In Den Hoofdwacht in Wijk 10 Binnenstad

Cozy location right in the center of Zwolle.

After a rainy afternoon in Zwolle, we ended up here for a bite to eat. Due to the weather, we sat inside. The welcome was very friendly and there was space. We opted for a 3-course menu, where you could choose from the extensive menu. The food was delicious (the beef tenderloin tips in truffle sauce are highly recommended) and the service was attentive, efficient, and friendly. For dessert, we had a cheese platter accompanied by a glass of 20-year-old Tawny port. This is also a lovely combination. The port paired very well with the goat cheese and the blue cheese. With the blue cheese, the port softened the cheese, while with the goat cheese, it brought out a bit more of the zest. In short, we had a delicious meal and headed home feeling satisfied.

Great place to sit. Had a nice lunch and some drinks. Service was quick and friendly. Definitely recommended!

Our order was taken quickly by a lady, who then went to stand and chat with the waiter across the road for 5 minutes. The waiter came over to us and asked if we wanted something to drink... yes, we had already ordered. He said he would go get it. He walked across the road and started chatting with the young lady again. They went inside, poured some drinks, and served them to a few other tables... After 20 minutes, our drinks arrived. I hope they had a good time; we certainly did NOT!!

A pleasant restaurant right on the market square. Service and food are mediocre. Even with long waits, you won't get bored, as there's a lot going on around you. The various draft beers are highly recommended.

Ordered 2 drinks and a snack platter. It took a long time to get it because there was an internet outage. Oh well, fine, it happens. The snack platter was €24 and you get almost nothing... grossest snack platter ever (blue cheese, pickled onions, pieces of lettuce). The location is great though and the staff was very friendly :)

This is a fine place for a drink, but nothing special for food. The menu features many ordinary dishes that you could easily make at home, priced far too high. I ordered the pasta with beef; you get 3 pieces of beef and a small curl of pasta. The price for this is nearly 25 euros. For the starter, a few prawns with bread (without spreads or anything similar) at a premium price. The service was friendly, but I had mixed experiences regarding the pace of service and their alertness to empty glasses.

Very extensive menu. Delicious beers and other drinks. Prime location. Service could be a bit better; due to the peak crowds on the terrace, the waiting time is understandable. The top-notch staff on duty are working hard.

We stopped by for a drink and ordered a bottle of Cava with oysters. They didn't look very good; one of the four, in particular, looked particularly bad. Consequently, we didn't eat that one. We received a new one, which I appreciated, but it was served in a bowl of water (left over from the ice of the previous one), meaning the oyster was lying in the water inside its shell. We didn't mention this, as we appreciated getting a new one. Next, we ordered prawns pil pil. These came in a cold pan with a nasty, old oil taste, tasted like rubber, and were burnt. When we pointed this out, it wasn't taken off the bill, but instead we were given a discount on something that was truly disgusting. I certainly wouldn't be coming back here.

Very bad experience. Fine for drinks. Food was incredibly dried out, burnt, and poorly served. “This is how we always serve it, so if you order it again, you will get the same in return.” In the end, it wasn't taken off the bill, but we received a discount for food we barely ate. We will most certainly not be coming back here; not recommended!

Had good cocktails and a tasty bread board. Quite expensive, though, but friendly and especially knowledgeable(!) service; that was quite disappointing at the other terraces in Zwolle, so that makes up for it. Nice terrace and atmosphere. Thanks.

Great atmosphere, service that really knows what they're doing and is super friendly too! We had 2 cocktails together, they were delicious.

Ignored upon entry. Had to approach people myself after 10 minutes, only to find out they were closed. Strangely organized.

Waited a long time (almost 45 minutes) for ordered drinks. But didn't place another food order. Paid and left. A shame, because the previous experience at this location was great!

Right in the center - nice atmosphere, outside seating

The food was fantastic. Mainly thanks to Jacques and Leanne's service!

We had a wonderful meal at this restaurant. Special thanks to Jacques and Jesper for their culinary skills.

Late-night dessert in Zwolle 🇳🇱 I've already been to two bars, but I still wanted to sit and have a drink or two. I wandered around the city and ended up at this place I'd walked past so many times but never been to. Luckily, there was a seat inside. I ordered some drinks; the cocktails were good, the wine was delicious, and they also have a food menu. I just wanted dessert, so I ordered the chocolate lava cake, which was delicious. The staff were lovely, and the place was chill. A great place to enjoy drinks. #zwolle #restaurant #drinks

Fantastic! Finally a patio with music and even patio heaters. Definitely recommended if you're in Zwolle! The atmosphere on the patio is a 10!

