Treasure behind the treasure: Tommy’s & Zuurveen

In this monthly feature, we shine a spotlight on one of our local treasures. This time, it’s all about two men who run their business day in and day out with an incredible amount of passion. Meet Tom and Teun, the duo behind one of the best restaurants in town: Tommy’s & Zuurveen.

Tom en Teun – Tommy’s & Zuurveen

A restaurant where everything just feels right—without ever being too formal. Expect fantastic, original dishes, a charming little building in a great location, and an incredibly friendly and knowledgeable host. That’s what you get when childhood friends Tom and Teun team up to run a restaurant. One’s a sommelier and host, the other a chef. Together, they make a top-notch duo.

What a great story—childhood friends now running a top restaurant together! How did that come about?

Right? We’ve known each other since third grade. Seven years ago, our paths crossed again. I (Tom) had my eye on a little place on the Veenkade. After years of working at the beach, I was ready to start my own business. I asked Teun if he wanted to take on the kitchen, which and he did. And here we are!

That wasn’t at your current location, was it?

No, we started next door, at Veenkade 19. We’ve been at number 1 for two years now. We needed a bigger space. Funny story—one day Tom went over to number 1 to borrow a roll of Tork paper, and we started chatting with the owners. Turns out they were thinking about moving on. So the timing was perfect. And even though the place is bigger now, we’ve managed to keep that cozy atmosphere.

Are there any fellow The Hague treasures you love to visit—or still want to check out?

As you can imagine, with a restaurant that’s open from Wednesday to Sunday from midday, we don’t have tons of free time. But when we do get a moment, we love heading to the Zuiderstrand to catch some fresh air. Luckily, quite a few treasures have popped up there recently—great fellow entrepreneurs we can swing by for a quick visit.