Bar Lokaal — Restaurant in Leiden

I recently enjoyed an evening with friends at Bar Lokaal, where we opted for the “Bar Lokaal” surprise menu, and what a feast it was! The atmosphere was lively and laid-back, making it a great spot to unwind. The staff was friendly and attentive, though quick to the point that they accidentally mixed up our drinks order, bringing the wrong beers. They handled it gracefully, though, and refunded the extra charges without hesitation once we noticed it after paying—a big plus for their excellent customer service.

The meal itself was a parade of unique flavors and thoughtfully crafted dishes. We started with a beautifully presented steak tartare, paired with Karel’s Bio fries. Next came a refreshing red cabbage and broccolini salad, enhanced by a sweet potato cream and topped with dukkah—delicious! The roasted cauliflower was a flavor-packed delight, as was the melt-in-your-mouth slow-cooked pork belly, we were tempted to order another round. The sea bass, seasoned with baharat and served with baby potatoes, leek, crème fraîche, and dill, was perfectly done and memorable.

For dessert, we were blown away! The Natte Nancy chocolate cake with dulce de leche and fleur de sel was divine, and the star anise parfait with marinated red fruit and a sesame-spice lace cookie added a perfect, aromatic touch to end the meal. Yummm!

Overall, it was a wonderful evening. The only thing I’d suggest is incorporating the fries into the main menu—charging extra for them felt a bit out of place and could be avoided, even if it slightly raised the menu price. Otherwise, an outstanding experience, and I’d absolutely recommend Bar Lokaal for anyone looking for great food in a warm,...

I went to Bar Lokaal today and ordered their burata salad and sakshuka. The waiter brought us a burata toast instead of salad, but he fixed it quickly after we told her. The sakshuka was pretty small for the price (15 euros), and it only came with one small pita bread. The biggest disappointment, however, was the burata salad. According to the menu, it was supposed to have basil, lavender, and blueberries. Regrettably, what we received was a plate with a paltry amount of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, blueberries, and the buratta. No dressing or salt. It was nothing like the salad described on the menu.When we voiced our concerns about the disparity between the menu and the actual dish, the waiter (the one with the bun) dismissed us, insisting that this was indeed the salad they serve. Despite our persistence, he remained unapologetic and uninterested in addressing the issue. After he brought the bill, he finally admitted that we were right and that the menu was wrong. He said there should have been lavender on the burata, but there wasn't any. To add insult to injury, we were charged the full 15 euros for a salad that fell far short of our expectations. While the location and the place itself are nice, the discrepancies with the burata salad and the waiter's dismissive attitude greatly overshadowed any positives. I would not reccomend this...

Best Burger 🍔 in Leiden! Was my original review and today I am editing my review.

I have been a regular customer at this restaurant for the last 5 years, ever since I moved to Leiden. I can recommend the burger to everyone, and am generally happy with the friendly service. However, today I was unpleasantly surprised by the bar server/waitress turned out to be the manager. I walked in to order in person rather than via QR code, as the QR menu wasn't working well for me and I had limited time for lunch. I prefer personal contact over QR anyway. But instead of friendly helping me with my order, I was met with repeated refusal to take my order and insisting on questioning me about the QR app. After I apologised for the inconvenience, I was called rude. I am disappointed in this treatment, I am a good, long-standing customer but no customer should be met with this treatment. A career in the service industry also means a service-oriented mindset and being able to create a positive outcome. And although I have always met that at this bar, today was a low-point. I chose to eat somewhere else after...