Beautiful location in the city center; even in slightly colder weather, it is lovely to sit on the terrace here. And the food was fine too. Admittedly, there was no sole left, but the salmon was delicious as well. And I also had a delicious lava cake.

Suggesting a bowl of pea soup and then charging fifteen euros is highly questionable!

A beautiful location in the city center created a pleasant atmosphere. The seating area was also well-appointed. The food was good quality for a brasserie, although I was served something wrong. Drinks are well-stocked, with something for everyone. However, I found the service subpar. We were seated upstairs, where we were the only ones, so we were forgotten (several times) and the order hadn't been properly passed on to the kitchen?!? It's a shame, because that made this dinner not quite perfect.

Last visited November 2025 Great location. The food and service were great. A good selection of drinks. When the heaters are working outside, lovely place to chill out, wine and dine. Dined are a number of times, with friends and solo.

We'd chosen a bottle of rosé, to which the waiter confirmed: "Oh yeah, it's really delicious!" We finished the rosé, and the SAME waiter asked if we liked it. A bit boring and overrated, in our opinion... "I understand, I agree..." was her response. We paid €54.95 for it. It wasn't worth it.

coffee so good i had it twice. seriously tho, great place with friendly staff and good food. 8.5/10 would recommend

Nice place where we went for a cup of coffee and a small dessert. Good cappuccino, tasty churros, and lava cake. Friendly service. A bit of nitpicking: a little bit of chocolate/vanilla sauce with the churros would be nice.

Service exceptionally poor. We arrived at 16:45 (with a reservation) because we wanted to go to a concert at 19:30. We immediately placed the entire order, including our time constraint. The starter arrived quickly, but we were completely forgotten about the main course. At 18:30, we were told that the entire order could not be delivered. Eventually, the main course didn't arrive until 18:58. The ordered dessert could no longer be eaten, even though we had to finish the main course very quickly. As a result, the service is far below par.

After the starter, we had to wait far too long for the main course. There wasn't enough of what we ordered. After repeatedly asking, the sole finally arrived, and we still had to wait for the fries and salad. Because we were going to a concert, we couldn't eat enough and there was no time left for dessert. After an apology and a reduction in the cost of dessert and a drink, our dinner turned out badly. We arrived 2.5 hours before the concert and pointed this out. We really don't understand how things could go so wrong.

The food was fantastic, I had some pasta with truffles and meat - incredibly delicious!😋 The atmosphere is very nice and the staff was fun and friendly🙌🏻

Had a nice time eating and having drinks with my girlfriend. Tirza was very friendly and helped us out well. Highly recommended!

Tirza served us tonight and we had a wonderful evening. Thanks at Den Hoofdwacht!

Tonight I had a wonderful meal and drinks at In Den Hoofdwacht! Daimee and Sven were fantastic, and we were very pleased. Highly recommended if you're in Zwolle. Absolutely stop by!

Had a super fun evening, Thirza recommended a nice rosé to us and the snacks were delicious! Highly recommended for a fun evening of drinks!

Demi served us really well! Lovely evening!

Thirza was a really great hostess and showed us a great time!

Highly recommended for dining. Whether it’s lunch, wine and bites, or dinner, the food is delicious. The staff is very friendly and welcoming, and the atmosphere perfectly matches the setting.

Affligem Blond on tap, not cold enough. And because they're busy, they can't serve a bitterganituur on time. It's also very difficult to just quickly add some fat. Too bad. Missed opportunity.

Ben helped us tremendously. One of Ben's colleagues made a mistake with our order. He resolved it very well and in a very friendly manner. We left satisfied. The food and wine were also delicious.

Great location and chilled drinks. We didn't eat there, so I can't comment on that. But we would come back on our next visit to Zwolle.

We received excellent service from our sweet Christiaan. We really enjoyed him, and the support was fantastic, even though they were walking alone, we felt completely unburdened. Highly recommended. Be sure to have a nice chat with him.

Super cozy atmosphere. Christian was our waiter, and we even had a quick chat about how nice the staff are. Definitely worth a visit!

Christiaan was our waiter. He was with another person and still provided fast and, above all, friendly service. He made small talk and provided quick service. The cocktails were well-made. All in all, a great experience! Definitely worth a visit.

Expensive... Hamburger €18, nothing else served with it: no fries, no salad, nothing. The hamburger is also nothing special; the beef is of mediocre quality. Heineken on tap (in a small vase) €4.80 is also quite expensive. It was at a good temperature, though. Friendly staff who only speak English.

