yoghurt, served with fresh fruits and granola, fruit and vegetable juices, and delicious sandwiches.
Oosterkade 24 | website
Cornelis is housed at an old grocery store on the Maliestraat. It is the home for many locals living in the East side of Utrecht. Drop by and you’ll understand why – the place is so beautiful and cozy; it almost feels like home. Take a seat in the cozy corner or at the large table for a delicious breakfast. Start the day with a good cup of coffee outside on the bench. Take a book with you because you’d most likely want to hang around for a while and the friendly owners wouldn’t mind at all.
Maliestraat 16 | facebook
District is my favorite spot, also located in the East side of Utrecht. To me, a Sunday morning breakfast at District means warm, buttery croissants with homemade jam and a strong cup of coffee – a dream comes true! So, take a seat at the large table and grab a newspaper or magazine. Enjoy your ‘me time’, and not just on Sunday morning!
Jan van Scorelstraat 1 | Facebook
Bakkerij Neplebroek on the Bilstraat is a hidden local gem where you can have a nice breakfast. The menu offers a great variety to choose from, from yoghurt with fruit and nuts to a complete breakfast with bread, boiled eggs, ham and fruits. They usually open their glass doors, allowing you to marvel at the beautiful courtyard, while enjoying a cup of coffee or tea.
Biltstraat 54 | website
De Bakkerswinkel has an extensive range of breakfast with freshly baked croissant, bread, ham, cheese, jam and butter. You can also choose the simple option of yoghurt, fruit and honey. French toast is also on the menu and this is certainly worth a few extra points.
Wittevrouwenstraat 2 | website
Daen’s offers the whole package by being a ‘concept store’ for men and women, café/wine-bar and bed & breakfast. The breakfast at Daen’s is just as complete. Bread, sides, coffee with orange juice. If you are looking for a place that serves a great breakfast before work this would be a good option. Daen’s opens at 7:00 am, depending on where you work, you could be in the office by nine.
Korte Minrebroederstraat 13-17 | website
Elize, on the Mariaplaats, is a cozy spot in the busy downtown. The doors open early, so if you are an early riser, you should stop by for coffee and something sweet. Walking past it, you’ll see their delicious pies and pastries through the shop window. Now, try to resist that temptation! Their menu includes various breakfast types from yoghurt with fruit to tasty sandwiches. After your breakfast, you should drop by at ‘Le Jardin’ and get yourself a beautiful bunch of flowers for your home.
Mariaplaats 44 | facebook
A German breakfast in Utrecht is apparently a thing. Not only can you get a nice frühstück at Pushkin on the Ridderschapsstraat, but you can also get a little basket of German bread and toppings for breakfast at Klein Berlijn on the Rotsoord.
Pushkin | Ridderschapsstraat 1
Klein Berlijn | De Helling 22
Sea Salt Saloon, is a fish bistro on ‘t Wed, not the first place that’d spring to mind when you think of breakfast. Regardless, you can start your weekend mornings off here with a mimosa and some tasty treats on the menu.
Wed 3 | Website
Rocking Chair, situated on the Willem van Noortstraat, doesn’t just have delicious coffee and homemade cakes, but also freshly baked scones with jam, yogurt with fruit and granola and warm croissants from the oven. Rocking Chair’s menu serves two different breakfasts; one big and one small.
Willem van Noortstraat 88 | Read the blog for more
Familie van Rijk, is the hotspot for foodies, who don’t mind venturing further with their bike. The shop is situated on the multicultural Amsterdamsestraatweg and offers an amazing array of products with a story, as well as a small corner café. In that little corner café you can have a delightful breakfast. Products from the store are used for the breakfast and presented on a nice wooden board. You can also tap your own tea from the tea wall.
Amsterdamsestraatweg 379 | Click here for more
You can of course go to 30ml Coffee Roasters for your regular dose of caffeine, located on Vredenburg. But nowadays the coffee bar also has a very extensive breakfast lunch, and drinks menu. You can come in for something delicious at any time of the day. They serve smoothie bowls, poached eggs, American pancakes with fruit, and lots more all day long. This is really ‘all day breakfast’.
Vredenburg | review
Besides drinking delicous coffees, you can also get good breakfast at ’t Koffieboontje. Open your laptop at the big table to get some work done, or take a seat in the lounge corner to start your day in a relaxed way. The breakfast menu isn’t that big but there’s enough for a good start. To go with your coffee you can order a croissant, chocolate pastry, and organic yoghurt with muesli or granola. Also check out their board outside, because sometimes it indicates a special price for breakfast.
Oudegracht 92 & Grutersdijk 42 | review
Photo’s: Susanne Sterkenburg & Dainahara Polonia
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