.Hi guys! In today’s blog post, I’ll be sharing all the places we ate at during our stay at the Efteling theme park in Kaatsheuvel, The Netherlands. I’ll not only be sharing what we ate, but also what type of establishment it is, what other foods you can eat there and I’ll be giving them a 1-5 star rating according to my experience.
Breakfast Croque monsieur @ ‘In de Gelaarsde Kat’
Type: Take-away
Food: Grilled sandwiches, fruits, and juices *gluten-free option*
The ‘In de Gelaarsde Kat’ (poos in boots) kiosk is a lovely place to start your day. They only sell Croque monsieurs, the European version of a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s traditionally served with ham and cheese in the middle, but there are extra toppings available (eggs, goat cheese, chicken, …). I got the classic sandwich with gluten-free bread and my friend got the classic with scrambled eggs. Both sandwiches are nice, but next time I would go for the non-gluten-free version.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Döner kebab @ ‘De Brutale Aap’
Type: Take-away + outdoor seating
Food: Döner kebab, Turkish pizza and soft drinks *vegan options*
Döner kebab is quite a staple fast-food in Belgium so we were really excited to try this. I have to say, I was a bit scared it would be too heavy on the stomach to be able to go in rides after, but it was actually really good quality for ‘theme park fastfood’. It was quite light and super flavorful. I do wonder if the service and quality will be the same on very busy days, I recommend going after 2, that way you’ll not only have a much shorter line but also have a place to sit.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
A sweet treat @ ”t Verwende Nest!’
Type: Take-away + outdoor seating and playground
Food: Pastries, hot and cold drinks
I saw this typical Efteling pastry, called a ‘kurkentrekker’ (corkscrew), on the park’s Instagram and I was super excited to try it. It comes with multiple fillings such as chocolate mouse & caramel, strawberries & cream, and watermelon & cheesecake mouse. I’m sad to announce that this amazing-looking dessert really disappointed us. The pastries themselves were way too sweet and the fillings were only so-so.
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆
Burgers and fries @ Hotel restaurant ‘De Hoffelijke Heraut’
Type: Restaurant
Food: Dinner (à la carte)
On our first night in the Efteling we decided to have dinner at the main hotel’s restaurant ‘De Hoffelijke Heraut’ (The Courteous Herald). This is quite a fancy restaurant for a theme park and it’s price point is a little higher than the other hotel restaurants you can visit. We got the burger and steak and we loved it! Not just the food, but also the staff was amazing and really kind, as it should be.
Rating: ★★★★★
Vegan lunch @ ‘Het Witte Paard’
Type: Restaurant
Food: Bread roll sandwiches, hot meals, and salads *vegan options*
‘Het Witte Paard’ (The white horse) is a self-service restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. I decided to get this vegan pasta, I’m intolerant to heavy cream so I just had to try this. Since it’s a self-service restaurant I wasn’t expecting too much of it, but it was actually quite well.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Beer and nachos @ ‘Casa Caracol’
Type: Take-away + outdoor seating
Food: Nachos, paninis, and cold beverages.
At ‘Casa Caracol’ we got nachos, lime-lemonade, and corona beer. The drinks were great, definitely during the hot weather, but the nachos were not that tasty. It was clear the food suffered from the number of people standing in line lol. The location tho is beautiful. You’re seated on a dock next to the water with a view of the wooden ‘Joris en de draak’ (Joris and the dragon) rollercoaster. Overall the taste of the food was okay and just for the location and the drinks I would 100% go to ‘Casa Caracol’ again.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
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Southern linguini @ Hotel restaurant ‘De Hoffelijke Heraut’
Type: Restaurant
Food: Dinner (à la carte)
On the second night we wanted to go eat at ‘Pinokkio’s pizza and pasta restaurant’, but due to the fact that it was September and therefore outside of peak season, it was closed most days of the week. We then decided to go eat at our hotel again since it was so good the first time around. This time I got linguine with grilled veggies and my friend got the burger. Just like the day before we loved the food and the staff.
Rating: ★★★★★
Sweet and salty dessert @ ‘De Gelagkamer’
Type: Bar
Food: Hot and cold beverages, cocktails for adults and kids, lunch items and desserts
We decided to not have dessert at the hotel restaurant, but instead go to the ‘Gelagkamer’ (taproom) to have a drink and play some games… as you can see, we were enticed by the dessert menu. It was quite good, I would recommend it. The bar itself is also very unique and makes it a great experience for young and old. (Kids are allowed.)
Rating: ★★★★☆
Breakfast buffet @ the Efteling hotel
Type: Restaurant
Food: Breakfast (buffet)
The breakfast at the hotel was nice, but due to Covid the buffet was pretty minimal and it was served at the table. The staff was very friendly, no complaints there, but my previous experiences with the Efteling hotel breakfast have been better. They do have a lot of fun fairytale character-themed options for kids, so if you are worried, don’t, your kids will love it.
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Covid breakfast)
Fairytale forest ice cream @ ‘Kogeloog’
Type: Takeaway + outdoor seating
Food: Seasonal drinks and delicacies
At ‘Kogeloog’ (Bullet eye) they sell seasonal items. During summer you can get ice cream, iced coffee, and other cold drinks. This kiosk isn’t just a nice stop when taking a stroll through the fairytale forest, it’s also an Efteling original since the kiosk has been around since 1967. The ice cream was nice and the location is gorgeous.
Rating: ★★★★☆
