work like a slave, eat like a king

Looking back at a year of visiting restaurants and sipping cocktails, drinking wines or eating salads, and listening to the magic ‘click’ – or not – on the crème brûlée, Kate’s weekly Maastricht culinary experiences for her column ‘Work like a slave, eat like a king’ were memorable. To be honest, some exper...

What you probably didn’t know about me: I worked as an aerobics instructor for UM Sports in the past. So I was extremely curious to see the new sports facilities and try out the ‘Butt Belly Thighs’ group training, as well as recharging some energy in the newly opened Time Out Sports bar, where you can eat and drink at student-frie...

Talentino is just one of many restaurants in Maastricht serving delicious lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. However, there is a difference – what sets this restaurant apart is its mission to provide real-world job experience and long-term employment options for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The staff are extremely we...

If you’re up for a challenge and want to compete with your friends over who can eat more fluffy pancakes, you might want to consider visiting Brasserie Pannenkoeken & Meer. Right in the heart of the Markt, this restaurant guarantees you the widest choice of pancakes with both sweet and salty toppings. Head over to the Brasserie on Monday,...

When it comes to pizza, everyone has an opinion. And with all those different preferences, discussions about pizza require the same level of delicacy as debates on politics or religion. Bancale 61, which opened recently in Scharn, not far from the Albert Heijn XXL, serves incredible pizzas: visually arresting and baked in a shallow-domed, wood-fire...

Fine teas. Foreign cakes. Oriental design. Calming and attentive staff – visiting Teazone is an adventure in itself. Sit back and relax in one of the comfortable chairs or couches with your favourite tea, espresso or English scones with homemade jam and cream. Teazone is one of my favourite places in the tiny streets of the city centre of Maa...

The Brandweerkantine is exactly what Maastricht had been missing for some time before this quirky and ‘instagrammable’ restaurant opened in the old fire station. This alternative location - very close to the city centre – is a great hangout place for eating out with friends or casual meetings. Walking through the large space, you ...

Maastricht has been changing inevitably over the years due to different lifestyles, cultures and habits of international students coming here to study. To keep up motivation and excel at university, most students need to unwind in a relaxed environment with a cup of delicious coffee, homemade cake and uninterrupted Wi-Fi connection. Since both my p...

My day in ‘T Wycker Cabinet was one of utter perfection. And believe it or not, it had nothing to do with my mood or the sunny weather; instead it was the nice atmosphere, pleasant staff and delicious food served all day long. On the recommendation of some friends I decided to pay a visit to this classic bistro/bar in the heart of Wyck, sandw...

“Was your meal okay?” asks the waitress as she sends a text message on her phone. “To be honest, the meat was just too fatty”, I reply politely. “As you can see.” Nodding, the waitress admits: “Yes, I know.” It’s sad when even your wait staff can only agree with the customers. So what&r...

It’s all about details. Sushi is like the Pointillism of food – the effect achieved by making fine movements and closely following painstaking, precise steps. Running a sushi restaurant is a tricky business; the food is so simple that the difference could be measured in tiny percentage points. But what matters most are the ingredients. ...

Not just serving tasty food, but also raising customers’ energy levels by using fresh and healthy ingredients: this is the mission statement of a tiny restaurant in the heart of Maastricht, between the law and business faculties. Ginger also has a story: a young, enthusiastic Chinese woman teamed up with her brother to share her culinary secr...

On the one hand, cooking a steak is tricky because you can’t see the inside when you serve it. It takes time, experience and knowledge. On the other hand, preparing French fries is easy: use the right potatoes, run them through the hot oil until they turn golden and taste a couple for good measure. What a pity that Grand Café De Perroen faile...

Shaken, not stirred; the classic recipe for style and good taste. The challenge for most cocktail bars is to recreate the classy atmosphere of a James Bond movie. This week I investigate whether Beez succeeds. Leaving behind the bright lights and gleaming white cobblestones of the tiny street next to the Bijenkorf, I find myself in the newly refur...

The waiter arrives with a wrinkled menu and awaits our orders. There are so many options I can’t make up my mind immediately. “I am going to bring your drinks first”, he announces with a thick Italian accent. While waiting for our drinks, I look around. I’m sitting in the heart of Wyck in a tiny room with tables squeezed in ...

Frozen to the bone in the unreasonably cold, rainy weather, my partner and I decided to visit Brasserie Keizer for a warm and cosy lunch. I was curious about this restaurant since the building has changed hands many times over the four years I have been living in Maastricht. Brasserie Keizer inspires a sense of familiarity and warmth the second you...

I simply love tea, particularly the ritual of afternoon tea. The afternoon tea in Taart, on the corner of the Helmstraat, is all about good taste and the work of designers who have laid out a supremely elegant, yet fairy-like interior. Customers are served with pinkish tea cups, porcelain plates and huge colourful teapots. Choosing one of the whims...

I’ve been to dozens of tapas bars, also in Spain, and I’ve seen the concept degrade into restaurants serving lots of mediocre dishes on small plates – the equivalent of having five or six starters – for a lot of money. The tapas on the menu of Tapas Y Mas are what you can expect from a Tapas restaurant, nothing special, it w...

While I love eating out, cooking and choosing what to make at home is sometimes a struggle. And hitting the supermarket after a busy day at work is probably close to the top of everyone’s list of least favourite activities. If you have a similar problem, Fresh Cooked could be the answer. This tiny takeaway on the Brusselsestraat, with its han...

