Bistro Mer in Wijk 23 Willemspark

I honestly recommended, polite and delicious. Symple the best seefood restaurant at the Hague. Silvia and Lajos from Hungary.

It was a hot evening at Bistro Mer. Upon arrival, we were treated to a traditional fish welcome dance. Later, everything started to smell of fish, if you know what I mean. ;)

The food was very tasteful and nicely presented — definitely good quality. However, the experience was disappointing overall. It took almost one hour for the second dish to arrive, which really broke the rhythm of the meal. Also, after spending quite a bit, I asked for an extra slice of bread and was surprised to see that they charged 5 euros for it. Small details like that can leave a negative impression, especially considering the rather high prices. With better service timing and a bit more generosity, this place could easily deserve a higher rating.

The fish was so fresh it swam right into your mouth. The service was excellent! Highly recommended!

We had another delicious Fruit de Mer and loved the atmosphere. One caveat... I ordered an Irish coffee, which isn't specifically mentioned on the menu, but the bill added €15 to the bill. That's ridiculous and not customer-friendly. They generally charge between €7.50 and €9 for an Irish coffee.

Update July 2025 Bistro Mer remains a unique experience from the moment you step inside. The interior exudes French bistro charm with a quirky twist: terrazzo floors, lace curtains, a classic lobster tank, and even a disco ball above the dark, weathered interior. Right at the back, a surprise awaits: a bright conservatory with cast-iron details, mirrors, and stained glass – almost as if you're sitting in a small Versailles garden room. The evening began with a generous platter of oysters – including Gillardeau oysters, served plain on ice. Pure, briny, and perfect. A surprising second course was also served: tempura-battered oysters, briefly fried and served with a soy-ginger dressing and chives. Exciting and surprisingly refined. What follows is a culinary journey back in time, without fuss but with a great deal of craftsmanship. Think slices of gravad lax with classic garnishes like curly parsley, lemon wedges, and even half an egg with salmon caviar. No modern frills, just good, honest flavor. Mains like the pan-fried sole à la meunière are still served as they should be: fried in butter, generously portioned, with classic side dishes. And to finish, the chocolate mousse with whipped cream or the crêpes suzette do exactly what you hope for: a familiar delight. Chef Bontje proves that classic doesn't have to be old-fashioned. Everything is perfect here – from the atmosphere to the taste. An evening at Bistro Mer feels like an ode to The Hague's bistro tradition. *** Bistro Mer is a true gem in The Hague's Archipel neighborhood, a household name since 1979 and definitely worth a visit if you love fresh fish and a classic bistro atmosphere. Located on Javastraat, near Nassauplein, you're immediately treated to an impressive display of fresh fish, shellfish, and crustaceans on ice upon entering. The atmosphere is a perfect blend of nostalgia and Parisian elegance. The front feels like stepping into an authentic traditional pub, complete with wood paneling, Thonet chairs, and inviting height variations. Towards the back, the space seamlessly transforms into a bright, conservatory-style bistro, with marble tables, mirrors, and beautiful pastel green accents. The combination of copper and marble creates a classic, refined feel. The menu is a true feast for fish lovers, filled with timeless classics like sole, turbot, salmon, and monkfish. What makes it even more special is that you can choose your own preparation method: steamed, fried, or grilled. My visit began with a true Dutch shrimp cocktail – served in a metal coupe with ice to keep the shrimp wonderfully cold. A detail that testifies to a passion for the craft. For my main course, I chose the fish of the day: fried cod with Hollandaise sauce. It was perfectly cooked, and the flavors were beautifully balanced. Everything was served with a smile by the friendly and welcoming staff, who clearly take pleasure in making their guests feel welcome. A minor drawback is that some elements of the interior have become a little worn with age, but that doesn't detract from the charm and quality of Bistro Mer. In fact, it perhaps even adds to the overall character. In short, Bistro Mer is a must-visit for anyone who loves fish, a nostalgic bistro atmosphere, and a touch of French allure in The Hague.

It's a cozy restaurant with excellent service, but I don't think the price-quality ratio is right. The food is tasty but nothing special, and it's really quite expensive. It's a nice place to visit once, but that's about it.

We had the 4 course menu for 50€ as part of the Dutch Dining month ( March). The food was amazing, delicious and fresh, everyone was very polite. Ι will definitely visit it again. I wish all the restaurants in the Netherlands were like this one 🙏🙏🙏🙏

I expected to eat more raw seafood! Only oyster was raw, maybe it is not common to eat raw in Netherlands. But I had a nice time there

Have been living around the corner for 3 years. Recently visited for the first time. Real bistro atmosphere, food quality is exceptionally good and correctly priced. Great specials always next to the menu. Recommended!