Food took a very long time, wasn't tasty and was very expensive for what you got…

Helaas werden we vergeten en langs heen gekeken door personeel, Half uur gewacht voordat we konden bestellen na zelf hand op steken. tafel werd niet afgeruimd voor het volgende, geen bestek gekregen, bediening over je heen van tafel spullen pakken, niemand vroeg je wat tijdens je zit. Eten was erg goed, waar voor je geld. Laatste jongeman heeft het iets goed gemaakt met afrekenen, vriendelijk.

De kaart was niet heel uitgebreid maar voldoende keuze om vooraf voor diner te reserveren. En de plek is top. Het was prachtig weer, we zaten lekker buiten op het terras, lekkere biertjes erbij en de bediening was allervriendelijkst, tot zo ver geen klachten. Maar (pas) tijdens bestellen bleken de sliptongetjes en de gamba's waar we voor kwamen niet meer voorradig, best gek op een dinsdag nog vroeg in de avond. Onze teleurstelling was duidelijk merkbaar maar weggaan vinden we dan zo onaardig dus bestelden we wat anders waaronder een maaltijdsalade. Deze etende merkten we dat zowel de parmezano als de ansjovis ontbraken, niet ok. De bediening voelde zich duidelijk opgelaten maar verder dan een excuus kwam het niet. En het is niet dat je voor weinig eet, het is er best aan de prijs. Al met al een zeer teleurstellende ervaring, helaas. Een gewaarschuwd mens ......

The food was very tasty. Thanks to Chef Jack.

Waited almost 45 minutes for a meatball sandwich with peanut sauce and fried onions. And when it was served, no onions, but a whole lot of pickled cucumber. Which isn't very tasty, unless you ordered it. (Lots of smokers on the patio)

We had a wonderful meal at De Hoofdwacht, as always, a true gem in the heart of Zwolle. The atmosphere, the service, and especially the food are top-notch. Compliments to Chef Jack for the wonderful flavors and refined presentation. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a meal!

Good atmosphere but, you can't order fries. You have to order a main dish in order to become eligible for fries. Club sandwich doesn't include fries as it is not considered as a main dish,and you can't order fries separately. İnteresting service policy.

Good location, nice outdoor seating, very limited menu and quite pricey. Basically we just wanted to have a beer and fries and they told us that they only serve fries with a main dish only, meaning you can’t just order fries separately. After we ordered a sandwich, they also told that the kitchen is very busy and unable to make a club sandwich 😬 kinda weird for a brasserie.

The cocktails were fine. The kitchen was closed (around lunchtime) and we couldn't order food. After half an hour, we had to make our own arrangements because the alcohol was starting to take effect. The owner (or waiter) then yelled at us loudly about it. Next time, we'll go across the street; they're more hospitable there. This was a terrible experience. Not recommended.

The food is very good, the place is very good, but the service takes a very long time.

Very nice ambience inside and out!

We were shown to a table very quickly, and our order was promptly taken by a girl with blond hair. The staff was friendly, including the man working there. We went with my dad today; highly recommended!

The beer was on tap but already stale. Quite expensive, but otherwise a nice place.

A bit expensive but otherwise nice

A simple carpaccio sandwich was already too much. After a 30-minute wait, reinforcements arrived in the kitchen and promised to make it quickly. After 45 minutes, the carpaccio was gone, but they got more from a restaurant two minutes away. But after waiting over an hour, we gave up. What a terrible experience and service!

Super good, always come here when I'm in Zwolle!

We've been here often and always find it a cozy spot, with a lovely view of the square and the people walking by; perfect for sitting and watching. The food and snacks are a bit pricey, especially compared to other cafes in the area, but the atmosphere more than makes up for it. They recently added a new menu and a surprising number of cocktails. I've tried a few, and they were really good. In short: a nice place to relax and enjoy the surroundings, but expect slightly higher prices.

First, after ordering, we were told that they had no time to serve the main course because of the crowds. Then, after a long wait, we were told that the meat croquettes were gone. They had also asked the neighbors. It was quickly accepted that we did not have to pay for the suitcase and tea. Jos.

We came here so depressed because we faced a storm on our way their warm welcome and good service has made our night,, ask for the cute cat they have frits , jack thanks for everything you and the girls were so nice

Schnitzel was inedible tasteless cardboard. Fish without herbs. Disappointing

Sat on the terrace wonderfully. Super service thanks to Luna Worth repeating!

