James' Bistro & Bar in Wijk 00 Drachten

Good, prompt service - cozy - a gem for Drachten

Amazing dinner and non-rushed service which was very nice! Great food and drinks!

Had an amazing High Beer! Highly recommended!!

What a lovely get-together with nearly 20 people, with drinks and snack platters. Very friendly service, flexible staff, delicious snacks, and exactly to our liking! A lovely spot in the back around the fireplace with open doors to the courtyard. Good communication, especially and afterwards, which makes it absolutely top-notch. Various beers from their own brewery, tasty flavors. Absolutely great!

Dining at James' Bistro & Bar is atmospheric and cozy. It's nice that you can hear each other well, the decor is modern and green, the staff is friendly, and the food is delicious. There is a nice menu for children (perhaps it would be a good idea to expand it slightly for kids who aren't so fond of fries) and there is a nice lounge where they can play air hockey, with a Lego wall and all kinds of other toys. I didn't think the price-quality ratio was entirely fair for what you get. More vegetarian options would also be nice. But it is still highly recommended.

Nice place inside, but the service and the dish we ordered were very poor. We ordered Ribs ‘n Chicken for 2 people. The spareribs were very fatty, far too burnt, and had a loose piece of bone. The coleslaw was sour, and we initially received the wrong order; the bowl for the bones and the wet cloth only arrived when we were almost finished. €28.50 per person for 2 small pieces of chicken and a thick piece of sparerib of about 15 cm is way too expensive. Oh, and if you want fries on the side, there is an extra €5 for 2 people. We complained before paying. We got the 2 beers for free.

Beautiful and atmospheric, very friendly staff, spacious, quiet, open kitchen Very tasty pearl fowl with well-prepared, flavorful risotto

The food was a bit disappointing, unfortunately. The spareribs were too dry. The steak was too thick, meaning the middle was too raw. The cauliflower hearts were very bitter and smelled burnt. The staff speaks very fast, so it is difficult to follow. If you ask for an explanation and then order it, it turns out to be something else. Like the dessert; they say it's a large cream puff, but it's 3 mini cream puffs with a tiny scoop of ice cream, so that is quite a letdown.... (€9 is a lot, though). However, the decor/atmosphere is very nice and it is very neat.

We had a delicious meal! It is quite unusual that for a shared dining experience of €52.50 p.p., you have to order and pay for fries on the side!

Lovely place to relax and enjoy a delicious meal. Lots of variety and a relaxed atmosphere.

We had a good meal, but let's be honest, €8 for a glass of wine. That's just ridiculous. It was a large glass, but very little was poured. I find it quite pricey considering the quality.

Delicious food and friendly service.

The food was okay, but quite pricey for what you got. The service, however, was unpleasant and terrible. There was no smile. If you asked a bit, they'd snap back "YES" or "NO." Very rude. The staff would sit 5 meters away looking clueless and chatting with the other staff while you'd been without a drink for a while. The service actually deserves one star, but there was a young man working who was friendly and polite. Last time I ate here.

Unfortunately, it wasn't what we'd hoped for. The food wasn't what we'd hoped for and took a very long time to arrive. The ravioli was disappointing. The portion was on the small side, and the sauce turned out to be a regular cheese sauce instead of the blue cheese sauce listed on the menu. The service was extremely poor. The staff clearly didn't seem to be interested, except for the French waiter, who was very pleasant. The other staff were difficult to approach if you wanted to order something, and they reacted arrogantly to our questions. We felt unwelcome. One time, never again.

The waitstaff did not welcome us and made things difficult regarding choices we wanted to consider, such as the meat or wine. Unfortunately, it took a very long time for the food to arrive. The food was okay, but the spareribs were very dry. It is quite pricey for what you get. Cutlery was thrown down, and we struggled to make contact with the waitstaff every now and then. If someone ordered a drink, the waitress would immediately run off to chat with fellow waitstaff while someone else also wanted to order. The evening lacked any real touch, and I felt it was a waste of my money. A real shame.

We had a wonderful Valentine's dinner and will definitely come back again!!

The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere, but it took almost an hour to get the menu and then even longer before we could make our choice. The starter and main course were delicious. Only the dessert was a bit meager. The apple pie was more like an apple cookie, and the lava cake was more like a brownie without the liquid inside. We arrived at a quiet time, but it still took quite a while.

