De Ontdekking in Wijk 06 Binnenstad

I found the Ontdekking in my search of some nice coffee laptop friendly place. The cafe was really spacious with multiple floors and different continently themed area's (I was in africa). I love the tablet of pure chocolate with the coffee, it's really a classic but always pleasing combi. Then I ordered the sweet dutch pancake, which was reaaally pretty to look at. The only little point of criticism I have were the peaches on the pancake, they were out of a can and tasted chemical (I mean it was winter so peaches weren't in season). I'd rather had another fresh kind of fruit on there.

Good atmosphere. Girls working there are also nice!

The times I've been able to order something, I've been fine, but this time I had to wait a really long time for someone to come to my table. People who came in later than me already had drinks, and no one had come to my table. So I just left. It's a shame, because it's such a cozy place.

De Ontdekking is an absolute gem in Utrecht. The atmosphere is eclectic and charming without being distracting, striking the perfect balance between a social hub and a serious workspace. It’s quiet enough to lock in and get deep work done, but lively enough to not feel sterile. The coffee is exceptional—strong and precise—and the food menu is high-quality fuel, not just an afterthought. Whether you are drafting plans for a project or meeting a colleague, the vibe here supports it. Highly recommended for anyone who values a space that respects both productivity and quality.

Very busy with guests with a laptop

A lovely place for lunch. Delicious sandwiches and cakes. The high tea is also delicious.

Unique coffee shop. Delicious coffee and a cozy atmosphere.

Delicious breakfast with good cappuccino. And friendly service.

My niece and I enjoyed a delicious high tea. Good food, delicious tea flavors, and a cozy atmosphere. The service was also very friendly.

A truly great spot for breakfast...the service was excellent and everyone was truly welcoming. The food—we had the high breakfast—was incredibly varied, with something for everyone. I would come back anytime. Thanks for the wonderful experience.

Had a nice breakfast there. The place is beautiful, price is a bit more than it should be. Atmosphere is (was) so nice & calm till they decided to have a job interview right beside me, in the dining room. A private business room would be good. But hey, all I heard from it was Gezellig 😇

Love the atmosphere, perfect for a shared drink. Delicious food also, but portions could have been bigger

Three of us came here for breakfast and opted for the tiered tray. It was the best decision; it was delicious and plenty for the three of us. We sat upstairs; I wouldn't have preferred sitting downstairs (next to the restroom entrance). There were only two of us serving, so it took a while to reorder. But it was perfectly acceptable. All in all – a very good choice for breakfast!

One of the cosiest places in Utrecht. Love the scones and the atmosphere.

Very nice, quiet place, friendly and attentive staff, excellent breakfasts, good coffee and cappuccinos. I recommend the high breakfast, excellent.

Soft and spicy banana bread. The smoothie is not too sweet and full of flavor. Perfect for relaxing in the heart of Utrecht.

Best flat white that I had in Utrecht. I had very nice breakfast ❤️

Adorable cafe with a bunch of delicious options. Has a wonderful atmosphere especially if you sit outside :)

Had a cappuccino, cozy atmosphere, beautiful location, nicely decorated. Unique place, friendly staff.

Honestly, this was a place my dutch friend recommend but i didn't quite get the vibe. Yes the atmosphere is nice and the coffees are good but I wouldn't recommend the food. It was very basic, nothing special and the portions could have been bigger in my opinion. Service was nice but could be faster.

I had a lovely high tea here! We were fifteen minutes early but that was no problem at all. Especially the savoury scones and dips were amazing! All the girls working there were also super nice and helpful. Overall a great experience!

Nice cafe to have some drinks and bites.

We spontaneously stumbled upon this restaurant and decided to stop in for breakfast. The ambiance was a pleasant surprise, and the food was very flavorful. The quality of the experience was high, and the staff were very friendly and attentive. If we're ever in Utrecht again, we'll definitely visit this place again. Thank you for this experience. 😇

Pleasant environment, tasty chai, friendly staff

Birthday celebrated with brunch. Very nice.

Great place Service is a bit slow

Cozy coffee shop with tasty cakes

I drank the most amazing coffee on this trip. It was very smooth and full of aroma. I will still think of it when I return to China. The shop assistants are also very friendly. Thank you for your hard work.

