Restaurant De Beren Zoetermeer in Buitengebied

A lovely and cozy restaurant, among other locations, in Zoetermeer on the Noord-AA. Also a separate menu for people with lactose intolerance, among others.

Lots of flies. At Madestein they use small windmills; seems like a good idea for De Beeren too.

High tea was very good, lots of it and very tasty.

We sat for half an hour and weren't served. Someone walked past our table three times but didn't look at us. We just left.

Everything was great, and I will definitely come back again. The food was excellent, but regarding drinks, I ordered an Affligem Blond tap beer, and it did not taste or look like Affligem Blond. I’m not sure why, but it was not what I expected.

Very bad experience. Had to wait an hour for our order. My dish, bread with carpaccio and fried eggs, went back to the kitchen practically untouched. The eggs were raw, both yolk and egg white, and the bread was soaked with these raw eggs. Nothing was done about it. We were also simply made to pay for our drinks. Terrible service!

Yesterday we went to eat at De Beren in Zoetermeer. The food was good. We have eaten at De Beren at various locations quite often, and the quality is always fine. Unfortunately, the service here is a bit lacking. We had ordered the "Shared Dining menu," and if I had known it would take so long for the courses to be served, I would have brought my electric shaver and sleeping bag. Three hours is really too long. We even skipped the coffee. The wait staff really did their best, but communication with the kitchen was terrible. On the positive side, we were told that due to the chaos during round 2, we had received a double portion, but for dessert, only one place setting arrived at first, and I had to wait well over 10 minutes for the second one. We understand that it was busy and that staff is hard to come by, but it remains frustrating when you have to wait a long time for your food.

Had a delicious meal, friendly and good service.

Had a delicious meal with a view over the lake. The 3-course menu offers good value for money.

Had a really good meal..the fries were lukewarm but we got a new portion right away, great!

Requested a quiet table during online reservation due to medical reasons. Upon arrival, you are seated behind a large group. You could barely hear each other; asked for a table that would become available, but that wasn't possible—yes, we are completely full. You have to provide all your details when reserving (email, phone number); a simple email or phone call saying: "Sorry, the evening you reserved is extra busy due to drinks and a large group is a small effort." Never again De Beer.

The food was good, and the location on the lake is lovely. If the weather is good you can sit outside looking onto the lake. The service though was slow and not particularly friendly.

Had a delicious meal, great service, friendly staff and good prices

We enjoyed the delicious high tea. We were especially pleased with the scones: truly English style: freshly baked, without currants or raisins, served with real clotted cream and tasty jam.

Had a great meal here with the kids. Nice and close to the beach. A lovely end to the day. Service started a bit slowly, but was very friendly. So it doesn't matter that you have to wait a little longer.

Had a delicious lunch. We were able to order items from the dinner menu as well as just lunch. There was a small mistake with one of the dishes, but this was corrected immediately. The service was perfect, as was the atmosphere! We would love to come back here more often! 👍

Had a good meal, but quite pricey in comparison.

High tea was delicious and more than enough.

I had to wait way too long for the food; people came in and got their food before us. The toilets were dirty, and you also had to wait a very long time for drinks.

Due to a staff shortage, it took a little longer than hoped.

High tea could have been served a bit more pleasantly. Unfortunately, the bread was not baked properly, making it sticky and soggy. The soup was lukewarm. The à la carte dishes were good, the club sandwich and the carpaccio sandwich. Unfortunately, the staff showed little interest. The high tea was just placed on the table without explanation; we also didn't know we could ask for another pot of tea, and an order for iced coffee was served warm. In between, they didn't ask if everything was to our liking or if we wanted anything else. The location is really great! We will definitely come back. The high tea was part of the Kruidvat promotion.

Had a good meal, quite pricey though, but that is to be expected at De Beren. The only two downsides were the long wait and the fact that we had to change tables twice because we were being bothered by drain flies. Not exactly hygienic and this definitely needs to be looked into. If the problem with the flies is solved, I would come back here again in a heartbeat and go for the 5-star review. Otherwise, very friendly staff and good quality food.

