Explore UtrechtOur city, Your adventure

Bubbles, wines, and beers

Piatto Explore Utrecht 2

Our favorite hobby? Going for drinks. With wines, beers, and a snack platter. Oh, and friends, of course. But where can we find the best snack platters? A good snack platter to accompany drinks must meet the following criteria: it must contain various bites, be full, be freshly prepared, and offer good value for money. But not unimportant are the drinks and ambiance. So we have our favorite spots. Here’s a top 8, but not in any particular order as we can’t choose.

Our favourite spots for drinks

Piatto (closed)

Ah, Piatto. If you haven’t already been, then go! The antipasti are delectable here, and the wines definitely are too. And they go well together. The service is friendly and will surely advise you on the best choice of wine and drinks. The marinated olives are already good enough to lick your fingers clean, let alone the bruschetta, hams, and cheeses. Think bruschetta with Parmaham and truffle oil, chicken liver crème with orange, or an Italian cheese fondue. Salute!

Address: Vredenburg 34

Anne & Max

A living room in the city – that’s how Anne&Max advertise themselves. And that’s what they are. Located on the Donkere Gaard, this is a living room where they serve a deliciously varied and unusual snack platter. Drinks pair well with it. A mimosa or a glass of bubbly? No problem. The drinks menu isn’t very extensive, but you can definitely find something there that goes deliciously with the snack platter. What can we expect? Charcuterie, cheeses, fig chutney, marinated olives, Lebanese flatbread, and deep-fried nuts. Nachos fresh out of the oven with cheese, guacamole, crème Fraiche and tomato salsa, for example. And suddenly the afternoon lasts longer…

Address: Donkere Graad 4

Lefebvre

Of course, we already know you can taste the best wines at Lefebvre and that the servers here are used to giving advice about wine. But we can also tell you that the snack platter at Lefebvre is one of our favourites. You can choose between small and big, so you don’t have to leave it up to the price. Cheese, charcuterie, deep-fried goodies and more! But surely you want an oyster to go with your Chablis? Or a flammkuchen with your Pinot Noir? That’s obviously possible too. You could spend the entire evening on drinks here, there’s enough to choose from. If you’re looking for something stronger, Lefebvre’s Liquorbar is just one door away. And we’re not going home yet…

Address: Neude 2

Werkspoorcafé De Leckere

Let’s say you love beer and want to taste everything, and you also feel like getting (organic) drinks. Then cycle on over to the Werkspoorcafé, it’s definitely worth the trip. The bostelbrood (bread made out of the leftovers from the beer brewing process) with dips is delicious, and the warm sausage tasting platter is surprising. For instance, we tasted wild boar sausage with Cromhout beer. But you can also put together your own snack platter: cheese, sausage, charcuterie, what are you in the mood for? You can have a beertasting, or even dinner. Delicious!

Address: Cartesiusweg

Werkspoor cafe brouwerij de leckere Explore Utrecht 4

Gastrobar Aandacht (closed)

The slogan is: taste, share, and enjoy. That’s precisely what we want! The menu consists of a variety of classic tapas, but also “gastro” dishes. Those are little Mediterranean dishes that this gastrobar has given its own spin to. They’re definitely worth trying. But what we’re actually the biggest fans of is the tapas and antipasti platter, which comes in a small and a large format. Are you just a little hungry, or starving? Tip: If you order the big platter for two people, you won’t be hungry for the rest of the day, and an extra table could even dig in. Yes, feast time! The dishes are fresh, the platter is full, and the service is friendly. And a little extra for our wine lovers: choose the wood-aged verdejo to go with the platter. So taste, share, and enjoy!

Adress: Biltstraat 48

Metro City Kitchen

A drink after a busy day at work? Go to Metro City Kitchen, they serve a lot of wines by the glass! And of course we love that. Tastings. But what makes us particularly happy is the Flatbread, you can order several delicious dips, you can also compose those combinations yourself. The Ginger Garlic Chicken Bites are also a must. But here too, if you can not choose, order the platter! And ask the waiter about the wines, who can help you choice the right one. Friyay, here we go!

Adress: Jaarbeursplein 15

Taplokaal Gist

Darn it, that tap wall! No less than 30 taps with different and surprising beers. Not to mention the delicious bites! Finger licking good. For Tapping Room Gist I make an exception. No platter. But more small dishes to taste. Daily fresh products, without additives. Can appetizers still be healthy? At least for the mental state. Immerse yourself in all the delicacies of Tapping Room Gist.

Adress: Helling 9

Bar Cava

Bubbles and bites! Best combination ever. At Bar Cava you’ll find delicious wines, fine cava and great platters. Tapas plates, where you can choose between the fish, meat, cava or vegaplatter. With calamari, prawns, tenderloin, yakitori, patatas bravas. And if that’s not enough, there are also appetizer platters. You can expect cheeses, meats, oysters and olives. But you can also taste the Spanish pincho at Bar Cava. They certainly understand the platter-game!

Adress:  Ganzenmarket 12