Café Carèl — Restaurant in Utrecht

We visited Cafe Carel in Utrecht on 13 September 2025 at around 16:25. We were a family group of 3 adults and 3 young children (aged 3, 4, and 8). We ordered drinks and ate a small pastry we had brought with us, not knowing that this was not allowed. A waiter informed us about the rule, which was fine — we understood and agreed to stop. However, the same waiter returned a minute later, shouting at us, pointing his finger, and acting very rudely and aggressively. He even slammed the chair next to my spouse down on the floor in a threatening way, which scared our children.

Despite explaining that we were tourists unfamiliar with the rule, he continued to shout instead of handling the situation politely. Our children were terrified and we had to leave immediately. We felt humiliated and disrespected. We hope the management takes this behaviour seriously — no family deserves to be treated like this, especially in front of...

Ah, Cafe Carel… a little slice of Paris right here. Normally, I’d be hopping over to the real thing for a weekend escape, but life threw in a plot twist: we became parents. Now, instead of spontaneous getaways, I’ve got a pint-sized dictator running my life (and yes, I say “dictator” with love).

But then there’s Cafe Carel, swooping in to save the day. Just for one precious evening, I’m back in my Parisian fantasy. The food? C’est magnifique. Service? It’s fine—gets the job done. But the real star here, besides the food? The floor manager. Koen should be counting his lucky stars for Koenraad’s little sister. Cafe Carel is now a hot spot in Utrecht and honestly, she’s doing a better job than Koenraad itself!

All in all, Cafe Carel is a win—almost as good as Paris… but without the travel hassles or baby...

Extremely poor service and unacceptable conduct. I visited this establishment with friends and children, and we were shouted at by one of the waiters over a very minor issue. His behavior was aggressive and he created a scene in front of our children, who were understandably frightened. Despite explaining that we were tourists, his attitude only worsened after hearing this. This incident appeared to be a clear case of discrimination. Such behavior is completely unacceptable and should not be tolerated under any circumstances. I will not be returning to Café Carel, and I strongly advise others to avoid this...