Very expensive and not entirely our taste or style, but very friendly staff.

The main course didn't arrive for almost an hour and a half, and even then, the side dishes weren't ready until halfway through the meal. The children were tired by then because they'd been served far too late. After dinner, we were told dessert would take at least another 20 minutes, so we settled the bill and left with a nasty aftertaste, since it was my birthday and should have been something celebratory.

A well-organized winter barbecue, great!

Cozy and stylish interior. Open kitchen. Friendly service that keeps a close eye on your drinks.

We had a delicious meal with a group of 11 people. Easy to book online. I was completely satisfied with the bill. The staff was friendly and attentive. Definitely worth repeating.

Unfortunately, one steak was tough. It was returned to the kitchen. After discussing it, a new one arrived. The rest of the food was delicious! Unfortunately, our drinks weren't refilled, and it was difficult to get a server to come to our table.

The food is delicious, but the appetizer tasting is not recommended. Very expensive, and you only get four mini appetizers per person. The main course could also use a few more vegetables or potato dishes. The service and atmosphere are very good, though.

We've eaten here for the third time now, and it was fantastic again! It's a charming location, the service is so friendly, and the food is delicious. We'll definitely be back!

Good food but even better is the bar afterwards. Be prepared to party

The food was good, the carpaccio was amazing, the steak was also good but quite lukewarm; it could have been hotter. The menu is sometimes confusing, especially with the dessert special, which apparently has to be ordered per table or per two people. This wasn't clearly communicated, so the chef's special was charged twice on the bill, even though one person had the chef's special and the others had a different dessert. This was resolved politely upon checkout. Furthermore, it's a cozy, atmospheric, and beautifully decorated restaurant. The price/quality ratio is reasonable, but you have to order side dishes separately, so all in all, it's quite pricey. The service was friendly, but for drinks, we always had to wait a long time and call the waiter.

I had a dinner with family, friends, and colleagues in honor of my retirement. The reactions were positive. Everyone said it was a pleasant evening with a delicious meal and good company.

actually the review says enough, it was a perfect evening, everything was fine.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary with a large group of guests, enjoying a hot and cold lunch buffet. Eric is an excellent host, the staff friendly, and the dining experience was a blast!

The food was delicious! I just missed the vegetables. It's fine if they're just for decoration, but I personally think 6 Brussels sprouts and 1 strip of cauliflower isn't enough... I'd add a small bowl instead. The fries were delicious! With grated Parmesan cheese. They also don't automatically take drink orders when serving. I think that's a missed opportunity. We took it easy and weren't in a hurry. That was our fault when they "forgot" to take dessert. Otherwise, we had a truly wonderful evening! We'll definitely be back.

We had a delicious meal at James's last night. The only disappointment was the size of the main course. Fries were an extra €6. Vegetables weren't included. (A little food for a lot of money!)

Dinner on a Monday evening in Drachten. Luckily, James was open. A table by the window. Nice and warm. A platter with various meats as a starter. Spareribs for me with two pieces of chicken on top. And chicken thighs for my dining partner. For dessert, cheesecake and coffee. Lovely service. Friendly atmosphere. It was very quiet, but that was because it was a Monday evening and certainly not because of the delicious food. Fries with lettuce hearts that had been grilled? BBQ style, and they had a wonderful flavor. Highly recommended! Next time I'll order the extensive tasting menu, but without the starter. Just look at this photo; you'll want to take a piece.

James Bistro & Bar in Drachten truly deserves a big thumbs-up. From the moment you walk in, you sense the atmosphere: warm, stylish, and just right for a night out. The combination of dark colors, gold accents, beautiful lighting, and playful details makes the interior surprisingly luxurious without being aloof. Even the restroom looks like it's been given serious attention. We started with the salmon tempura, and it was an immediate hit. The salmon was still beautifully pink inside, and the tempura was light and crispy. A wonderful start to the dinner. Then came the steak. Perfectly cooked and beautifully presented with roasted vegetables and a creamy sauce. The portions were generous, and the flavors were well-balanced. You can taste the kitchen's commitment to quality. We sat at a table with a full view of the kitchen, which was a delightful experience. And then came the desserts. There was a lava cake with ice cream and whipped cream that was truly delicious—just the right warm chocolate center you crave. The other dessert was a large sundae with ice cream and passion fruit shavings, which provided a fresh, tropical flavor. Both completely different, but both delicious. The cappuccino was also excellent. A lovely way to end a dinner. The waitresses were also attentive and caring. What makes this restaurant so special is that the overall ambiance is perfect. The atmospheric tables, the beautiful bar, the lighting, the plants, and even the outdoor terrace with lamps make it all cozy and inviting. It's the kind of place that makes you immediately think: I want to go back here. In short: James Bistro & Bar is an absolute must-see in Drachten. Delicious food, a great atmosphere, and an interior that clearly has a lot of love in it. We (my neighbor/friend and I) really enjoyed ourselves. We were on our way to the theater, and they even took care of our arrival on time.

