If you visit The Hague in summer, you’ll realise there is an abundance of what the Dutch call “strandpaviljoen”, “beach pavilions”, simply put beach cafés and bars. De Kwartel is my all-time favourite. It is admittedly not super easy to get to, if you don’t have access to a bike.
De Kwartel is located on the less busy Zuiderstand – meaning not the Scheveningen beachside of the harbour, but down the western end of the coastline. Each paved path that leads to the beach in The Hague is numbered. The number you need for turning into the road that leads you to De Kwartel would be number 9 on the Zuiderstrand side. When I did a bit of research for this article, I found out that De Kwartel has been around for 70 years – what a milestone! Also, given the fact that beach huts in the Hague get disassembled over the winter months and then reassembled each year in March, this is quite an achievement.
De Kwartel is open every day from 9:00 to 23:00, catering to all needs, be it breakfast, lunch, coffee, dinner or evening drinks. You can sit outside with your feet in the sand and beer in hand, or – especially on one of those rainy days – you’d like to sit inside, snuggling up close to the fireplace. Their staff is lovely, and their menu is healthy, broad and modern. De Kwartel values sustainability, has a no-plastic policy for outdoor seating areas, and is involved in various environmental projects.
