6&24

This charming restaurant, helmed by chef Rick van de Laar and hosted by sommelier Saskia de Kuijer, has been calling the Nobelstraat home for eight years now—a real achievement in The Hague’s ever-evolving culinary scene. Rick prepares modern international cuisine with a focus on Dutch ingredients. The menu offers a selection of multi-course tasting menus. The wine list is thoughtfully curated, and there is also a non-alcoholic pairing option available. Upon request, they craft a special non-alcoholic cocktail featuring red fruits and snap pea juice. Simply wonderful! We kick things off with mullet wrapped in pancetta, followed by a fantastic burrata served with watermelon spaghetti. It pairs beautifully with a Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) from Geierslay. Following those starters come North Sea turbot, Anjou squab, and cauliflower prepared three different ways. What might initially seem like a rather humble vegetable is transformed into a true showstopper thanks to the chef’s use of a grill and a rich coconut sauce. We pair it with a Chinon Les Terrasses, a lovely Cabernet Franc that isn’t too heavy and is crisp with red fruit notes. The dessert is a genuine work of art: we savor the season’s first cherries stuffed with jalapeño cream, accompanied by a mountain thyme crisp and edible flowers. Finally, after a beautiful board of Dutch cheeses—including Friese geit, Leiden oplegkaas, and Fiore rosso—we head home, but only after being warmly seen off by the modest chef and his team. May this little gem continue to grace The Hague’s city center for many years to come.

Chef Rick van de Laar and his partner and hostess Saskia de Kuijer have created something truly special in the heart of The Hague. Rick’s cooking is rooted in French cuisine, utilizing as many Dutch products as possible. The dishes are imaginative, rich in flavor, and beautifully harmonious. The menu offers several à la carte selections alongside a multi-course tasting menu ranging from four to eight dishes. The restaurant boasts an atmospheric, informal setting, with tables arranged in tiered steps that provide a clear view of the open kitchen in the basement. Despite Rick and Saskia opening a second location, the primary focus remains firmly on 6&24. We begin with a tartare of ultra-fresh mackerel accompanied by cucumber, bright yuzu, and pine nuts. The next course is prepared tableside: langoustines with smoked bacon are grilled on a ceramic Japanese tabletop grill and served atop a carpaccio of langoustine and fennel with a coconut sauce. Absolutely delightful. Equally impressive is the pan-seared Dutch turbot fillet with mussels and a beurre blanc made from mussel jus. This is followed by a cheese board featuring Dutch varieties, allowing guests to select their preferred pieces. The most remarkable dish is the suikerbrood served with bone marrow, vanilla ice cream, and olive oil. The courses arrive at a steady pace, and the outstanding service, overseen by Saskia, is relaxed and genuinely conversational. The staff offers excellent wine recommendations and provides precise details about each dish. One minor note: the coffee sweets could benefit from a bit more attention.

Chef Rik van de Laar and his partner, hostess and sommelier Saskia de Kuijer, are carving out a solid reputation with their welcoming, modernly designed restaurant in The Hague’s Hofkwartier district. Rik has been working in kitchens since he was twelve, having trained at establishments including De Librije in Zwolle, and specializes in pure, creative, and intensely flavorful dishes made primarily from Dutch ingredients. The menu offers ample choice between set menus and à la carte options, while the wine list is truly impressive. Leave the wine selection to Saskia; with her enthusiasm and extensive knowledge, she will easily convince you to sample some of the finest labels. Non-alcoholic options are also available. The first course features dried red mullet served with Bouchot mussels, sorrel, radish, and tomato. It is beautifully presented with rich, complex flavors. The North Sea turbot is served rolled atop a blend of garden peas, tarragon, miso, and mustard leaves, finished with crispy fried fish skin. Every element is perfectly harmonious. The Anjou pigeon is paired with offal (heart and liver), chanterelle mushrooms, spinach, and bay leaf. Artfully plated to resemble a tree trunk, with the pigeon breast forming the main trunk and the offal arranged like branching limbs. This is accompanied by the Julius Klein Saint Laurent red wine. It is fruity with a fresh cherry aroma, a firm structure, and abundant fruitiness on the palate. Featuring organ meat on a menu is certainly a bold choice, as not everyone enjoys it. The portions are excellent, the service incredibly friendly, and pleasantly informal. A wonderful spot!

Drie jaar resideren chef-kok Rik van de Laar en zijn partner, gastvrouw-sommelier Saskia de Kuijer, nu in het Haagse Hofkwartier en het succes is groot. Ervaring opgedaan bij De Librije; ze weten hoe je gasten verwent. Ze leenden hun verjaarsdata 6 en 24 (februari) aan de naam van hun eetpaleis dat zich over vijf industriële niveaus uitstrekt. De menu- en wijnkaart laten weten dat de ambities hoog zijn. Wij drinken een prachtige marsanne van Louis Chèze bij een welkomsthapje van madraskerrie, naast warm brood met naar keuze roomboter, gekruide olijfolie of beurre noisette op basis van harissa. Gevolgd door een toastje met gebrande sardine, en een luchtige schuim van witte asperge met schaafsel van groene asperge en eigeel. Het is duidelijk: hier wordt op hoog niveau gekookt. Saskia schenkt de strogele Rhônewijn door bij een voorgerecht van langoustines. Uitstekend gebakken en opgediend met boemboe, nashipeer en aan tafel geschonken kimchi-sap. Prachtige smaak, mooie bite. Ook het vega-gerechtje daarna maakt indruk: morieljes gevuld met Noord-Hollandse roomkaas, jus van daslook, crème crue, enoki, zeesla en aardappelkaantjes. Wat een mooie combinatie: er kan hier gekozen worden voor een menu waarin de chef zeven van zulke verrassende vega-schoonheden presenteert. Het pièce is wilde zeebaars, à point op de huid gebakken en geserveerd met zeewieren, venkel en een saus met daarin kokkels en scheermessen. Heerlijk! Tot slot een mooi gerecht uit het genoemde vega-menu: waddenhoning met bergamot, vanille en mascarpone.