An absolute (fish) recommendation

Based on the excellent reviews, the restaurant's reputation, and the fact that we're fish lovers, we were really looking forward to dining here as a couple for my birthday. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a very disappointing experience. Upon entering, we were told that, despite our reservation, there was no table available. After a 20-minute wait, we were shoved somewhere in the back because a party of eight had only shown up with six. It was also incredibly noisy the whole time, with the music being far too loud and plasticky. We ordered the "Fruits de Mer" platter. We had to wait over an hour for it, and only after an hour were we offered some bread. The platter that was finally served was completely tasteless, with mussels and razor clams that tasted like rubber, lobster was missing, and so on. Most importantly, it tasted like nothing. It seemed like it hadn't been prepared properly at all (and unfortunately, I had diarrhea the next morning). For dessert, I ordered Dame Blanche, but the chocolate sauce curdled immediately with the ice cream, which, as far as I know, isn't the intention. So I ended up eating ice cream with hard chocolate. Anyway, they won't be seeing us again. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, which was a positive.

Delicious! We chose the menu and enjoyed. The food was perfect, the service was very friendly and the location itself is very cozy. Pricey but definitely recommended if you want delicious food!

The restaurant if you like fish. Enjoy every time!

Always enjoy delicious oysters, fish and wine

As a critical catering colleague from 100 km somewhere else, I only have 1 word for this... AMAZING!

It may not be the cheapest restaurant in Den Hague but the quality of the food and the service last evening were second to none. Service was in particular, truly excellent - warm and attentive despite having a party of 48 arriving in one group. Worth every penny

Fantastic location and a very tasty meal. Recommended.

We had a great evening with incredibly delicious food! The service was excellent from both hostesses and attentive that the owner / chef de cuisine personally came by to check if everything was to your liking. This restaurant transcends all levels!

Eating with friends delicious varieties of oyster and lobster with beautiful wine and champagne. The service was great and very professional. Wonderful

We ate here yesterday and loved it! The place has a nice vibe, really friendly staff, and a great menu. We started with some oysters, followed by salmon, squid and duck liver paté, and mains of scallops and a mixed seafood platter. Everything was cooked perfectly. The evening ended with mousse, crepe suzette and a few coffees. All in all this is a fantastic restaurant. Will be going back, often 😀

Old-fashioned good fish restaurant. The Hague history. Always tasty. Could be modernized.

The bouillabaise had a delicious taste, although it is the second time that they have left something out, last time no cod yesterday, no razor blades, which is a shame because I have been coming there for 40 years. The taste is delicious and the amount of fish is economical.

Delicious food. Beautiful dishes. Super friendly staff. We will definitely go here again. Went again last weekend. It was delicious again! Here you don't just have a quick bite to eat, here you really go out to eat. And now the service was top notch again.

This place is overpriced and super disappointing. I saw it everywhere in Instagram but now I think bloggers ate for free to promote the place. I had high expectations and wanted to celebrate a beautiful evening with a bottle of wine. I asked about Chardonnay and they couldn’t explain which kind of Chardonnay it was. I told them which one exactly I like and they assured me it’s exactly like that:) I asked to taste it a bit and it was completely opposite. Luckily I chose then another wine. Even it’s a fish restaurant and fish and seafood are my fav types of food, the description of dishes didn’t look exciting. So I decided for a steak and asked what comes on side. The answer was a salad and a French fries. It was 2 of us ordered main courses each. However they brought 2 salads and only one fries. We asked if that’s a portion for 2 (seemed a very small) and they confirmed. I couldn’t eat it as it was super dry. In the end they asked how it was and I explained and then they brought a decent one. Snails were taken out of shells and no bread were served. The taste was okay. A tartar was served with a boiled egg, was it a joke in a French restaurant?! No bread either. Food was very disappointing, the serving didn’t look good too, never going back

Very very overpriced food. Michelin star prices for back street fish restaurant.

Excellent seafood restaurant. I came here for a group dinner and the food and service were excellent. Made me want to come back!

My favorite restaurant where I like to go..., attention is paid to the guest and the food is delicious and tastefully prepared. Went back twice for the 4 course menu with delicious oysters, scallop, lobster and mercilessly delicious dessert. Delicious bottle of wine...great evening One of the few restaurants that serves delicious crusty bread with butter and a carafe of water without charging anything. Truly an unprecedented service in these times and that may be said! Owner and staff do everything they can to please their guests. A nice atmospheric ambiance Highly recommended and I definitely recommend it. I eat fish at Bistro-Mer - love for the product and the profession and you taste and feel it 👍

Food was fine, good quality and price. Couple bits of the fish smelt fishy, which indicates they may have been turninf I felt punished after not being given a drinks menu, and taking more still water when offered (i knew it would be at a cost) - yet €7 for 500ml of water is an absolute joke.