Update: Given a second chance. The nasty smell is gone and this time there was sufficient staff. Stars adjusted. --- Good food in a nice location. Unfortunately, too little staff (who were very friendly, by the way), so long waiting times. A major letdown is the sewage smell near the toilets. That stench has been there for months and is getting worse; we were bothered by it outside on the terrace as well. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!!!

Very cozy restaurant with a delicious high tea.

Had lunch here with a friend. It's often difficult for me due to gluten and lactose intolerance. But: De Beren has an extensive allergen menu and delicious gluten-free sandwiches! I had an avocado egg sandwich. The service is incredibly friendly and it was a treat to sit outside by the water.

The food was good and the staff friendly, but there was a long wait for food and the air conditioning couldn't cope at 30+ degrees, so it was very hot.

Despite the heat, the welcome was very friendly, the service excellent, and the food delicious. Just a small point: do something about the air conditioning; it was very hot for us, let alone for the serving staff, who nevertheless did everything for us with a smile.

We have enjoyed visiting De Beren for years, but unfortunately, the service has deteriorated significantly lately. Yesterday, there were four of us, and we had to wait a long time on several occasions. Drinks were forgotten, and one person at the table had to wait over 10 minutes longer for the main course than the rest, meaning we could not eat together. The dessert also took a very long time to arrive. Additionally, the staff did not come across as friendly and gave a somewhat grumpy impression. That is a real shame, because we remember De Beren from much better times. We hope that the service will return to the level we were used to.

The food itself is reasonable, however, something was often missing when it was served. It then took a very long time to serve it again. We have been coming here for years, but the quality of the food is declining.

Reserved for 17:30; after 45 minutes we received bread that the four of us had to share. Barely enough. Then, after an hour, still no starter. Sitting here waiting feeling hungry, heavily irritated. This was a Father's Day dinner; well, we are never coming back here again.

It wasn't busy despite the warm weather. The food was good, the staff was friendly. Simply top-notch.

"Worst experience in ages. It started with ignoring the guests; we waited outside for service until the rain forced us to go inside. Inside, too, no one bothered to help us. After half an hour, we just walked to the bar ourselves to order. After waiting another 20 minutes (while the staff were busier clearing the bar than taking orders), we'd had enough. I politely indicated that the order could be cancelled. Instead of an apology, the staff loudly called me a 'whiner' behind my back. Scandalous, disrespectful, and completely unprofessional."

My mother and I had high tea here. The high tea was extensive and everything tasted good. We enjoyed sitting on the terrace. Very nice view of a lovely lake where plenty of people were enjoying water sports. The service was good and friendly. It was a shame for the employee that he was standing alone for a while when it was busy due to the beautiful weather. Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication, I received a call later saying that a code needed to be scanned; this was not mentioned even though I showed it at the beginning. This was resolved in the end, and in a friendly manner 😊

Yesterday, I enjoyed a high tea with friends at De Beren Zoetermeer, and what an amazing experience it was! I have had high tea at many different places, but this one is absolutely at the top of my list. We started with a large pot of tea and a wide selection of different tea flavors. After that, we were served a delicious, flavorful tomato soup. The savory part consisted of fresh, healthy sandwiches with cheese and salmon, among other things, which were all delicious. The sweet part was truly fantastic! We were spoiled with fresh crème brûlée, a warm apple crumble pastry that seemed to have just come out of the oven, and delicious churros with dark chocolate—my absolute favorite! In addition, we received a beautiful plate full of treats such as profiteroles, donuts, macarons, and much more. What made this high tea extra special was that you could really taste that everything was prepared with care and love. Compliments to the chef and the entire team for this wonderful experience. We enjoyed it immensely and will definitely be back! Highly recommended for anyone who loves a high-quality and extensive high tea! 💕🫖

