Café du Nord – French bistro on the Draaiweg

Explore UtrechtOnze stad, Jouw avontuur

Bonjour Edith Piaf et Les Poppys

Magnifique! Tres belle! And other exclamations that don’t go further than my terrible French can handle. But Café du Nord on the Draaiweg deserves those kinds of lovely French oneliners. When you come in, you’re welcomed by beautiful French chansons and unprecedented hospitality. The host knows what the restaurant business is about: letting guests enjoy the experience. To be honest, French bistros are never really my favourite, but maybe Café du Nord can convince me.

C’est le vin

Once we’ve met the charming woman in the kitchen, snooped around and chosen the most beautiful little table, we’re brought the wine menu. Vin! That makes me curious of course. A little criticism here: for a wine fanatic like me, there’s not much voice. On the other hand, Café du Nord is pure, back to basics – no fuss. And that’s precisely the strength of this formula. You so rarely see it! The wine that we got was our waiter’s favourite, not a bad choice. And the interior is nice and retro yet modern, I love it!

Café du Nord, worth taking a detour for

De bon goût

Important business: manger! We enjoyed the baked mackerel, pure and tasty. Cod “en papillot”, perfectly made pork and the vegetarian goat’s cheese quiche. Everything is prepared in the open kitchen, which is actually just a part of the bar, so you can sneak a peek at how your food is made. Because the ingredients are so fresh and the chef so passionate, it’s a joy to watch. But oh, I can’t forget the red velvet cake, je l’aime! (The pictures below are of the dishes we tasted.)

Tour de France

You can also choose from the menu on the chalkboard, with changing dishes. Lunch, drinks and dinner. The prices are civilised and the quality is great. Perhaps it’s not really on the way, the Draaiweg. What neighbourhood is that, actually? That doesn’t matter too much for Café du Nord, it’s worth taking a detour for. Convinced? Oui, oui. Merci.