Nice and cozy place. But the quality of the food is quite low and the service is also not very good.

1. The place is very very cosy and they have a dedicated space for laptop people. 2. All the staff were extra nice. 3. Very good coffee, the iced coffee shake was excellent!

The four of us went here for lunch on a Thursday afternoon. The place was nicely decorated and there was a cozy, friendly atmosphere. Staff was friendly and the food was very tasty. The only downside was that the food could have arrived a little faster, especially since it was not very busy at the time of our visit and we had ordered a yogurt with three cold sandwiches - which you would assume would not take very long to prepare. All in all, not super special, but just a pleasant experience and content left.

Nice place to have lunch and you can sit there with your laptop. A bit on the expensive side but it is right in the center especially the sweet pancakes were recommended

A very sweet looking spot with very friendly people working at it. For breakfast it is a lot of money, but I think it is worth it because of the atmosphere and the delicious food you get!

We were seduced by the ambiance. The ambiance is nice but very unhygienic and chaotic - the cakes and tarts were carelessly placed from the cake plate to the cake plate by various service staff - I have never experienced that before! The taste was quite good but too expensive.

When I go for a cup of coffee during my work break, I like to leaf through the newspaper. However, at the Discovery the same man always spends hours reading the newspaper (a variant of 'laying down a towel'). I keep going to Lucas Koffie, where they also have NRC, but where people deal with the newspaper normally and have no obsession with it. I think De Discovering is a really nice place, but it's a shame for me and De Discovering that it is missing out on customers because of this. Because I'm not the only one who likes to read a newspaper with a cup of coffee. It remains a mystery what it is about ugly middle-aged men who pick up a newspaper (paid for by The Discovery in this case) and occupy it for hours. And if you ask if you like him when he's done with it, you end up going back home because the selfishness (sense of privilege) of these types of men is rampant? It's actually just a form of theft and it would be good if coffee shops started paying attention to it.

Wonderful place to relax and have a nice chat

We chose this place seeing the Google comments... what a mistake!!! Nothing matches especially in quality. €12.75 for a sandwich €3.10 for a watered down coffee €9 for a cheese toast with some savory leaves What is really not appreciated is that people reserve seats and you who go there have to take the ones near the bathroom.... There's better stuff later...

Very friendly staff with good willingness to serve. Smiles everywhere, a very good and relaxed atmosphere.

Super cafe where we had a delicious breakfast. Also very pleasant service. For my girlfriend, they had very neatly changed the croissant for a different bake due to lactose allergy.

Great place if you crave some escape from the city. The interior is careful put together to evoke the different continents and awaken traveling desires in visitors. The staff is super friendly and the service fast. Many options can be made vegan.

Lovely place! Had high breakfast for just 15.-eu. Great mixture of fresh products. Service and atmosphere is spot on in the morning

A very nice place in the center of Utrecht for nice coffee/cappuccino and a delicious, tasty lunch. Attractive decor and very friendly, prompt service. Recommended!

Unfortunately an unimpressive experience; There wasn't much for me to discover here. 🪑 setting - a cozy and homely atmosphere. Lots of wood, and the theme is “travel” and the different parts of the world. Nice concept and nicely executed. We sat in the cellar, which was unfortunately a bit dark. If you are lucky enough to be on the ground or first floor, that is a nice place. 🧑‍🍳 service - was ok on first order and our drinks and food were brought quickly. After that, no one came by for an hour. We would have liked to order something. 🥗 food - unfortunately I had a mediocre experience with the camembert sandwich. The bread seemed to be two slices of “normal” supermarket bread that had not been buttered (as a good sandwich should be) and had not been clearly grilled. It was sparsely topped with thin slices of camembert, but not on the entire sandwich, so about 1/3 of the bread was bare. I also didn't think the red onion chutney was worth the name chutney. It looked more like a bowl of pickled onion pieces. I was unable to discover the walnut that is on the menu with this sandwich. Not worth repeating. There was also a fresh salad, which was tasty. 🍹 drinks - dirty chai was tasty and a nice large glass with a piece of chocolate. 🌱 Dietary needs - various vegan and vegetarian options, clearly indicated on the menu as well as gluten-free options. 🚽 facilities - neat toilet with facilities for babies. 💰 value - even though the prices are relatively friendly, I didn't think my sandwich was worth €8. I think this place is more fun to have a coffee with a piece of cake. I wouldn't recommend it explicitly for lunch.