Free parking right outside. Lovely location by the water Friendly staff Delicious high tea

Today we celebrated my daughter's birthday with a total of 8 people. We ordered unlimited spare ribs for 6 people. The very first thing I want to say is that the spare ribs were cooked, hot, and tasty. However, unlimited turned out to be for the waiting. Unlimited spare ribs became unlimited waiting. In the two hours we spent there, we were able to order extra exactly twice and wait for half a spare rib that was about three bones wide. The staff came to ask if we wanted another round of spare ribs before we had even received our first order. This offer is simply not an offer if you cannot deliver on what you sell. Eventually, we had had enough of waiting and went home without dessert and/or coffee. And that wasn't just because of the long wait, but the service and ambiance were not what we expected. Sorry, but we are going to look for another restaurant in the future.

Enthusiastic and hospitable service

Food was mediocre. Had to wait a long time for the food. It hadn't reached the kitchen. I understand that, though; they just chat amongst themselves and pay no attention to the customer. The atmosphere wasn't great. Messy; cushions from the outdoor terrace were lying haphazardly on a cupboard and the outdoor terrace was a mess. It was indicated that we should be on reserve, but the place wasn't even half full. A shame.

An atmospheric location by the water.

The food had become more meager than usual. The waitress's friendliness was nowhere to be found. She also didn't ask at all if it tasted good or if we needed anything else.

Tasty food, good quality, great service

Tasty food at a reasonable price. Fast, friendly service. Reserving via the website also works well.

Great lunch. Tasty brie sandwich with bacon and honey. Had a nice chat with a friend.

Beautiful location, superb service, and food with a perfect price-quality ratio. We will definitely go back again.

It was a delicious and plentiful high tea. I would have liked a few more savory items with it, though.

We were able to enjoy a delicious lunch and friendly people.

The high tea was super delicious

I went there today. First of all, I was shocked by the prices. We ordered lunch and asked if my 86-year-old mother could have a slice of cheese instead of the carpaccio. Not very complicated, I think. But no, that wasn't possible. Too many adjustments were already being made, was the answer. I think that's what service and customer friendliness are called? It's also a shame that the trio with small rolls has disappeared completely.

We had a delicious meal; all four of us had a 3-course menu. For 29.95, it is definitely worth the money. All the food was tasty, and the service was top-notch too. Definitely worth repeating.

Delicious food and very friendly service.

We eat here often; it is always good. This time, slightly less so. The schnitzel was very dry, but that can happen once in a while. We were served in a very nice and kind manner by Maaike. Very attentive and friendly.

Unfortunately...never again. I have been a regular guest for years. The building is falling into disrepair, weeds everywhere, rusty entrance doors, perpetually stinking toilets...and more importantly: the reception was truly extremely unfriendly. It used to be difficult to find a spot on Sunday afternoons, but you could just "look around" yourself. Now: "what are you here for, something to eat or drink?" and that with a thunderclouded look on their face. On the outdoor terrace, 8 tables were occupied...plenty of space, nothing was reserved. A really nice welcome feeling. It took at least 20 minutes after we sat down before we were even spoken to: "I'll be with you in a moment"...after another almost 10 minutes, we finally ordered a drink. A bottle of beer...a rinsed glass; too bad the beer went "flat" immediately upon pouring and the glass of cold chocolate coffee was so full of ice cubes that the drink was finished after 3 sips. In a beautiful location—that remains—stands a kind of faded glory...that is why never again. We also had a drink here 6 weeks ago and thought at the time: oh well, it can be a bit less than perfect once, that's allowed. Even then, it was noticeable that there were few holes, unlike what we were used to. A pity... simply a pity!

We have been coming here for many years and have always been spoken to kindly, but since an Asian-looking girl started working here, you are only spoken to rudely. This woman is ruining coming here. It is a real shame.

Lovely, really just taking a break and enjoying.

Probably no manager present on site. We had to get our own menu and waited way too long to place an order for drinks and dinner. Many young, inexperienced hospitality staff.