The duo Rik van de Laar and Saskia de Kuijer has set its sights on reaching the gastronomic pinnacle, and they are making excellent progress. 6&24 is located in a small side street off the Prinsestraat, on the edge of The Hague's city center. The restaurant spans multiple levels. The leather chairs and benches are comfortably cushioned, and the tables are generously spaced. The clientele is predominantly young. From Rik's open kitchen emerge creative dishes executed without unnecessary fuss. What arrives at the table is deeply flavorful and beautifully harmonious. Hostess-sommelier Saskia pours exceptional wines to complement each course. Juicy roasted tuna is served with a passion fruit sauce and finished with foie gras. This is followed by pink-roasted veal loin from a farm in Epe, accompanied by fried sprat bones and sides including savoy cabbage rolls, celeriac mousse, fresh peas, and lamb's ear. Paired with it is a Les Graves Chinon from the Loire, which matches surprisingly well. With coffee, homemade friandises are served, and we would gladly have eaten a handful of the goat cheese cookies—they were that delicious. It goes without saying that the cooking here is so exquisite and the work so heartfelt that a place in the Top-100 is entirely justified. Set to debut at rank XX.

Chef Rik van de Laar and his partner, hostess and sommelier Saskia de Kuijer, borrowed their birthdays—February 6 and 24—to name their modern restaurant on the outskirts of central The Hague. An industrial building in the Hofkwartier district, located beneath the Haagse Toren and featuring five compact levels, has been transformed into a contemporary dining palace. Armed with promising credentials after both previously working at De Librije, they realized their dream of opening their own establishment in 2018 and quickly won over food-loving The Hague and its surroundings. Rik’s cooking style, shaped by his years in the kitchen since the age of twelve, is deeply inspired by nature. It features pure flavors, local ingredients, not too much fuss, yet with unexpected and exciting pairings. Saskia de Kuijer and Rik van de Laar say: “We work with small-scale farmers and primarily use Dutch produce, naturally sourced only when in season. For example, we use wild oysters from Terschelling, eggs from The Hague, and meat from Epe. We don’t have our own garden yet, but the game we forage, we prepare ourselves.” Wine is Saskia’s passion, and she loves sharing it with her guests. Her wine list is highly diverse, featuring labels from around the globe. “We love small estates, lesser-known grape varieties, or simply unique flavor profiles.” Best of all, you won’t pay a fortune for it. A spot definitely worth keeping an eye on!

Executive chef Rik van de Laar and his partner, hostess and sommelier Saskia de Kuijer, both come from De Librije, so they know exactly what top-tier hospitality entails. With such a promising pedigree, they have set up shop in The Hague, transforming an industrial Hofkwartier building with five compact levels into a beautiful restaurant. They named their new dining palace after their birthdays: February 6 and 24. We pair a light Mâcon-Péronne (Domaine du Bicheron) with corvina ceviche, roughly chopped yet deeply flavorful, accompanied by corn, sweet potato, and kumquats. A fine start. The following langoustine dish is simply delightful. Combined with watercress, peas, and quinoa, this already tasty crustacean is elevated beyond itself. Unfortunately, the wood pigeon—the centerpiece of the meal—is overcooked. Served with green asparagus alongside wild garlic and codium (a type of seaweed), it isn’t enough to rescue the dish, despite its good underlying flavor. The radish, raspberry, and vanilla dessert ultimately secures a solid passing grade. It is clear that the ambitions here are high, just as are the diners’ expectations. A pigeon breast like this simply doesn’t belong in that context. Nevertheless, we foresee a bright future for 6&24.

Hostess and sommelier Saskia de Kuijer immediately confirms this: people frequently ask about the meaning behind the restaurant’s name, 6&24. It’s simple… 6 stands for her birthday and 24 for that of her partner and owner-chef, Rik van de Laar. It’s original, and you’ll never forget it. That said, the same goes for Van de Laar’s culinary work, who, like Saskia, has already earned his stripes in the top tier, including at De Librije in Zwolle. Thoughtfully crafted, stripped of unnecessary frills, and with a strong focus on the pure flavor of the ingredients. We taste this in the corvina ceviche with avocado, pumpkin, roasted corn, and kumquat. The fish is served not in thin slices but in chunks, allowing the tiger’s milk marinade (a Peruvian preparation) to coat the fish without overpowering it, leaving the interior perfectly pure in flavor. A technique learned in Peru, where Rik and Saskia traveled extensively. Fantastic. We pair it with a fresh and juicy Italian Terra 2016 made from the distinctive Timorasso grape. The seared langoustines, glazed with ponzu and rolled in quinoa, served atop roasted peppers with carrot elements and ponzu cream, are another testament to exceptional craftsmanship. Service is relaxed, with staff deftly navigating the atmospheric, industrial-style venue spread across multiple open levels. The coffee is excellent, the petit fours house-made, and the bill does full justice to all the beauty on display. Welcome to the court city and welcome to Lekker!