Paris in The Hague. What else do you want. You won't find this anywhere anymore. Awesome.

Great atmosphere, delicious classic food, fast and friendly service

Enjoyed a delicious 4 course fish meal with a nice French white wine. Top evening at Bistro-Mer.

Just amazing food! Have to go there again!

A bit noisy. Further worth repeating.

Great dinner on 1st Christmas eve. Generous portions.

The dishes were good. The quantity of fish for the price was exaggerated. Impeccable service. We were 2 adults and 1 child. We paid 240 euros. The prices are excessive.

My wife and I were pleasantly surprised while enjoying the daily menu of three courses plus a bottle of white wine. The store has a beautiful Art Nouveau interior and soft French music plays. The toilet is spotless. The surprise menu is particularly refined. Never had such delicious fish soup before, the monkfish was also sublimely prepared. With the fish we each get a generous portion of delicious raw vegetables and ditto portion of crispy French fries. The mayo as well as the rest is freshly prepared, mmm.... The house wine (pinot grigio) goes great with both courses. The dessert including chocolate mousse is once again a treat. The service is not pushy and unquestionably friendly and professional. We have been going to the better restaurants in The Hague for years, but Bistro Mer beats them all with flying colors. Bravo, keep it up, folks.

A wonderful French seafood restaurant with a personal touch to the (somewhat pricey) dishes.

Mooi ingerichte bistro met een Franse uitstraling. Als je binnenwandeld krijg je het gevoel in Frankrijk te zijn. De muziek en de sfeer brengen je heel even in vakantie stemming. Het eten was niet goedkoop maar wel fantastisch. Heerlijk en vol van smaak. De aanbevolen wijn paste goed bij mijn gebakken tong. Ala je van vis houdt en niet op een euro kijkt moet je hier zeker eens gaan eten. Toptent.....

Local restaurant, ok at best, traditional French cuisine with focus on seafood. Not particularly a bistro you find in Paris, although staff and pricing are worthy of the French capital. The devil is in the details, not likely to return

Wij vonden dit nou niet een echt geweldig restaurant, de rode Poon met kreeftensaus was echt onder de maat, de Poon was prima maar die z.g. Kreeftensaus leek helemaal nergens op! Het was er verder erg luidruchtig binnen.

Heerlijk mosselen gegeten. Gezellige bistro en je kan de auto goed parkeren in de buurt. Nette en beleefde bediening.

200 euro betaald. Fruit de mere was eenzijdig. Als je kijkt naar inkoop/verkoop en variatie, dan zou dit veel beter kunnen. De crêpes van €16,50 pp is wat aan de dure kant. Beetje cointreau aansteken, over een pannenkoek mikken. Dat kan echt beter voor dat geld.

De beste. De lekkerste. De leukste. Als altijd. Oud en vertrouwd! Vandaag de overheerlijke garnalenkroketten en de tarbot met kreeftensaus. Ongelofelijk, zo lekker! Proef het zelf! Aanrader. Dankjewel Marcel & Floor, altijd leuk 😁🙌🏼 Tot snel weer!

Perfecte plaats voor een kostelijke en verse zeeschotel.

Food, wine, service, atmosphere are great. Every time I get the pan fried house liver (very rare in restaurants, here in NL) it is a delightful experience. Price is higher than usual, but it is fair for what you get.

Old fashioned bistro vibes, combined with one of the best Fruit de Mer platters we have had in a very long time

Fantastisch gegeten en gedronken. De sfeer van het restaurant past er precies bij. We komen zeker terug.

Bij binnenkomst welkom geheten door de gastheer op een nogal matte wijze. Geen glimlach kon eraf. Totaal geen gastronomisch welkom. De serveersters waren wel aardig overigens. De kaart is nogal fantasieloos en wordt dus ook niet gepresenteerd op een wijze die je mag verwachten in deze prijsklasse. Kwaliteit van de gerechten waren gemiddeld. Echter de prijs kwaliteit verhouding is ver onder de maat. 235 euro voor 3 couverts. Met als dieptepunt een "kolonels sorbet" wat heel wat lijkt als het leest maar in werkelijkheid slechts 1 ijsbolletje met een paar druppels wodka is. Maar hier wel 10 euro voor rekenen. Het interieur brengt je terug naar een mooi dorpje in Frankrijk. Zet hier een bevlogen restaurateur neer en het kan een toptent worden.

