Buitenhof Herring Stall — Restaurant in The Hague

Extremely rude and discriminatory service, not worth your time.

I had a very unpleasant experience at this fish and chips stand. My friend and I patiently waited in line to order, but the female staff kept completely ignoring us while skipping over us to take orders from several other customers, all of them white men. Even after serving four other people who arrived later, no one acknowledged us, despite at least four staff clearly seeing we were waiting.

Eventually, one man, who seemed to be the owner, finally asked what we wanted to order. By that point, we already felt extremely uncomfortable and unwelcome.

To make matters worse, while we had the meal, a big bird walked up to the front of the shop, and the staff actually gave it fish without being asked. The bird was clearly smaller than me (I’m 165 cm tall), and multiple people noticed this, proving it wasn’t because I was short or hard to see. Meanwhile, we had to wait, pay, and endure rude treatment just to get our food.

Maybe this behavior stems from a previous issue with another Asian customer who didn’t know it was cash only, but that’s no excuse to discriminate against the next Asian customers in line. We came here as tourists to enjoy local food, not to be disrespected.

If you're curious about what it's like to be ignored and mistreated by rude staff, this is the place for you. Otherwise, I suggest spending your money somewhere that values basic respect...

Absolutely loved the classic Dutch seafood experience we had here in The Hague! We tried the herring sandwich (broodje haring) and the fried cod (kibbeling), and both were delicious. The herring was super fresh, served perfectly with onions and pickles in a soft bun – exactly what you hope for! And at only €3.50, it was great value. The fried cod was also a winner – crispy batter on the outside, flaky and moist fish on the inside. Really tasty and a good portion for €9.50. If you're in The Hague and want to try authentic, high-quality Dutch herring and some excellent fried cod, this is a great spot. The food was fresh, tasty, and the prices were very reasonable. Highly recommend stopping by for a true taste of the...

I am told there is not much original Dutch cuisine (still not convinced) but herring is a must and this stall, despite it's touristy location, seems to have a good rep with the locals. I do find it a bit of an elbow job to get your order in when it's busy and the menu is somewhat confusing for outsiders but so far I liked all my choices. If you're not up for stuffing entire herrings down your throat (which supposedly is the traditional Dutch way) you can always ease in with fish and chips - if you can...