You can't cycle around it without seeing it. The Willemspoort stands perpendicular to the Haarlemmerstraat like a small Arc de Triomphe, white and wide, and once you walk through it you know that the space inside is larger than it appears from the outside.
Cafe on the left
The café spreads across the basement, first floor and a loft above. Each section feels intimate, but there's plenty of room. The bar in the circular part of the gate is the focal point: you literally sit in the archway of the monument. Walk-ins are welcome; reservations are also available.
The menu at the café runs from lunch until late: coffee and bread in the morning, a sourdough sandwich with Louman's pastrami at noon, drinks dishes in the evening. Owners Maarten and Jamie also bring their own gin Jajem, which you'll find in the cocktails. Beneath the café is a cocktail bar that you can't see coming from above.
Restaurant on the right
At the restaurant, chef Jef van den Hout serves French-Asian cuisine with surprising dishes and a menu that changes more frequently than the seasons. Van den Hout was previously sous chef at star restaurant Bord d'Eau at Hotel de l'Europe and chef de cuisine at the Conservatorium Hotel. In addition to à la carte, you can choose a chef's menu of four or five courses with matching wine pairing.
The smell of freshly baked bread meets you as soon as you enter, and the wine cellar is literally under your feet.
Nearly 500 wines in the cellar
The wine cellar under the restaurant features nearly 500 wines from the old and new world, selected by De Willem's sommeliers. In addition to classics, there is a wide selection of natural wines. The cellar is also available for private dinners for up to 50 people. The Wine Room overhead offers space for twelve people.
In summer, there is a waterfront terrace. For those who cycle on Haarlemmerstraat and always pass through: the Willem is the reason to stop once.