Restaurant Holle Bolle Gijs in Binnenstad-Noord

I was in the mood for mussels. When I called Holle Bolle Gijs (it said somewhere online that they had mussels), they told me they weren't on the menu anymore. I got the chef on the phone and he said he would arrange mussels for me for tomorrow! And sure enough, we ate mussels the next day! And they were delicious too. Surprisingly good pub food. Don't expect an extensive menu or beautifully presented plates, just good food. We had the nicest table by the window, where we could enjoy looking outside. The staff was helpful, tasty beers on tap, okay wines, homemade cheesecake. Only the coffee was a bit disappointing, but maybe we are too spoiled in that regard…

It’s a shame that one of the members of staff was so rude, because this restaurant actually has quite a nice canalside location and I would have enjoyed myself more if not for the poor level of service. It’s shocking that some people think they can get away with casually making fun of tourists for no good reason. I would dissuade foreigners especially from coming here, as you might not feel welcome, and I felt it was necessary to share my bad experience.

We had a delicious meal and it was very affordable.

We came here for the second time with our football team! Everything was perfectly organized; we agreed on a menu and choices beforehand. It's quite a challenge to handle 20 people, but it went great, just like the first time! Thank you, Gilbert and his team!

The atmosphere and service are very nice. Unfortunately, the food was very disappointing, and I would not go there again for that reason. (Vegetarian spring roll with fried rice) It is a nice place for just having a drink.

A very friendly restaurant, the dishes were very well prepared, everything homemade, from the sides to the sauces (quite rare, I must say!), quality ingredients, and a very pleasant staff! As a Frenchman, I'm happy to say it's been a long time since I've eaten so well! 😁 Thanks again for this excellent meal!! 💯

First of all, the service was very friendly and pleasant. The atmosphere was pleasant, thanks in part to the pleasant service and decor. The food, however, was a huge disappointment. The spareribs had hardly any meat on them, and you had to chop them off and they were simply tough. I mentioned it to the staff, and their only response was, "We'll pass it on." The meat, including the pork tenderloin, had also been overcooked and was therefore tough. The cheese fondue was very good, though. I hope the chef was having a bad night, because this was truly awful.

Came here because of the Leidse Restaurantweek. We had a fun time here. The staff is the absolute highlight of this restaurant: they’re spontaneous, super friendly, funny and verrry casual. They create a very relaxed and jolly atmosphere. The food was fine, but definitely more of a typical Dutch menu. For me a three course meal is way too much, but if you can eat that much they have great deals. :)

The food was good and tasty, the service was friendly and fast, and the dog got a bowl of water without asking. Excellent!

Holle Bolle Gijs, the name says it all, is an unpretentious establishment. Simply a delicious meal at a reasonable price! We ordered the 4-course game menu for €35.00. It turned out to be a delicious choice. Wild mushroom broth, game pâté, and saddle of hare with red wine sauce; all three were irresistible. Simply excellent food! Walnut ice cream with whipped cream was on the dessert menu. Unfortunately, due to the menu's huge success, it was no longer available. No worries. The exceptionally friendly waitress, with a cheerful smile, conjured up a delicious Irish coffee. That's what makes a meal like this truly special!

A cozy cafe with super friendly owners and staff, plus good, affordable food! Or, as my daughter said, "best children's menu ever!" including salad and cooked vegetables.

Great meal for a very reasonable price.

Lovely friendly place, took shelter out of the rain . Friendly staff, nice selection of beers, chilled atmosphere with Motown playing in the background

We arrived here promptly at 5 p.m. From the outside, it looks a bit dingy, but this is mainly due to the window shades that were a bit worn. Inside, we received a very warm welcome, and the owner and the girl who helped us were incredibly friendly! The menu is also very varied, and the prices are reasonable. If you're looking for a nice cafe in Leiden, this is definitely recommended!

Good food and something for every taste

Cozy, relaxed atmosphere, delicious food, competitive prices, fast service, attentive service.

Good quality, nice and fresh, great service, affordable, word repeated

A cozy, atmospheric cafe with excellent service and a great menu. We had the daily special: onion and tomato soup, spaghetti, and waffle with warm cherries and ice cream. For only 15 euros!

Absolute recommendation, delicious food and friendly service. Very good quality and the homemade herb butter is really very tasty. I chose this restaurant because of the good and therefore justified reviews.

I thought it was a good atmosphere, nice location. And very good wine. Only acoustics of the hall where we were, very noisy. With my ASD no party. Fortunately also a terrace to de-stimulate in silence :)

Had dinner with 14 people. We were seated separately, which created a men-among-men atmosphere. We ate and drank well. Also suitable for a slightly larger group.

Cosy, affordable restaurant. Especially when you like the daily menu and you are on time for it. The menu is typically Dutch, and the dishes tasted good. The service is friendly and smooth and every now and then they sing along to some lines, which creates a friendly atmosphere. Although the restaurant has a brown café appearance, there is not much choice in specialty beer, but we still found something new. In any case, we had a good time and we definitely plan to come back!