I come here regularly and it’s a true classic in The Hague. Friendly staff and good ambiance. I had the smoked eel as a starter and that was fabulous. The Bouillabaisse was, strangely enough, below average. Not well filled and sandy clams. That might happen, but all in all this place is worth a visit!

Top zaak ! Bediening is super...die het tenminste begrijpt, ze geven je tenminste het gevoel van een avondje uit. Ook de eigenaar komt meerdere keren naar je tafel met de of alles naar wens is.

Unfortunately, we didn't have the experience we were anticipating given how the restaurant promotes itself as a household name for seafood. I'll start with the positives. The restaurant has a beautiful room in the back, as well as a cozy patio. It's nicely decorated and gives a nice atmosphere. The staff was also friendly and attentive. The main host was receptive to the feedback we provided (when she asked for it) and compensated by removing the bottle of wine from our bill (a good gesture, although not something we were seeking). The negatives revolve around the food and a particular aspect of the second host. We asked for the cod and turbot (probably no longer in the menu, as they changed recently). The cod completely lacked flavour. The turbot was overly cooked and also lacked flavour or seasoning. The sauce that accompanied the turbot was a ready-made sauce, that was a complete mismatch. The vegetables were completely overcooked, having lost all the flavour and texture. The host that brought us the main courses seemed to lack training, as she asked us "Who's this fish for?" and responded with "I have no idea what this is" when we asked "What fish is that?". All in all, we understand that this is not a cheap restaurant, which is fine. But we don't think that the quality matched that we paid for (despite the reduced bill).

When doing the reservation, told them I wanted a "Fruit-de-mer". The next day I had a fantastic lunch, as good as I know this from Belgium or France. My compliments, great Paris-Style interior, I found myself another great restaurant in The Hague!

Very nice place to eat fish. They have friendly staff and nice wines.

We really enjoyed the visit and were impressed by the extraordinary service, the expertise and the freshness of food. My main recommendation for seafood in The Hague.

Aardige personeel van Nederland

Wonderful food,create service Highly recommend Great atmosphere

Heerlijk gegeten en gedronken. Geweldig restaurant. Fijne sfeer geen patserpubliek gewoon gezellige mensen. Ouderwets goed eten en de bediening van Marcel en zijn team is ook super. Heerlijk oesters en als hoofdgerecht tong in roomboter gegeten. Met een mooie Sancerre wijn erbij. Ik hoop snel terug te komen!

Hoạt động từ 1979, hải sản cực nhon, giá hợp lý. Tôi đã sang Hà Lan 7 lần thì 6 lần có mặt quán này. Trải nghiệm cực kỳ thú vị. Nhân viên xinh đẹp, thân thiện

Heerlijk eten en altijd een fijne service

Fijn restaurant met uitstekende service en vriendelijk personeel en aandacht van de eigenaar voor alle klanten.

Hele gezellige sfeer, zeer authentiek. Ik kan me voorstellen dat uit eten in de jaren '80 en '70 er zo uitgezien moet hebben. Het persooneel was kundig en de vis van hoge kwaliteit. Ik keek erg uit de bouillabaisse vanwege meerdere eervolle vermeldingen, welke goed was, maar ik vond hem een tikje te waterig en niet hoog genoeg op smaak. Ik had gehoopt op een iets ruimere wijnselectie per glas (4 soorten) in een visrestaurant. Absoluut een aanrader om een keer te gaan eten. Niet goedkoop, maar je krijgt wel waar voor je geld.

Mijn vriendin en ik wilden al een tijdje naar dit restaurant. Dat is erg positief uitgepakt. Nostalgie slaat je om de oren als je deze zaak binnen komt. Alles oogt frankrijk uit de jaren 20/30. Van de wanden, de pas tot de muziek en gordijnen en de achterkamer die lijkt op een stationshal van spiegels. Bediening is erg aardig en vooral de tijdelijke manager is heel goed in haar werk. Eten is goed. Geen hele fancy gerechten, maar goed op smaak. Aan te raden voor een leuke avond.

Extremely good French bistro, great food and atmosphere.

No frills to this place which I personally love. I live in Paris and this is a place that looks like a seafood brasserie in the city. On top of that and the lovely candlelit ambiance the seafood is fresh and delicious. A jewel In the city.

Bistro Mer ken ik van heel lang geleden, 30 jaar (ahum) en ik zou daar weer naartoe gaan. Iemand vertelde mij 'vergane glorie' maar ik geloof niet iedereen. EN DAT IS MAAR GOED OOK! SUPER! Ben na de hernieuwde kennismaking met mijn dochters gegaan en zij, buitengewoon kieskeurig, vonden het ook fantastisch! Althans, als je van heerlijke oesters, zalige vis en gewoon van verrukkelijk eten houdt.