Upon arrival, we were allowed to choose where we wanted to sit. We chose a spot outside. There weren't many tables available, and the section where there was space was closed off. The table that was free looked terrible; there were drink stains everywhere, and underneath it lay a lot of trash and cigarette butts. The table wasn't cleaned either, so I just did it myself with a napkin. After waiting for half an hour, someone finally came to ask if we wanted something to drink. Everything was taken by the waitress, but it was probably difficult to get these drinks on the table within fifteen minutes. The water we had ordered was out of stock, so we received two small bottles. We had a 4-course menu and now I regret it, because every course took 45 minutes if it were up to the staff. Of all the staff members, only one was friendly and talkative. The rest couldn't manage a word or a smile. Is this the staff's fault? My answer is no, it is the policy and the planning. It might be better to hire some extra staff, which of course costs something, but right now it is costing De Beren a lot of customers; I’m calling it quits. After I asked if the dessert could arrive a bit faster, there was no response either, so my wife went to ask again after another half hour where the dessert was. It really isn't nice to be treated like that. The only nice thing about De Beren in Zoetermeer is the location; otherwise, I definitely recommend skipping this restaurant.

Great deals every day of the week. Fantastic!!! Enjoyed a great lunch today. 12 o'clock off the menu. Good food, just a shame the tomato soup comes from a can.

Ordered 2 menus. Received 1 bowl of (cold) fries. The iced coffee consists of ice cubes (crunch). No scoop of vanilla ice cream. Undrinkable.

Waited 30 minutes for my water and bitter lemon. Asked the wait staff three times where it was; the lady with glasses replied, "It's on its way now!" Then waited another 10 minutes. And it wasn't busy at all. Please do something about the service.

We had made a reservation, but it turned out that something had gone wrong. However, it was resolved well. After that, we had a nice meal and drinks. Until next time.

Beautiful spot by the water (Noord-Aa), nice seating on the terrace, friendly service. Tip: for the fried egg, ask them not to overcook the yolk. The table and ashtray were not clean, but we felt sorry for the staff who had to work in the heat.

Had high tea here via the Kruidvat promotion. Good food and nice atmosphere.

Beautiful location by the water. It's just a shame about the many flies inside due to a lack of sewage.

Bad service. Had to ask for the menu myself at the bar. Didn't ask for drinks when they ran out, and there is only one girl walking around taking orders for drinks and food. Soup was cold, bread was cold, fries were cold… very bad. They should put a decent manager in place to keep these animals working.

Had high tea via a Kruidvat promotion. You get more than enough treats! I would have liked a bit more savory items. All the food was served at once; it would have been better served in parts, so a tip for De Beren.

Even though it wasn't busy, we had to wait quite a long time for our order. Guests are not allowed to smoke on the terrace (there are no ashtrays either), yet a staff member was smoking in a corner. I found that strange. When there are few guests, the location is very large and not very cozy.

Always tasty and cozy at the Beren Zmeer

It was very nice and we had plenty of time to have lunch.

Terrible people work here. Not customer-friendly. The food was also disgusting. I even got sick from it.

The picture of what my granddaughter ordered was incorrect. She was missing a cookie and chocolate, so she wasn't happy.

The food was super delicious, the staff was very friendly, and the restaurant is nicely decorated.

It was a lovely high tea at a beautiful location. The weather wasn't on our side, otherwise you could sit on the terrace by the water with a beautiful view. The service was very good; we didn't have to wait long for fresh water for tea. And dietary requirements/allergies were taken into account. The balance of the snacks at the high tea leaned more towards sweet. But all the snacks were delicious and we enjoyed it immensely.

Received wonderful high tea service. I had given it as a gift to my girlfriend. We enjoyed it. We were allowed to sit as long as we wanted. Very friendly staff! I can't eat meat and that was well compensated for!!! Compliments.

I have never had such a bad meal. In addition, the service was extremely poor. The lack of staff was immediately noticeable.