The terrace is exactly on the west, you can view it on the church nearby. That means lovely sunset over the Leiden canals is what you get there. Great place!

What a very nice restaurant! We ate here for the first time yesterday with a friend and we were pleasantly surprised. Very nice service by employee and owner. Great music and great atmosphere! Food is simple but just very good. I thought my meat was a bit too raw and that was resolved really well, other restaurants can follow this example.

I've been coming here for some time for the atmosphere and the simple but good food. Don't expect haute cuisine, but a full plate of good food for a price that will not detract from your wallet. Recently went extra for the new - truly gigantic - hamburger and it was very much appreciated. Hopefully this is here to stay, and especially on Mondays (12.50 for burger, fries, vegetables and salad) you really can't leave it unordered. HBG is really undervalued among October 3 visitors. I have never seen the stew with a steak better anywhere and it has been a permanent part of my celebration of Leiden's Relief for years.

Nice and cozy bistro, initially we didn't have the nicest spot under the bar, but luckily a spot near the window became available and we were allowed to sit there. Delicious food in a nice atmosphere with good prices. Service was also friendly and I would definitely recommend eating there.

Good food for a good price. Food was ready quickly! And the restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere, half bar, half restaurant. Very cozy! Staff was very friendly and prompt. Recommended for an easy bite.

My husband and me use to go the from 2018. It was a good price for a fair food, the service was and still is from students so not so much experience. Still we use to go there. But we went from Valentines and we got super disappointed because now the prices are higher, important difference and the amount of food got reduced, for example 4 gambas with some lettuce €11 So crazy prices for a low standaard restaurant But now with lees almost of portions is super unfair. And its not so special food restaurant. That was our last time there... pity!!

I like to come here for a good meal for a nice price. Atmospheric restaurant with nice service.

Cozy location on the canal. Good food, friendly staff, excellent value for money

Excellent cafe/restaurant. Nice location, good service, fair prices.

Very cozy tent and very good food in relation to the price

Spare ribs were not fully cooked and service was very easy with you having to pass things on

Stumbled upon this restaurant by accident. I was hungry and saw it was close on Google Maps so I just went there, and I am so glad I did. The food is priced extremely well, you get a really good value. The food is simple, but fresh. They know how to combine ingredients and have a wide variety of dishes and courses. If you like simple, but delicious food I really do recommend this restaurant. The vibes inside are also amazing, not just how warm and cozy it feels, but the employees are also very friendly. Do not expect a five star meal, because that is also not what you are paying for.

Voorgerechten waren redelijk van kwaliteit, maar de hoofdgerechten waren ver beneden kwaliteit. Heb twee keer een varkenshaas gehad die te droog was om te eten. Andere tafelgenoten kregen ook verschillende gerechten die niet goed bereid waren. Bediening was ook niet erg vriendelijk.

Small cozy restaurant. Very attentive, friendly and cheerful staff. I think it's highly recommended. 3 course menu of choice € 27.50. No money really. And good food.

It's a typical dutch dinner with some basic food. The shrimp was quite nice, but the steak was supposed to be medium well, and we got medium with a rare center. The Wiener schnitzel was okay but quite salty. The pea mash was quite nice. The fries were okay.

What a recommendation! I was going to a Nobel concert and beforehand we were going to look for something to eat. We passed by here by chance, but what a great tent this is!

No negative aspects. Recommended.

I came here for dinner with my volleyball mates and dates, so we were a big group. We were asked by the restaurant to provide our food preferences a couple of days in advance to help the kitchen in preparing for a large number of people. Despite this, the quality level of food was very low, and wine was bad (but I know how hard it is to find decent food and wine in the Netherlands). I managed to eat almost everything, even if I tasted that nothing was good enough. But the thing that I really couldn't eat was the sole fillet. It was unbelievable. It only tasted dirty water, and it was disgusting. I asked my boyfriend to try it, and after a bite, he was unable to keep eating it. This is the first time that something like this happens in my life. I left only that on my plate, almost entirely, and the waitress noticed, but of course, she never asked if everything was okay. We were a lot of people, and she went to some of us to ask, but basically, to only who finished everything on their plate (of course). Even when she took off my plate, she never asked what was wrong with it. My boyfriend had a cheese fondue (thinking that was something hard to make wrong!!) and also that was not good. It had a strong final taste of alcohol. I had fondue in France and I'm sure it shouldn't taste like that! It was very hard to finish and in the end we left a bit because we couldn't stand the taste anymore. The real problem comes a couple of hours later during the digestion of the food. Both my boyfriend and I had a kind of food poisoning. We felt really bad, with stomach aches, nausea, and a feeling of heaviness. I'm writing this review the morning after the dinner, and I can only say that I'm not going to work because of how I feel. My advice is: don't have the arrogance of pretending to be a "nice" restaurant. If you are only able to do croquettes and lekkerbek, just do that and don't poison people! Or make me pay more for decent quality food! I want to specify that I didn't choose this restaurant, my friends did, and I'm sure I'm not gonna come back!

