Rootz bills itself as a cafe and restaurant, but it’s also a bar and a grill, and besides that, just as much an intersection of many of the best things The Hague has to offer. Rootz has a spacious area for outdoor seating, a vast beer selection that numbers in the hundreds, and a location adjacent to both the Grote Marktstraat and Grote Markt itself, probably the street and square with the highest foot traffic in the city. One might expect that the party might never end.

Yet inside you are treated to high ceilings, wood floors and other saloon-style accoutrements that confirm that Rootz can be an oasis from the city’s increasingly hectic nightlife. Here you’ll find couples by candlelight sharing a fondue and a few local brews, families hosting friends from out of town with one special night, artists celebrating a recent sale over charcuterie and wine. During Corona Times, you’ll need a reservation, but Rootz was gifted with ample seating, so even with social distancing, you can often simply show up and “reserve” a table immediately.