Haarlem - Amsterdam Bruges and Brussels - page 235

Near Haarlem
$$$ Hotel Haarlem Zuid, with 300 modern rooms, is sterile but
a good value for drivers. It sits in an industrial zone a 20-minute
walk from the center, on the road to the airport (Db-€84-98,
breakfast-€12, elevator, free parking, laundry service, fitness cen-
ter-€5, inexpensive hotel restaurant, Toekanweg 2, tel. 023/536-
7500, fax [phone], www.hotelhaarlemzuid.nl, haarlemzuid
@valk.com). Bus #300 (runs every 10 min) conveniently connects
the hotel with the train station, Market Square, and the airport.
$ Stayokay Haarlem Hostel, completely renovated and with
all the youth-hostel comforts, charges €25-30 for beds in four- and
six-bed dorms. They also rent simple €60-80 doubles (€2.50 less
for members, includes sheets and breakfast, save by booking on
their website, laundry service, daily 8:00-24:00, Jan Gijzenpad 3,
two miles from Haarlem station—take bus #2 from station, or a
10-min walk from Santpoort Zuid train station, tel. [phone],
www.stayokay.com/haarlem, [e-mail]).
E aTI NG
North of Market Square
Pannenkoekhuis de Smikkel, a well-worn fixture in town, serves
a big selection of pancakes for lunch or dinner (meat, cheese, etc.)
and dessert. The €8-12 pancakes are large but pricey and only a
good value if you split them. Two people can split one savory and
one sweet selection to eat economically (Tue-Sun 12:00-21:00,
closed Mon, 2 blocks in front of station, Kruisweg 57, tel. 023/532-
0631).
At V lam in de Pan, a dynamo named Femke serves vegetarian
delights: soup, salad, veggie sushi, quiches, and other fresh foods.
Sit family-style at the long tables, or get your food to take away
(€6-10 plates, Tue-Fri 16:00-21:00, closed Sat-Mon, Smedestraat
13, tel. [phone]).
Vincent's Eethuis, the cheapest restaurant in town, offers
basic Dutch food and a friendly staff. This former St. Vincent's
soup kitchen now feeds more gainfully employed locals than poor
people in a homey dining hall. Just grab a plate and hit the buf-
fet line (two €6 daily plates to choose from, price includes second
helping, dessert and drinks extra, Mon-Fri from 17:30, last serving
at 19:30, closed Sat-Sun, Nieuwe Groenmarkt 22).
Supermarkets: Albert Heijn has two convenient locations.
One is in the train station (Mon-Fri 6:30-21:30, Sat 7:00-21:30,
Sun 8:00-21:30, cash only) and the other is at Kruisstraat 10
(Mon-Sat 8:00-20:00, closed Sun, cash only). The DekaMarkt is
a few blocks east of Market Square (Mon 10:00-20:00, Tue-Wed
8:30-20:00, Thu-Fri 8:30-21:00, Sat 8:30-20:00, closed Sun,