Dagje zwolle. Geweldige plek, stond een enthousiaste man voor de zaak en vroeg om zijn kaart. Aythami dacht ik? Mooie tafel Voor ons had hij en ons de hele avond geholpen. Prachtige locatie en goede service. Kom hier graag terug.

The people are very friendly. We especially like Jack. Recommended

Mijn all time favoriet in Zwolle! Je word hier altijd snel en vriendelijk geholpen, zeker door Aythami!!! Dikke aanrader.

Hele mooie dag gehad vol in de zon. Jongen met gouden bril heeft ons een geweldige middag bezorgd met z’n enthousiasme en goeie service !

Lovely terrace in the middle of the center of Zwolle. Social boy who is Spanish

Had a great experience at this restaurant, nice place to sit and a very nice waiter!! (I think his name was Sjak). Great food and nice seating! Definitely recommended!

I left my phone here after a night of light alcohol consumption, which tasted seriously good also because of the great service from Jack. I would say come here with large numbers to enjoy!!

New menu is really recommended. We were helped by a friendly Spaniard, really great!

I sat here with a friend of mine. Super friendly staff. We were helped by Jack. What a great guy he is!

Fantastic place for drinks and snacks! Our server, Jack, was absolutely on point with the speed of service and was very insightful in helping us choose the perfect wine. We ordered the cheese platter and I was extremely impressed with the quality of the cheese itself and the presentation. Definitely coming back here soon!

Top place to have a drink and enjoy. Provided with super good recommendations by Jack!!

Well treated by georgios! Nice guy and very helpful

Great service from Georgios, food and drinks were also really delicious. I come here often anyway but will definitely come more often!

evening with friends drinking wine and some snacks. great sitting, nice atmosphere created by the sharp people of the service, a compliment to Jack who entertained the table guests with his fresh humor! Chapeau!

Great seating, service was great. The host "jack" was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Super good restaurant! Go there weekly. Service from Aythami is top, he is always pleasant and enthusiastic.

Despite the heat we had a great time today. Thanks Georgios for the service. Until next time 😀🥂👊🏼

I come here regularly and the service is always perfect, Aythami is the regular host who always provides me with the necessary alcoholic refreshments! When my glass is empty he spots it and I have a new one in no time.

Super good service and quality, Georigios and Aythami are a good team who work well together and ensure that the entire terrace is provided without lagging behind!

Great terrace! Georgios is a great host.

Enjoyed it very much. Perfect service thanks to Giorgos! Thank you. We will definitely come back.

We had a great time at De Hoofdwacht, thanks in part to the great service from Esmée. She was friendly, attentive and knew exactly when we were ready for a new wine.

This afternoon I sat on the terrace, the food was delicious, the waitress made a nice Sweerr Esmee, it was really nice, it was a great afternoon

Was quite nice. Esmee was also great again Lady. Always helps quickly.

Super nice and patient service on the terrace, especially Esmee. Wide menu choice

Sat on the terrace, delicious rosé and good service by Aythami. Really a reason to come for drinks more often 🥂

Food was great, friendly service from Esmee

We were helped very friendly by Esmee. She was fast, paid attention and made us feel welcome. The food was delicious and everything went smoothly. Really a nice experience!

Went last week. Delicious wines, wines, wines with some snacks. Friendly service by Giorgos. Nice place to definitely visit again.

Very nice sitting! Enjoyed and had good service. The service in particular stood out. Were helped by a man with a beard and a girl with brown hair and freckles Definitely recommended!

Amazing, knowledgeable and personalised service! The waiter Jack was very kind and contributed to a relaxed and enjoyable evening. He kept our glasses full and made sure to give us the exact right amount of attention, and offered some recommendations of drink choices. The place is cosy and comfortable, and the food was over our expectations. Strongly recommend that you try this place out!

What a great place, my Jack Daniels and coke are always ready!! Jack and Esmee make every visit a party for me!!!!

Went there last week with my sister, had a lovely meal and sat on the terrace. Georgios also helped us fantastically with choosing the wine! Really recommended!

Had a lovely drink with a great waitress named Esmee. I will come back again!

Friendly service. The food was good and the price was reasonable. Unfortunately, there was only one restroom for men and women. The outdoor seating was lovely on Zwolle's Grote Markt, opposite the Glass Angel.

Unfortunately, just tried to get the attention of the staff 5 times in 15 minutes, unfortunately without success. Looking for an alternative where they do have an eye for customers who want to have lunch