The atmosphere is great. The staff spends a lot of time on their phones. There are also staff members who just look grumpy and aren't exactly friendly to guests. Unfortunately, it doesn't enhance the restaurant or the guest experience.

Delicious food, friendly service, beautiful ambiance. Top restaurant!

We received a very warm welcome. We even got a tour. Very friendly and attentive, they recommended some surprising beers, and the evening's specialty: prime rib was delicious! It was delicious! A lovely evening, we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Enjoying a few drinks with friends. The atmosphere is nice inside, the music is not too loud, so it's nice to chat. The wine glasses were poured very sparingly, though... They could definitely use a bit more of a generous serving... A little something tasty to go with it is pricey.

Had a lovely evening here, nice atmosphere, good wine, and delicious food. The staff was friendly and helpful! Great!

We had a great time again at the Brewmaster Dinner. Once again, the Master Chef created masterpieces (he's really good!) and the combination with the Grutte Pier beers. The atmosphere and hospitality are always top-notch. It was great that I got to take a picture with the Grutte Pier sword.

Great food! Really tasty!! The service was a bit clumsy, and there was always no extra cutlery with the shared dishes, so we had to cut and poke the meat and fish with our own. I found this disgusting (I was with colleagues and had a bit of a sore throat, so I wanted to keep things hygienic), so I asked for extra cutlery for each course. They were a bit taken aback.

Food doesn't apply to us. We found the service very poor; we only came for a drink and a snack platter, but they never came by to ask if we wanted anything else.

Delicious food, nice atmosphere, good service, Burgundian enjoyment 🤩

Had dinner here tonight with the family. It's a fantastic restaurant with amazing food. Sofia was incredibly helpful, if I'm not mistaken. All the staff are incredibly knowledgeable, and the food is top-notch! The waiters knew everything about the different wines, and the guy with the cheese board was also very knowledgeable about each cheese. Highly recommended!

The best restaurant in Drachten! Skilled chefs, delicious food, friendly staff and a cozy environment.

The restaurant is beautiful and has a great atmosphere. Even though I'm Asian, the staff were very patient with me, which was fantastic! 👍 The food was perfect for my taste! 😋 (a steak for 29.50 euros and a strawberry sparkling water for 9 euros). VISA credit cards are accepted.

atmospheric, nice staff and delicious food

A warm welcome upon arrival. Great atmosphere, impressive decor. The staff was attentive and happy to explain things. The food was delicious and plentiful. One minor drawback was the long wait for the food, even though it wasn't busy. I give it an 8.5 and recommend this restaurant to everyone.

We had a high beer. It's a fun concept: you get three different specialty beers. You can specify in advance which beer you don't like, and they'll take that into account. With those three specialty beers, you also got two platters: a cold platter and a hot platter. The cold platter consisted of nuts, cheese, sausage, and Amsterdam onions. The hot platter consisted of meatballs, a chicken skewer, and brown fruit. It was tasty, but for the price, we expected a bit more. All in all, a success; we had a great time and enjoyed tasty beers and snacks, but at €32.50 per person, we think it's a bit pricey.

The spareribs weren't really cooked through; you had to cut the meat off the bone, it didn't fall off the bone, a bit of a shame! No satay or anything like that; I just had a chicken thigh. It was the cheapest dish at €27.95, served with vegetables, 3 cherry tomatoes, and some wild mushrooms. Order fries for €5.00. For that price, you can eat somewhere else with fresh vegetables! The air conditioning was on, so we sat somewhere else; it was quite windy, even though the door to the outside was still open!