Terrible, unfortunately! First, we were offered something to drink. Then our order was taken quickly. 2 pancakes for the kids. 3 unlimited spare ribs. 1 three-course set menu. After 20 minutes, the starter arrived first. Then they asked if we wanted anything else to drink. I indicated that we really wanted the spare ribs and that the kids were hungry too. "Yes sir, that's fine, on its way." Eventually, after 45 minutes, still no food, and they had the nerve to ask again if we wanted something to drink. Finally, we paid for the drinks and left for McDonald's. It is scandalous that we had to wait so long in a virtually empty restaurant with children! And when paying, there was another comment from the staff: "You had someone with a starter; if you had wanted the main courses at the same time, you should have indicated that." Well, I did that after waiting for 20 minutes! I didn't bother arguing further since my children were with me. Never again Beren Zoetermeer.

I have already told my story on TripAdvisor, but here it is again: as large an audience as possible needs to be warned about this "restaurant". I got dinner at De Beren for Mother's Day, eating unlimited spare ribs. Grandpa (me), grandma, 2 children, and 2 grandchildren. I am not a meat eater myself, so I opted for a 3-course fish menu. After 5 minutes the starter arrived, which was cleared away again after 10 minutes. I got to eat it all by myself. After waiting for fifteen minutes, I finally inquired where the spare ribs were. They were on their way. Long story short: after waiting for 45 minutes, with small children who were by then whining and hungry, and having asked for food several times (my main course didn't come either), we decided to just go to McDonald's. The staff showed absolutely no understanding. We were told to pay €30 for 6 drinks and clear off. It was otherwise very quiet in the "restaurant", so it couldn't have been due to the crowds. This was my first time at De Beren in Zoetermeer, but certainly also the only and last time. What should have been a nice dinner out was ruined by poor service and very unprofessional and uninterested staff. Not worthy of the word restaurant. You have been warned; read the reviews on TripAdvisor as well, then you will know what to expect.

We went out for dinner this weekend. The food was tasty and we enjoyed sitting on the terrace, but we found the service mediocre—not very enthusiastic and not very friendly—and a simple question went unanswered (if you don't know, just check it). Additionally, when paying the bill, it turned out that the prices of drinks had gone up, and it is already quite pricey, yet the menu hadn't been updated yet. Yeah, right, that was just the way it was. Very strange.

I felt unwell in the car and my husband stopped at the bears to ask for a glass of water. Subsequently, he had to pay €3.60 for it. €3.60 for a glass of tap water, are you guys doing fine otherwise? You should be utterly ashamed of yourselves. Not even willing to help a fellow human being. And then to rip him off as well.

The service and food are fine and good. Unfortunately, upon entering, there is an extremely strong sewer smell in the small vestibule that can also be smelled in the restaurant itself. After a while, you get used to it and can still enjoy the food.

Good food for a reasonable price

Mediocre food. Too expensive for the quality. Service got off to a slow start. If you know the Beren concept, you know what to expect. A glorified snack bar with table service.

I am absolutely not satisfied with the food here. First, the table was dirty and no one came to clean it. Second, I had ordered chicken tenders, but after waiting 20 minutes, I received something completely different. When I indicated that this was not what I had ordered, they said that what I wanted was no longer available. That should have simply been stated immediately upon ordering, instead of just serving something else and expecting me to eat it. Next, I ordered something else (a chicken burger), but I received it half raw. Fortunately, I cut it open first, otherwise I could have gotten sick from it. Serving raw chicken is truly unacceptable. When I pointed this out, they took hardly any responsibility and I received no refund. I am really very disappointed. I will never come back here.

We had satay with fries at De Beren. Tasty, but the young female waitstaff is a disaster! Way too self-absorbed and unfortunately not attentive. With 3 portions of fries, only 1 small container of mayo, an iced tea on the bill that wasn't ours, having to ask for the final bill 3 times without any urgency from the waitstaff, talking to young guests they know but who didn't order anything, not looking up or around when walking back to the bar, etc., etc. Where is the supervision? Really needed!