Nice place to have breakfast. We were in a hotel nearby but didn't feel like having the standard breakfast. So we went to The Discovery. Nice, not so big place with friendly people. Excellent choice on the menu and delicious coffee. Mountain climbers breakfast was really great! You can also go here for just a cup of coffee or something like that.

We visited this popular spot and it offers a beautiful interior and enjoyable atmosphere. The staff were friendly, but the service left a lot to be desired. We booked Deluxe High Tea, there were long delays between the tea and food service. The time to wait between and the soup were way more than 30 mins. While the savory elements of the high tea were great, the sweet options were disappointing—overly dry, too sweet, and lacking flavor. Overall, it was a pleasant setting, but the slow service and unsatisfactory desserts made it fall short of expectations. Might visit again for a cup of coffee, but won’t book high tea again.

Nice little cafe offering various snacking options, some of them vegan. The place gets pretty crowded but it has a pleasant vibe, with two mezzanine areas. I like that they have mini cakes, e.g. if you only want a small bite to accompany your coffee. Staff is friendly.

Staff is always friendly and helpful, so nice! This creates a wonderfully relaxed and cozy atmosphere. Food is also very tasty. Recommended!

It was very pleasant, the servers were very nice and the food was fantastic. Plus not even very expensive!

Very chill spot where you can have a nice coffee, work, or just hang out. The atmosphere was nice and they have interesting coffees & drinks to try!

Nice case, super nice concept. Tasty food and good coffee.

This was delicious! We had the viking baby pancake, the Surinam sandwich and the chicken teriyaki sandwich and they were outrageously delicious. The girl that served us was so friendly, polite and gentle! U go girl! Thank u!

...muy acertado si te apetece un postre bueno tipo tarta con un buen café o bien tipo sándwich, incluso cosas para llevar, claro. El local es pequeño por lo que se llena enseguida y no tiene nada de particular. Servicio rápido y efectivo porque hay mucho movimiento Hay que dejarse hueco para el postre...el propio local es un postre en sí.

Very friendly staff. We had breakfast with six people. Everything was great.

A super cozy place with great atmosphere, delicious coffee and cake!

Quickly pop in for a sandwich and a coffee. Service was understaffed, so it took about 45 minutes after arriving before we got our sandwich. The Chicken Teriyaki roll was very dry. Although the chicken had good flavor, it lacked a sauce. The somewhat small sandwich did not taste fresh either, something you would expect for the price. Coffee was tasty and service was friendly. All in all fine, but given the high competition in the Voorstraat, we will not return anytime soon.

Chill place for a coffee and cake or a relaxed brunch

I keep coming back here to work and eat the overnight oats. Good coffee too.

Absolutely fantastic. They deserve a 6 out 5. Good and friendly service. The food tasted amazing. We got the Pita Muhammara and feta sandwich and the Dutch Baby Pancake. Both were a must have. I enjoyed the Ijskoffieshake. It tasted like a coffee milkshake but not too sweet. Definitely a must stop and check it out.

Had high tea. Delicious. Pleasant. Cozy. Nice service. In short, great.

Nice place with tasty coffee, but indeed as the previous review indicated, overload of screen girls and stress crew....

Jammergenoeg een minder leuke ervaring na meerdere fijne In een zaak vol laptops en halfvolle tafels de melding gekregen dat het te druk was om mijn bestelling op te nemen. Met 3 pers leden achter de counter

Wonderful atmosphere for enjoying a coffee while working. The staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming, making it a perfect spot to relax or get some work done!

Sooo lovely inside with ample seating. Very friendly staff. Delicious food and coffee.

Fantastic food - had the daily special (Halloumi) and Mediterranean pitta. Both were exceptionally tasty and the restaurant itself had a number of areas that you could relax in. Really friendly staff. Still 5 out of 5 but worth flagging that service was slow.