I can't give it anything but 5 stars, and it's well deserved. The service was very friendly and attentive. I had the spareribs, and they were delicious. The sea bass was also fantastic. I had a lovely beer with it, and an Irish coffee to finish. The building is beautiful, and everything looks neat. They also brew their own beer. Highly recommended if you're ever in Drachten.

Laatst geborreld hier. Was er vaker geweest en toen was het prima, maar nu viel het echt enorm tegen. We hadden borrelhapjes, brood en nacho’s besteld. Dit was echt niet lekker. Het brood was droog, de nacho’s waren keihard. De borrelhapjes waren niet lekker. Biertjes waren op zich prima, maar wel vrij duur.

I don’t recommend eating dessert here - we tried almost all of them: the chocolate taart, pavlova and cheese cake tasted as if they were a few days old. The price in relation to the quality was way too high for such a cake. The restaurant has a very nice interior and staff, that’s why we were very much disappointed by the quality of food.

We had a wonderful evening and a delicious meal. Even gluten-free options were no problem, and they were very helpful in considering what was and wasn't acceptable.

Delicious food and drinks, nothing was too much if you wanted something different, highly recommended!

The price quoted was for just a main course and 1.5 hours to eat. The chef was allowed to use his creativity. The presentation plate was disappointing because it was very sparse and unimaginative for such a steep price. The seating was chilly (too much air conditioning) and uncomfortable because we were sitting in the entrance area. Drinks were quite expensive. After 45 minutes, we were back outside, and I don't expect to eat there again.

Quick service from a young lady. Nice beer menu.

Yesterday for the second time in a short time at James’ and both times excellent food. Atmospheric, tasteful and very hospitable.

What an asset to Friesland! Erik has done it again! Get back up and continue!! Nice atmosphere, friendly staff, delicious food SUPER wine, and price quality nicely balanced! Thanks for a super fun family evening!

Everything was very good! The food was tasty, the service was friendly and the atmosphere was cozy. We live not far from here and we will definitely come back more often!”

Nice place, just good food and friendly service

Delicious food. Nice and cheerful service who do their best to offer you a fun and atmospheric evening. And she succeeds well!

I'm sorry to say, the steak (James' steak) was not good yesterday. Or was it the sauce? One of them was sour. We also had the side dish (beans) as vegetables on our plate, so that was not surprising. The sweet potato fries were delicious. The service was smooth and friendly, otherwise a nice restaurant.

Great restaurant with excellent service and customer friendliness. There are certainly highlights, such as the delicious dips with the bread board (especially the tuna mayo), the excellent smoked eel and the perfect dry aged ribeye. Unfortunately, there are also some lesser points. The Tom Ka Kai soup was too salty, the salad with the spareribs had an overwhelming curry flavor and the mushrooms with the chicken thigh were sour. The service deserves all the praise - the staff is very attentive, the timing of the dishes is perfect and the restaurant looks neat. It's a pity that there were few other guests on Sunday evening, which made the general atmosphere a bit tense. Given the price range of the restaurant, we expected a little more refinement in some dishes. Despite the excellent service and some top dishes, we doubt whether we will come back again.

Ate here a while back. Price and quality are not in proportion. You pay too much for what you get. Atmosphere is fine. Too bad, it is a nice tent.

Lars is a good bartender. Enthusiastic, cheerful, great man!

We hadden hier drie jaar geleden een goede ervaring, maar nu viel het behoorlijk tegen, met name door het vegetarische menu. Slechts twee vegetarische keuzes, kleine hoeveelheid en saai.

Super fun pub quiz! :) Nice atmosphere and nice wine. Unfortunately not many gluten-free and vegetarian snacks such as cheese or something.

Beautiful location where you can enjoy a snack, drink & good company.

Unfortunately very little vegetarian.

Friendly staff, delicious food. In short, a great place for a relaxing meal.

Great. Super food. Super staff. A nice atmosphere.

Very nice and good bistro restaurant in the middle of the entertainment center of Drachten.

Had dinner at James' Bar for the second time and again it was a very nice experience. The staff are so friendly, it was a warm welcome. And the food was delicious! We will definitely come back again!

the service at james was really great. and the food was terrible. I ate there with my girlfriend and it was not tasty. we also came home hungry. so certainly not worth repeating

Very tasty food... we had a tomahawk steak that was matured in their maturing cabinet. Never had such a beautiful and tasty piece of meat! Highly recommended! The service was also fantastic and very friendly! Top!!