Waiting for a late train on a wet, foggy afternoon is not a pleasant experience. So I decided to delay my trip and enjoy lunch at Umami, the place I cycle past every day and wonder what is hidden behind those large windows. I was surprised to discover black wooden walls, a light, shiny floor and an arched bamboo bridge on the ceiling supporting num...

Wandering off the beaten track somewhat in the university area of the old town, you might stumble across this tiny Maastricht bar serving traditional local specialties. Eetcafé De Preuverij offers a wide range of dishes, from soups – I would recommend the onion soup with lots and lots of cheese on top – to sate, lasagne, salads, schnit...

The precise balance between sweet and hot elements is key to Thai cuisine. And it’s not an easy tightrope to walk, but when it works, it comes together on the plate gloriously. Sooothai, right opposite the gate of the School of Business and Economics (SBE), manages to get this delicate balance just right. They cook some of the best Thai food ...

For those of you looking for some exciting, authentic Italian food in Maastricht, you’ll find Donatello’s restaurant at the very top of my list. Its menu features Italian favourites including bruschetta, garlic pizza crust, antipasti, a wide range of delicious pizzas, seafood and pasta and some of the finest meat dishes available. The p...

Tucked away under the oak trees in the Charles Eyck park, right next to the river Maas, this charming café is perched in the far corner of the Bonnefanten Museum. Approaching from the museum’s front entrance, you could be forgiven for not even realising there’s a restaurant hidden in this beautiful round building.   Although the...

Sashimi, located on the ground and underground floor of an unmarked building, is a hidden treasure, just next to the Albert Heijn by the Vrijthof. With its authentic Asian atmosphere, you feel as though you could be in the middle of Tokyo. The sushi was, in a word, delicious. The fish was extremely fresh – a prerequisite – and the sush...

Thai food is known for its heat. Taking out the chillies is akin to the line in the classic film Amadeus when Mozart is told that his work is good, except there are too many notes. “Just cut a few,” instructs the emperor*, “and it will be perfect.” But like the F sharps and B flats in Mozart’s masterpiece, the chillies...

Fresh is an all-out fiasco in terms of both service and food. This is a fully refurbished establishment on the former site of the well-known student restaurant Kiwi. But the food, to put it bluntly, is worse. Just a few steps from the Student Services Centre and the Maastricht University Library, the restaurant seems like the perfect place for even...

As you enter the Vrijthof, one of the most beautiful squares in the Netherlands, the first thing you see is the carmine red St John’s Tower and the impressive Basilica of Saint Servatius. Directly opposite its namesake lies the restaurant and bar Basilica. There is a cheerful atmosphere in the restaurant, and a sense that most of the people a...

For students who are busy studying for their exams, especially those who have some cash lying around, an AYCE (all-you-can-eat) restaurant is a good option for a serious meal. A brief walk down the Brusselsestraat to the Vrijthof will take you to Les Grands Buffets, which has been open for almost three months in the old post office building. The a...

California cuisine is all about the presentation of the dish. FAB taps into this: the willingness of an audience to try out the crazy ideas generated by energetic and enthusiastic staff. But what makes this newly established restaurant so special? FAB combines (mostly homemade) American recipes with a European touch, and offers the delicious result...

If you don’t speak Italian, even pronouncing the word gnocchi might put you off ordering it. Is it gnoky? I won’t pretend the idea didn’t scare me. But as it’s the typical Italian dish at the local restaurant Da Nonna, I simply went with nyokkey and hoped for the best. The energetic young Italian cook, who also doubles as th...

Once outside temperatures start to drop below 15 degrees, healthy summer snacks like those on offer at the Salad Bar are not quite the warm and cosy meal that might first come to mind. Still, it’s certainly worth trying out this newly established eatery. The humorous names on the menu, such as ‘Winner-Winner, Chicken Dinner’ or &l...

Have you ever been in that situation where you left your lunch at home? And then realised you have absolutely no time to grab a snack on your way to work? Soup Solo could be the answer. This healthy soup bar serves homemade soups to take away or eat inside a unique art gallery right opposite the law faculty in Maastricht. The work of young artists ...

This time I find myself dining out with a plastic tray, cup and no cutlery. What is it about burgers that makes them so ‘hot’ right now? As Alex and Dorina, the owners of Hamburgeria, claim on their website, “finding a proper burger that is not a sticky, full of sauce fast-food product is difficult”. My definition of a prope...

Emerging from the suffocating outside music last Friday evening (I guess it was from the Bruisfestival), I arrived at the Mes Amis wine restaurant located on Tongersestraat. After reading several reviews on Trip Advisor, I was keen to experience for myself whether the restaurant is just a ‘fashion choice’ or a truly intriguing dining ex...

In my opinion, there’s nothing like Cato by Cato in Maastricht. Jeffrey’s little corner shop is hidden between Maastricht residences, but within walking distance of the Vrijthof. Once you enter this little kingdom, you feel like you’re in a second hand bookshop rather than a place to pick up your lunch. The owner, Jeffrey, likes d...

The fast-food restaurant Wok To Go is right in the center of the Markt. It is a chain with lots of branches spread across the Netherlands. I think this inexpensive and impersonal little hideout fits well with people’s current lifestyle and welcomes not only students but also citizens of Maastricht. Once you enter this small take-away restaur...