Cafeography
Groningen · Binnenstad-Noord

Cafés in Binnenstad-Noord

The university quarter: Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat, Oude Ebbingestraat, Oude Boteringestraat and the Prinsentuin.

Photo: George Becker, Pexels License

North of the Grote Markt, the old town turns academic. The Academiegebouw, the University of Groningen's main building, has stood on the Broerstraat since 1909, opposite the university library; it replaced an earlier building that burned down during painting work in 1906.4 The faculties of Letters and Law sit behind the old facade of De Harmonie on Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat.1

Three streets run north from here toward the Diepenring: Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat, Oude Ebbingestraat and Oude Boteringestraat. Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat is the densest café street in Groningen, and three of its cafés open before 09:00 on weekdays.

Local tip: Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat starts early on weekdays: Bij Roel opens at 07:30, N•25 at 08:30 and Koffiestation Books & Coffee at 08:45. Save the Prinsentuin for after 10:00, when its gate opens.

At a glance

17Cafés listed
9With opening hours
07:30Earliest opening
21:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Bij Roel, from 07:30 (Mon–Fri 07:30–17:00 · Sat–Sun 09:30–17:00).
  • Closes latest: PS, until 21:00 (Mon–Wed 09:00–18:00 · Thu 09:00–21:00 · Fri–Sat 09:00–18:00 · Sun 11:00–18:00).
  • Most common features: bakery café (24%), specialty (12%), wi-fi (12%).

Kattencafé OP Z'N KOP

  • Oude Ebbingestraat 57
  • Mon 11:00–19:00 · Tue–Wed 10:00–19:00 · Thu–Sat 10:00–20:30 · Sun 11:00–19:00
  • +31 50 211 1963
  • Wi-Fi
  • Bakery café
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A-Café

  • Broerstraat 5
  • Mon–Thu 08:30–17:00 · Fri 08:30–15:00
  • Takeaway
  • Wheelchair access
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Coffee chains in Binnenstad-Noord

Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat

The street is about 340 meters long and runs from the Zwanestraat to the Diepenring; south of the Zwanestraat it continues as the Stoeldraaierstraat to the Vismarkt.1 Its name comes from a facade stone at number 79 reading "Ick kick nog int", set there in 1625 and official as a street name since 1739. A legend links it to a lookout calling to the commander during the siege of 1672, though the carving doesn't quite match the story.1

Number 6, the Hinckaertshuis of around 1300, is described as the oldest privately inhabited house in Groningen. A bust of Aletta Jacobs, one of the first women students in the Netherlands, stands on the forecourt of the university complex.1

Coffee on the Jatstraat

Black & Bloom, at number 32, has served specialty coffee here since summer 2012.5 Its owner, Gerben Engelkes, is a Specialty Coffee Association judge who roasts on a Giesen W6A, and the bar has about 25 seats.5 Koffiestation Books & Coffee, at number 21, roasts its own beans and shares its room with a bookshop.6 It opens at 08:45 on weekdays, has Wi-Fi and puts tables outside.

Bij Roel, at number 27, opens earliest, at 07:30 from Monday to Friday, and N•25 at number 25 serves daily from 08:30 to 16:00. PS, across the street at number 24, stays open until 21:00 on Thursdays, and The Donut Company, at number 12, until 20:00 every day.

Oude Ebbingestraat and Oude Boteringestraat

The name Oude Ebbingestraat first appears in 1245, which makes it the oldest street name still in use in Groningen.2 It was the main road to the Hogeland region to the north and is still a shopping street; its southern end was damaged in 1945 and rebuilt with arcades at the Grote Markt entrance.2 Kattencafé OP Z'N KOP, a cat café at number 57, stays open until 20:30 from Thursday to Saturday, and LUI is at number 71.

Oude Boteringestraat has always been the grander street, with large houses and few shops; the Calmershuis at number 24 dates from about 1250.3 Croissanterie het Opstapje, at number 4, opens daily 10:00–17:00, and Artsy Avenue is at number 1.

The Prinsenhof and its garden

The Prinsenhof, at Martinikerkhof 23, began as the church of the Brethren of the Common Life in 1487 and became the bishop's court in 1569. From 1594 it housed the stadtholders of the House of Nassau, which gave it its name, and since 2012 it has been a hotel.8

Behind it, the Prinsentuin was laid out in the 1620s for the stadtholders, with a rose garden, a herb garden and berceaus (arbors).78 Entry is free, and the garden opens daily 10:00–16:30.7 A second Koffiestation is around the corner at Turfsingel 4, open from 09:30 Tuesday to Saturday.

Sources

  1. Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat, Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  2. Oude Ebbingestraat, Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  3. Oude Boteringestraat, Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  4. Academiegebouw (Groningen), Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  5. Dutch Coffee Outside The Randstad At Black & Bloom In Groningen, Sprudge (October 23, 2018), accessed October 2026
  6. 5 Great Specialty Coffee Shops in Groningen, The Coffee Vine (May 30, 2025), accessed October 2026
  7. Prinsentuin, Visit Groningen, accessed October 2026
  8. Prinsenhof (Groningen), Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
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FAQ

Binnenstad-Noord cafés: questions

Which Groningen streets are near the university's Academiegebouw?

The Academiegebouw, the University of Groningen's main building since 1909, is on the Broerstraat opposite the university library. Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat, where the faculties of Letters and Law sit behind the old Harmonie facade, Oude Ebbingestraat and Oude Boteringestraat all run north from this part of the old town toward the Diepenring.

When did Black & Bloom open in Groningen?

Black & Bloom opened on Oude Kijk in 't Jatstraat in Groningen in summer 2012. Its owner, Gerben Engelkes, roasts the coffee on a Giesen roaster and judges for the Specialty Coffee Association. In 2016 the bar took first place in the Koffie Top 100, an annual ranking by the Dutch trade magazine Misset Horeca.

Is the Prinsentuin in Groningen free to visit?

Yes. The Prinsentuin in Groningen, the walled garden behind the Prinsenhof, is free to enter and opens daily from 10:00 to 16:30. It was laid out in the 1620s for the Nassau stadtholders and has a rose garden, a herb garden and arbors. The Prinsenhof itself has been a hotel since 2012.

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