Favorite Restaurants in Haarlem and Leiden?

We had 3 great dinners in Haarlem last year!

Pizzeria Back-to-Basics was better Italian than many places in Italy. :-) It is run by a Neopolitan who knows what he is doing.

Flamboyant was our choice for a Rijstaffel. Super service, divine food.

Popocatepetl Mexican was a happy find, too. Stumbled in out of a rainstorm and found an array of tasty but unusual choices. We have never been to Mexico so primarily we've eaten Tex-Mex, I guess. This was very refined and interesting food.

We also had a fine meal at A Taste of India, a family place. Very much the type of Indian food we have had in the U.S. and the U.K.

You'll probably do rijkstaffel at De Lachende Javaande on the first night. Not sure if you ate there your first BOE?

I also had Indian food in Haarlem. I think it was India Palace - looks right from the outside. I thought it was really good but Idaho is an Indian food desert so my standards might be low, hahaha!! It was in your price range or lower altho this was 2014.

Haarlem:

Pizza Pasta Al Dente behind the Grote Markt for great pizza and wine. We each ordered a pizza where one split would have been enough, and both had wine. Cost - 25 euro

Bij Babette's for wonderful homemade sandwiches and salads. The homemade desserts are scrumptious! If it is cool order the hot chocolate. We have eaten there three years running.

Have a fabulous time on your trip and enjoy your tour!

I don't have recommendations for Leiden because we ate at the Christmas market.

Thanks, all, and keep them coming! Yes, Pam, this is our second time on this tour, so the rijsttafel is covered.

I must say I'm intrigued by the Mexican place. I checked out the menus online, and it's definitely a fusion place: Mexican, Spanish, oriental, and Dutch. Might be fun to pop in for lunch.

Leiden:
In Den Doofpot- Modern European, small multi course choices, excellent.
Olivier Begian Beer Café- incredible mussels
City Hall- Italian, delicious, well prepared Italian, behind City Hall
Annie’s- excellent sandwiches, sit outside by the river

Suki, Thank You! We've seen lots of posts, and had responses, about Haarlem; I've been hoping someone would give recommendations for Leiden.

I don't know if these are the best, but they are where we ate.

Fratelli. This is an Italian chain, but we enjoyed it. On a side street near the main shopping street, Haarlemmerstraat.

Delphi. Funky but decent Greek. On a canal a bit away from the center.

Kwantung. No website. Asian on Beestenmarkt.

We also ate at Pannenkoekenhuis De Schaapsbel on Beestenmarkt, but expect you'll be pancaked out by the time you get there.

We spent one day in Leiden and enjoyed dinner at Sisaket, very near the train station. Thai food and plenty of it - we shared an appetizer but then couldn't finish our main courses [pad thai for him, chicken with cashews for me]. Total was 46 euros. We took a boat tour with Bootjes en Broodjes and got nice takeaway sandwiches just across the street at Broodjes so we could eat lunch on our tour.

Have a great time!

Thanks, Kathleen and Lo. Lo, I had forgotten that you had spent time in Leiden. Any other tips?

Any recommendations for pancakes in Haarlem?