Excellent food for a good price in a pleasant atmosphere.

What a great owner! And sing along to all the songs, what a party!👊

Nice cozy restaurant. Enjoy a delicious meal by candlelight! Good price and nice (and fast) service

Just a tasty snack after afternoon beers. Always good and fast👍🏻

Lovely evening. Great, friendly atmosphere, with the feel of a neighbourhood restaurant. The 3-course package was terrific value.

Nice location, inspiring seasonal menus and friendly service. Cheap.

Atmosphere and service are always top notch. Eating a little less this time. Unfortunately, this time the vegetable spring roll tasted a bit dry and the cheese fondue did not taste fresh, but as if it were made from powder?

Gezellig restaurant waar je voor een klein bedrag prima kan eten. Ongedwongen sfeer, ruime porties en een heerlijke La Chouffe van de tap!

Delicious food in a nice brown pub atmosphere. Casual service by the owner in his own pub style. Fits perfectly with the atmosphere, so great. Food came a bit quickly, but because we still had to go to a performance, that was fine for us. Had delicious spareribs. Have I ever had better ribs? yes, certainly, but sometimes worse. Price-quality ratio is at the right level. Delicious thick fries and vegetables. Full plate and a tasty Chouffe next to it... everything together? actually perfect!

Lekker eten in een gezellige bruine kroeg. Simpel, eerlijk eten, prima geprijsd. Vriendelijke bediening!

Goed eten voor kleine prijs. Helaas niet de hele kaart op voorraad

Gezellige sfeer, heerlijk eten, en perfect voor grote groepen. Het eten en drinken is goed geprijsd voor hartje leiden. Zeker een aanrader!

Weer vriendelijk bejegend, porties ruim voldoende. Geen haute cuisine maar een gewoon lekkere maaltijd voor een vriendelijke prijs.

Leuk restaurant waar je voor een goede prijs goedvkunt eten

Uiensoep uit een pak, cheesecake niet te vreten, onvriendelijk personeel

Man kann in Leiden - in dieser tollen Stadt - so viele schöne Dinge tun. Eins davon ist, im Holle Bolle Gijs in der Abendsonne am Wasser zu hocken, Fritto Misto zu picken, dazu einen trockenen Weißwein zu trinken und den lieben Gott einen guten Mann sein zu lassen. Man kann das wahrscheinlich beliebig variieren - im Endeffekt wird's aufs Gleiche hinauslaufen: Man ist einfach glücklich.

Lekker eten voor een betaalbare prijs.

Lekker gegeten, lekker gewoon. 3 gangenmenu 25 euro.

Stumbled upon this restaurant by accident. I was hungry and saw it was close on Google Maps so I just went there, and I am so glad I did. The food is priced extremely well, you get a really good value. The food is simple, but fresh. They know how to combine ingredients and have a wide variety of dishes and courses. If you like simple, but delicious food I really do recommend this restaurant. The vibes inside are also amazing, not just how warm and cozy it feels, but the employees are also very friendly. Do not expect a five star meal, because that is also not what you are paying for.

Gemoedelijk, informeel restaurantje. 3 gangen menu voor € 25. Ruime keus uit menukaart. Eten was lekker. Zeker een restaurantje om nog een keer terug te komen.

Gezellig Leids restaurantje, niet al te groot maar zeer gezellig. Prijs/kwaliteit is prima. Bediening zeer attent en erg vriendelijk. 3 gangen menu voor €25, geen poespas.

Wat een heerlijk, knus, gezellig, goed restaurant. We hebben heerlijk gegeten en het personeel was echt super vriendelijk en positief. Echt een aanrader zo lekker aan de gracht!

Lekker 3-gangenmenu voor € 25,-. Aardig personeel.

Ik zocht een leuk eetcafeetje om kipsaté te eten, nou dan ben je hier precies aan het goede adres. Fijn dat we zonder reservering terecht konden. Lekker gegeten!

Knus en gezellig, heerlijk gegeten en vriendelijk personeel!

Super aandacht voor de klant: maakt hen attent op mogelijke allergieën en aanpassingen.

Excellent place to enjoy a nice evening with friends, good tasty food and great music! Very friendly and aware staff as well.

Amazing service. Staff very friendly. Nice food

Very nice place! Good atmosphere!

Eenvoudig restaurant, prettige sfeer en goed voedsel

Snelle bediening. Vriendelijk personeel. Prima eten voor een goede prijs. Leuk plekje met een leuke inrichting.

Leuke gezellige plek. Erg knappe jongen in de keuken!

We hebben daar met een grote groep gegeten. Het was voor ons handig om voor een drie gangen diner te kiezen. Goed eten en betaalbaar. Een aanrader om er een keer te gaan eten.