We had a delicious meal here on Valentine's Day. We were received very nicely with champagne and a bag of candy hearts. The service was great despite the crowds and we didn't have to wait long for either food or drinks. After dinner we enjoyed a delicious cocktail in the bar of the restaurant. Highly recommended!!

Great welcoming warm environment with delicious food. The host is very friendly and ensures that you are pampered.

Delicious food and friendly service! :-)

Fantastic steak from the grill eaten in an attractive cozy restaurant, where a city brewer will soon brew his beers in the attic

Super cozy atmosphere inside! The staff is good, really fast and everything with a smile. Food was great, really value for money! Not just the standard burger and chicken satay, really nice pieces of meat that are top-prepared. Well, I have no choice but to highly recommend this wonderful business!

We are extremely disappointed, we were here a year ago and it was great then. But yesterday it was really bad. The staff is talking nicely together and they don't see us. After more than 1 hour finally a starter which was not ok. After more than 2 hours the meat arrived, different types which again were not good, everyone had uneven pieces and just not tasty. Also little meat and a lot of fries which was not tasty either. We were there with several people and we all went home very disappointed. We will not come here again despite the compensation that has been made. Very unfortunate.

Cozy place and delicious food. Nice that you can look into the kitchen and that the employees did not feel like they were being watched.

Good restaurant, you wouldn't expect stew and also less appropriate next to duck breast. Atmosphere was very jovial, you have to like it.

Attractive restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere. The food was ok. The waiting staff were not very interested; made friendly.

We ordered a steak medium rare but we got it really raw, then we didn't eat it and mentioned that we didn't like it, the waitress acted very arrogant and pissed off, and we still had to pay for the steak, it was anything but customer friendly

It was very cold in the restaurant, we were seated next to the open kitchen which still provided some warmth. The food was okay, not high quality, just good food. Dessert was very very small for the price we paid

Delicious food, friendly and helpful staff, nice atmosphere! Definitely recommended.

We had a delicious meal, shared dining is highly recommended. More than the icing on the cake was the wonderfully hospitable, pleasant and attentive service. That makes a visit to James a party!

Bad staff. Food came later than expected. We were treated disrespectfully

We had a really delicious meal with our 3 kids, the service was great, and the shared dining concept with our children was a lot of fun. And how nice that they could play in the kids lounge between courses. Nice service too.

Do you want to go out for dinner, or do you want to go out for an evening? The first is often the case, we experienced the second at the end of December. From a sincere, warm welcome upon arrival to delicious food. And extremely friendly employees in between. It all made sense. We had a truly enjoyable evening, for which many thanks.

Always great with James! Smooth service and a good menu. Don't forget the Carmelite of the fun hook

Really nice place to eat! The furnishings look beautiful and attractive, you immediately feel at ease. The food was tasty and well prepared. The portions were fine. The staff are friendly and attentive without it feeling too over the top, which makes the whole experience relaxed. You can sit here and enjoy without feeling rushed. In short, a nice place where you can eat well and where we will definitely come back.

This was our first time staying here. It is a nice restaurant with very friendly staff and super tasty food. We will definitely come back here more often

We are always very satisfied with James! Top quality food with delicious surprising flavors, cozy atmosphere and fast and friendly service!

Very beautiful and nice restaurant to eat, even with (small) children. I only had to say the word 'lactose intolerant' once and all my dishes were adjusted. Great! Our son also had a delicious meal and then played in the kids room for a long time, so my husband and I could look at each other for a while, haha. The quality of the food, the staff and the atmosphere... As far as I'm concerned, James' is an absolute must!

Christmas Day, great place to stay, good food, disappointment was the James selection for 3 people in this case, small plate, tasty but really not worth 3x 14.50 = € 43.50. Smooth service but had to wait quite a while for various courses, which was admitted and somewhat resolved by a drink from the company..........

We had the Christmas menu, thought it was very expensive, had 5 courses, nothing that appealed to our taste... only the 1st appetizer snack.... very unfortunate price and quality not good...

1 year ago James Bistro & Bar was our wedding location, from ceremony to evening party everything was fantastically arranged and what a great team they have there! But the food here is so good! Beautiful open kitchen, own smoking cabinets for the meat. Beautiful restaurant, wonderful ambiance 🤍 100% recommended! Love, Fam Klomp - van der Woerdt