The best tips for Groningen – according to me.

Pretty much like Maastricht or Eindhoven, I spent many nights in Groningen as a student. Groningen is an amazingly vibrant city – the 40.000 student population on a total of 200.000 inhabitants make that there’s always something going on. So these are the best tips for Groningen – according to me.

Why you’ll love Groningen

Maybe because the nearest big city in The Netherlands is more than an hour away, but I have always experienced Groningen as an extremely entrepreneurial, vibrant city.

Another saying goes that the distance from Amsterdam to Groningen is bigger than the distance from Groningen to Amsterdam – referring to the fact that people from Groningen are more likely to travel to Amsterdam than people from Amsterdam are willing to travel to Groningen. Maybe that’s only a good thing – that keeps over-touris away from the city.

My best omakase experience in Groningen

The Japanese habit of omakase (お任せ) when you’re ordering at a restaurant pretty much means, “I’ll leave it up to you”, inviting the chef to be innovative and surprising in the selection of dishes. I try to do it in every city I visit, and apply the idea behind to everything between how I pick my runs, how I pick my food, how I plan activities with my kids, how I explore cities and how I travel in general. So, I tried this in Groningen as well.

My best omakase experience in Groningen was probably on one of my drunk nights when I just had a random selection of snacks 🙂 Not to disrespect Groningen’s culinary experiences, I just need some more time in the city to have a true omakase experience 🙂

The best hotels in Groningen – according to me

• Prinsenhof Groningen is located right in the middle of Groningen city center, only meters from the Martini Tower. The monumental gate feels like stepping into a new -quieter- luxury hotel world. Prinsenhof also offers a grand café, a hotel and an à-la-carte restaurant.

The best things to do in Groningen – according to me

• The Groninger Museum is an exceptionally good small art museum (mostly modern art) in an amazing postmodern building right next to the Groningen Central Station.
• Climb up the stairs to the top of the Martinitoren on the Grote Markt and take in the views of the city.
• The Folkingestraat is a really nice shopping street: lots of quirky, independently-owned little shops line the street, as well as some very hip places to have some bites.

The best bars in Groningen – according to me

Bars in Groningen have no official closing times, so that opens up the opportunity to literally go out till sunrise.

• Mr. Mofongo in central Groningen, next to the University Museum, you’ll find a funky and unique bar consisting of several parts of an old residential house. They make their own liquor and have a robot arm that makes cocktails, opens wine bottles and pours glasses of wine in the wine bar on the third floor.
• De Drie Gezusters is the most popular spot in town across three historic buildings right on the Grote Markt in the center of town. If the weather’s nice, the seating outside is hugely popular.
• Nieuwscafe is a nice place – right between the two main market squares in town: the Grote Markt and the Vismarkt.
• Het Feithuis (around the corner from the Martinitoren, the high clock tower on the Grote Markt) is in a former villa and is a great place for a quiet drink or a meal.

The best place to go out for a run in Groningen – according to me

With all its canals, it is a really rewarding run to just run around the city center.

So, what are your best tips for Groningen?

The best restaurants in Groningen – according to me