The food itself is actually good, but the service is poor. We waited a long time for the main course, and it wasn't until 45 minutes later that someone came to let us know it would take a little longer. We also had to keep asking if we could order something. During the last hour, we were all without drinks, and during dessert, they didn't even ask if anyone wanted coffee or tea. I just went through the earlier reviews, and the problem of poor service has been known there for a long time. Remarkable.

Thursday, and my girlfriend and I have the day off. It is nice and warm, and according to the forecast, it will still be 20 degrees outside around dinnertime. We decide to call in the morning to discuss a reservation for the outdoor terrace. We are told that reservations are only possible inside, but that if we arrive on time, we can eat on the outdoor terrace. We then arrive at 5:15 PM, and half the outdoor terrace is still empty. Happily, we take a seat at a table in the sun. We are then told by the wait staff that dining is not allowed on the outdoor terrace... at this point, we left to dine outside at another restaurant on the Noord AA. A well-intentioned piece of advice: as a restaurant, ask yourself what brings customers to you.

We went here for lunch today, but unfortunately, it was a very disappointing experience. Upon entering, we were not asked if we had a reservation. They just took a quick look around the corner and told us to pick out a table ourselves. As we walked inside, a strong, foul smell from the toilets hit us, which could still be smelled throughout the restaurant the entire time. Once we had found a spot ourselves, we then had to wait 15 to 20 minutes before we could even order anything to drink. When we were finally able to order, it turned out that the orange juice and Fristi were unavailable because they had been ordered incorrectly. After that, we wanted to order food (a kids' toastie, spicy chicken, a club sandwich, and two lunches), but the waitress came back again to inform us that there were no more onions or bell peppers for the spicy chicken, once again because these had not been replenished after a busy day. So the question was whether something else could be chosen. The waitress herself was friendly and offered a polite apology, but the number of unavailable items is truly unacceptable. This simply ought to be in order, regardless of how busy it was the day before. The food itself was also disappointing: the children's toastie was very tough and the club sandwich was less well-filled than we are used to. What makes it even more unfortunate is that when settling the bill, we were only asked if everything was to our liking. Given the situation, there should have been more awareness from the staff regarding this, and a sincere apology from the manager or the staff would have been appropriate. We have been here often and have always been satisfied, but this experience is so disappointing for us that we will not be returning.

I waited well over an hour for my food; it's still not here, by the way.

Lovely café right on the lake; we were there for coffee and cake. Several cakes to choose from, unfortunately some weren't available, but we still enjoyed ourselves. The service was prompt and friendly... highly recommended.

Good food for a normal price and friendly staff!

Delicious food. Tournedos, exceptionally perfect. All 7 of us enjoyed our meals.

Delicious lunch through a social deal. Service wasn't very fast. It was a nice touch for the Christmas spirit.

Minimal service and still a strong sewage pumping station in the entrance hall by the toilets

It's a small menu, but with variety. Something for everyone. The dishes are very good and neatly presented. The portions are good, although they could use a bit more vegetables. Delicious desserts! Great service, very hospitable.

Cozy, quiet, and atmospheric restaurant. Delicious food.

De Beren Zoetermeer is a cozy restaurant with a beautiful view of the Noord Aa. The service is friendly and fast. We love eating there!

A beautiful restaurant, but what is at least as important: delicious food!

Food. Staff. Ambience. Everything perfect. Won the bear bag and trophy in April. Kept it for myself all that time. We were abroad.

We had a delicious meal with Kruidvat vouchers in a beautiful and atmospheric restaurant. This special offer made it affordable. I found the drinks a bit pricey, but that's "normal" these days.

We had a delicious meal and the restaurant was beautifully decorated for the upcoming Christmas.

Great location! The two of us sat on a round bench, which I really enjoyed! Excellent food, great service.