Royal Delft — Attraction in Delft

If you’re into pottery, tableware, or anything to do with fine china, Royal Delft is an absolute must! The museum has such a rich and fascinating history, and it’s the perfect size to explore without feeling like you’re in a marathon. You’ll learn all about how their iconic Delft pottery is made, and it’s honestly so cool to see it all come to life.

Before visiting, I bought both the museum ticket and their high tea package in advance on their website — super easy and totally worth it. The bonus? On our way there (we took the tram from Den Haag), we accidentally stumbled upon the actual spot that inspired Vermeer’s “View of Delft.” There’s even a replica of the painting right there so you can compare it to the real view Vermeer saw back in the day. How amazing is that?? Such a serendipidous find that made our Delft experience even better. 💙

By the time we got to the museum, we were—surprise, surprise—already hungry 😂. We showed up way too early for our high tea reservation, but the staff was so kind and told us to come back in 15 minutes while they set up a table for us. Perfect excuse to “tour” the gift shop!

And wow, that gift shop is dangerous for anyone with limited luggage space. They have everything — vases, Christmas ornaments, gorgeous tableware, adorable Miffy collections, and all sorts of Delft blue goodies. I wanted to buy everything. But alas, since this was near the end of our trip (and I still had a week in Amsterdam to go), I had to restrain myself. Next time, though? I’m coming back for the tulip vases. Sooooo pretty. And the Miffy figurines. And the Dutch houses. Ugh, the list goes on!

Once I finished my ooh-ing and aah-ing, we headed back to the café for high tea, and our table was ready. The staff was so lovely — they explained every sweet and savory treat on our tiered tray, and the tea selection was solid. The food itself? About a 3 out of 5 if we’re grading just on taste. It’s not like a fancy hotel afternoon tea, but it was perfectly nice. Plus, the atmosphere makes up for it — there’s a beautiful garden where you can sit outside, or cozy indoor seating with big windows looking out. We chose inside (it was too chilly for us desert people ❄️).

After tea, we did our self-guided tour through the museum and factory area, where you can actually watch artisans painting and crafting pottery by hand. It’s mesmerizing! I had no idea that Delftware originally took major inspiration from Chinese porcelain — especially the classic blue-and-white style. They even show side-by-side examples of early Dutch copies and the original Chinese pieces, and you can really see how the Dutch designs evolved over time into something uniquely their own.

All in all, Royal Delft is 100% worth visiting. The museum is fascinating, the staff is warm and welcoming, and the café is a lovely spot to rest your feet (high tea optional, but fun if you have time). Prices were pretty reasonable too — high tea was €63 (about $73 USD) for two people, and museum tickets were €34 (around $40 USD) for two.

Highly recommend — and don’t forget to save some luggage space for those Delft...

UPDATE: A few days after my post, someone else responded to my emails and also provided me with the shipping information. That person also personally followed the tracking. Our tiles arrived today and we were both pleased with them. The are very nicely packed to ensure there is no damage to them en route. Again, I highly recommend both the museum and workshop.

My friend and I really enjoyed the factory visit and the tile workshop. When we arrived for the museum, the staff was very warm and welcoming. One even offered to take our photo on a staircase. The audio guide is very informative. Thoroughly enjoyed it. We had lunch in their cafe before the workshop and my salad was delicious. The staff who ran the workshop were very nice and helpful. They walked around to make sure your paint was neither too light or dark.

They let you know it can be about 6 weeks for you to get your tile, which is also explained when you sign up. No problem. However, when I emailed them to check the status at that time because I had not received a shipping notification, they informed me that a notification went out (it was not in my spam so it must have been blocked) and that it "should" have been delivered and to ask my neighbors (I live in a condo and our doors are interior). I emailed them and asked if I could have the shipping information so I could track it as my neighbors would have left the box alone. No response from them. I asked again a couple of days later. No response. I asked again this morning, no response. I don't know why they refuse to answer a simple question and provide me with the shipping company name and the tracking number so that I can look into it myself. Before I go to other buildings in my complex, I would at least like to know that it was actually delivered somewhere. This is highly disappointing to an otherwise wonderful experience. I'm not blaming them if it was misdelivered, but I'm am upset that they won't provide me with information they sent but I...

Outside of the clearly RACIST waitress at the cafe, this place was pretty to visit. I was quietly enjoying my food in the sun when some older Caucasian ladies sat in the table behind me. Soon the waitress carried over a large umbrella. They pointed at me with their fingers to signal me to go away. Right as I stood up, the waitress started pumping the umbrella and it stabbed me in the waist, it also tipped over my chair and touched the food on my table. Everything was falling and I was stuck in between the arms of the umbrella. I said excuse me, I'm stuck, and she said "oh" and paused for me to leave. After this entire disturbance, she left. SHE NEVER SAID SORRY.

After 25 minutes, my salad still didn't arrive, when it did I calmly told her that I would've left if it still didn't come, and she said "sure! we're really busy here." Still no trace of apology, but a voice full of superiority. All the other customers in the garden were Caucasian, and she welcomed them with the most animated and enthusiast voice. Only when she speaks to me, a young single Asian girl, her face was distorted with contempt and her voice cold and bizarre. Before this incident I had a really good impression of Dutch people as very polite and civilised. But the horrible service at the Royal Delft cafe left me beyond shock! I was so excited to see how Dutch craftsman gave new interpretations of the ancient art of Chinese porcelain, but the very place I come to respect the Dutch decided to be blatantly racist to Asians? Wow! My mind is blown.

Unless this waitress's husband recently ran off to cheat with an Asian girl, no excuses can be given to her completely inappropriate behaviour. The girls at ticket reception were very friendly and nice. They represent NL better I think.

♥️I have some photos of the lovely garden and umbrella. If management is interested in improvement I'll be glad to inform the identity of persons involved...