Je kan er leuk zitten en het personeel is vriendelijk. Mijn man had de ovenpannekoek die vond hij erg lekker. Ik het bergbeklimmers ontbijt. Extra betaald voor een paar stukjes spek. Ik kreeg een mini bolletje boter voor 2 broodjes, echt veel te weinig. Mijn croissant heb ik helaas moeten laten liggen omdat de onderkant helemaal nat van het vet was. Erg jammer. Cappuccino en sapje waren lekker. Al met al bijna 40 euro betaald en dat was het zeker niet waard!

Me encanta el mapa del mundo en la ventana y los libros de viajes en el interior que reflejan la historia del edificio. Tiene un gran ambiente, tanto moderno como acogedor, con diferentes y acogedores lugares para sentarse a conversar y descubrir en nuestro caso ensaladas y bocadillos únicos y saludables.

Wonderful experience! Delicious food, superb setting and great service. The High Tea for Two plate is highly recommended.

Nice thing. Go here and check it out - it's located in an old travel agency and you can see that from the map. Good prices. Good food.

The ontdekkingreis (discovery trip) menu of 2x 3 tiny cakes are worth to take when you're going out for cozy time with a friend over coffee.

The food is not bad, but the atmosphere left a lot to be desired, especially one waitress in particular, very unfriendly and with very little desire to work, she seemed tired and irritated with everything we asked her about the food, very defensive, a very uncomfortable situation We didn't enjoy the breakfast, and it's a shame because we eat there often.

Good value for money overall The drinks were excellent (hot chocolate and golden milk) Very good pancake but too much fruit on the plate (Expensive for a pancake) Granola with a burnt taste and too little quantity On the savory side, the labneh and hummus with raw vegetables were very successful

nice atmosphere. açai bowl was good :)

De Ontdekking is een leuk plekje aan de echt opgeknapte Voorstraat. Ze hebben een schattig klein terrasje waar ik na het sporten even ging ontbijten en koffie ging drinken. Heerlijke cappuccino, niets op aan te merken. Maar het broodje de Smash avocado laat echt te wensen over en al helemaal voor de prijs. Soort beetje gek smakende spread met een zielig gekookt eitje en wat verdwaalde zalm stukjes. Kan veel en veel beter. Helemaal vergeleken met een soortgelijk Smash avocado gerecht elders, kan je hier eigenlijk niet meer mee aankomen, tenzij het voor de helft van de prijs is. Dat is het niet.

It’s Fair Trade… I don’t know about it all being Africa.

Great place to have something to eat. Delicious coffee. Very nicely decorated

Tasty chai, they have gluten-free bread and the service was very attentive

Wow, we loved this little restaurant so much we went back for breakfast 2 of the 3 days we were visiting Utrecht...the Dutch baby pancake was phenomenal and the guys also loved their Mountain breakfast, great coffee and fast service. I would highly recommend! The croissants were sooo good too! When we return we will go back!

Super petit déjeuner ! Bons produits variés et bien présentés. Gentillesse de l’accueil. 15,50 par personne pour le petit déjeuner complet à partager (hors boissons).

Nice place, good food and nice atmosphere.

Nice breakfast and nice service

Very relaxed atmosphere, cozy. Many types of tea, nice service.

cute cafe and such good coffee!!

DO NOT go if..: Nice place if you can find a spot between laptop screens that make it very uncomfortable. Lunch reservations are not possible, so don't go there with an appointment, unless you happen to be there and can have lunch. Because the tables are filled with flex workers drinking a cup of tea, there is no room for people who want to have lunch for an hour. There is no point in arriving before 12 o'clock, because the tablet tigers arrive early. If you can eat there, the food is good enough to write positively about it. Without flex workers it is indeed a very attractive tent. I therefore advise the operator of the discovery to make tables available during lunch hours for people who actually come for lunch. The hardworking flex workers can certainly temporarily use the luxurious armchairs. I don't go here anymore, and that's a shame, because it's basically a success.

I’m sorry, but this is the worst high tea I’ve ever had. The only good thing about the high tea was the tea itself. We were 2 people. For €22 per person you get 3 super tiny savory snacks (in other high teas I’ve tried there were sandwiches), 2 of which were still ok, but the madeleines tasted like sawdust 🥴 The scones were ok, nothing special though. On the top the only thing I could eat were the carrot cake tiny muffins, the blueberry ones unfortunately tasted like it had too much salt or baking soda. And I normally love blueberry muffins! Overall I was so disappointed, I’m a big foodie and I get really frustrated when the experience was bad😭 the price is totally not matching the quality, because if you deduct the price of 2 tea pots, it’s still 28 euros for what you see on the photo, which in my opinion is not worth it. I wish I went a la carte and for the same price had a pot of tea with a sandwich which would at least taste good! 😩

Café-restaurant 'De Discovery' is located on a charming corner on the Plompetorengracht, with comfortable seating both inside and outside. Situated on the corner of the busy Voorstraat, upon entering one sets foot in a parallel reality, which offers the visitor the friendly intimacy of a secret tree house - a clean and neat one. The whole makes an extremely cozy and civilized impression, looks neat and the basic requirements are certainly met. The lighting is modest, which gives the whole a warm, intimate atmosphere, but in two of the three rooms it is a bit too dark and may not be to the liking of some. In addition, when the interior is busy, especially the raised platform, it is very noisy, which actually destroys the 'intimate' aspect of the low beam. As a result, I give four stars for the 'atmosphere' aspect. One can be short and sweet about the food: what one gets is of exceptional quality! (five stars for that reason). Compliments to the culinary artists invisible to the guest who are currently hard at work underground! The employees are not only beautiful, but also friendly, sympathetic and always know how to put a smile on the guest's face. However, they could dress a bit neater, more neatly, then they would undisputedly 'stand out'. On the other hand, the crockery often remains standing for too long after use, hence the four stars. All in all, an excellent place to eat and drink, which really stands out for one located on Voorstraat: four stars.

What a delicious pear pie! Excellent. I recommend here. employees are friendly. Thank you. See you❤️

Best cheesecake I’ve ever eaten, hands down! Lovely service too 🌷

Excellent place for a breakfast. I enjoyed the Mountainclimber breakfast (delicious croissant 🥐!), a freshly pressed orange juice and a good coffee. Setting and seating are cosy and the service was quick. Definitely a recommendation.

Gezellige plek met vriendelijke bediening. Wij waren echter geen fan van de Baby pancakes: naar onze smaak nogal zwaar en eentonig van smaak… we misten extra fruit (graag veel meer bessen en banaan) om er een zoetere touch aan te geven… ook bij de overnight oates hadden we graag meer bessen gehad…

Delicious coffee with tasty cake. Friendly service and nice atmosphere.

Very cozy coffee bar for a nice date!

Nothing to add. The 5 stars says enough.

Cute and cosy, the hot chocolate is very nice! It’s just pretty difficult to find a seat

Nice place to meet or work while enjoying snacks and drinks. Coffee approx €3.75 / breakfast approx €15

Delicious 'dirty chai' on the menu!

Ongelofelijk vervelend! We wanted to order at the register but were told to go sit down and that the staff would come take our order shortly. We watched as several groups came in to order and then take away or even then sat down with their own orders. During this time the young lady who was meant to be our server was just chatting to a mate and untangling aprons her and her barista colleague completely ignoring the handgesture and looks we were giving them for service. Anyway after waiting for over 30 minutes and watching about 10 people come in and out again and get their order within seconds we decided we'd move on. So we got up and left with a wee "dank je wel hé" to which the waitress just responded "oh" knowing she'd fluffed that one up. Used to come there fairly frequently but we were with the in-laws and I'm not going to be coming back now. If they'd even said oh we're real sorry we let us take your order now and we'll give you one of the drinks on the house or cake on the house or a discount. instead we waited and watched for 30 minutes as everyone got served but us. Zeer teleurgesteld.

great vibe. The cappacinno was well balanced in taste. I like the matcha latte as it was not sweetened at all.

Sehr guter Kaffee - sehr schöner Ort und sehr nettes Personal! :)

I usually like this place, but recently the staff have become overbearing in their interactions. Completely unnecessary for an otherwise decent cafe

In het weekend erg druk en vaak vol. Het eten is lekker. De bediening is vriendelijk.