Cafeography
Groningen · Grote Markt & Oosterstraat

Cafés in Grote Markt & Oosterstraat

The Martinitoren and the rebuilt Grote Markt, Poelestraat after dark, and the shopping lanes south to the Zuiderdiep.

Photo: Barbara deVincent, Pexels License

The Grote Markt is Groningen's main square, and until about 1820 it was usually called the Breede Merckt.1 The Martinitoren on its northeast corner was built from 1469 to 1482. Locals call the 97-meter tower d'Olle Grieze, "the old grey one", and a brick spiral staircase of 260 steps leads to the top.2

The area takes in the square and the streets that leave it to the south and east: Herestraat, Oosterstraat, Poelestraat, Carolieweg and the eastern half of the Gedempte Zuiderdiep. It has more cafés than any other part of Groningen, from bubble tea counters to grand cafés with outdoor tables on the square.

Local tip: On market days (Tuesday, Friday and Saturday) the snack stalls beside the Stadhuis are open from 09:00, before many of the cafés on the square; for coffee earlier than that, Revista on Carolieweg opens at 07:30 from Wednesday to Friday.

At a glance

25Cafés listed
7With opening hours
07:30Earliest opening
01:00Latest closing
  • Opens earliest: Revista, from 07:30 (Wed–Fri 07:30–17:00 · Sat 09:00–17:00 · Sun 12:00–17:00).
  • Closes latest: News Cafe, until 01:00 (Mon–Wed 10:00–00:00 · Thu–Sat 10:00–01:00 · Sun 10:00–00:00).
  • Most common features: outdoor seating (36%), indoor seating (24%), open late (12%).

Café Salud

  • Carolieweg 31
  • Mon Closed · Tue–Thu 15:00–23:00 · Fri 15:00–00:00 · Sat 14:00–00:00 · Sun 15:00–19:00
Map WebsiteIs this you?Report

Wadapartja

  • Gedempte Zuiderdiep 39-41
  • Mon 11:00–18:00 · Tue–Wed 09:00–18:00 · Thu–Fri 09:00–22:00 · Sat 10:00–22:00 · Sun 12:00–20:00
  • +31 6 39034837
Map WebsiteIs this you?Report

Nothing matches those filters here. See all cafés in Groningen.

Coffee chains in Grote Markt & Oosterstraat

The Grote Markt after 1945 and after 2024

During the liberation of the city, from 13 to 16 April 1945, fire destroyed most of the north and east sides of the square and the Waagstraat. When the east side was rebuilt in a modernist style, its building line moved back 17 meters.1 On the west side, the Goudkantoor, built in 1635 as the provincial tax office, is now part of the Waagstraat complex, designed by Natalini and completed in 1996.1

The latest redesign opened on 1 June 2024. Paving now runs unbroken from facade to facade, cars and bicycle parking are gone, and a large cluster of trees and several water features, which double as play elements on warm days, fill the space.3 Forum Groningen, a 45-meter cultural center that opened in 2019, rises on the Nieuwe Markt just east of the square.1

Poelestraat, Oosterstraat and Carolieweg

Poelestraat leads east from the Grote Markt and is one of the city's main nightlife streets. Its wide stretch, now known as the Poeleplein, was once a weerplein, where the city's soldiers assembled behind the Poelepoort gate, and later a horse market.4 Het Concerthuis, at number 30, was founded as a concert hall in 1769.4

Oosterstraat, about 290 meters long, runs south to the Gedempte Zuiderdiep. The cheese shop Van der Ley has traded there since 1934, and the music venue Vera is on the same street.5 Carolieweg, a cobbled pedestrian lane between Herestraat and Oosterstraat, was already paved in the 11th century. Its name comes from kerel (fellow): until the 19th century it was the Karelsweg, the street for ordinary people beside the grander Herestraat.6

Where to drink coffee around the square

Hooghoudt, at Grote Markt 42, and News Cafe, on the Waagplein, both set tables outside; News Cafe has vegan dishes and step-free access. On Poelestraat, Het Concerthuis and Stadtlander, at number 35, have indoor and outdoor seating. Het Concerthuis charged €3.20 for an espresso and €4.00 for a cappuccino on the coffee menu it posted in April 2026.7

On Carolieweg you will find Revista at number 11, Healthy Way at 21, Café Salud, a brown café, at 31, and G Corner Cafe across the lane at 32. Number 31 is one of the street's four municipal monuments.6 Yekka Espressobar is at Steentilstraat 20, and bubble tea comes from Multea Choice at Oosterstraat 9 or Moong at Herestraat 80, open daily 12:00–19:00.

Hours and market days

For an early cup, Revista opens at 07:30 from Wednesday to Friday. For a late one, Wadapartja, at Gedempte Zuiderdiep 39–41, stays open until 22:00 from Thursday to Saturday.

On Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, a row of snack stalls stands on the south side of the Stadhuis (city hall) from 09:00 to 17:00, part of the city market that fills the Vismarkt next door.8 The Stadhuis itself took from 1793 to 1810 to build.1

Sources

  1. Grote Markt (Groningen), Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  2. Martinitoren, Wikipedia, accessed October 2026
  3. Opening of the Grote Markt in Groningen, the Netherlands, Vogt Landscape Architects (2024), accessed October 2026
  4. Poelestraat, Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  5. Oosterstraat (Groningen), Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  6. Carolieweg, Wikipedia (Dutch), accessed October 2026
  7. Koffie & thee (menu), Het Concerthuis (posted April 2026), accessed October 2026
  8. Marktreglement Groningen 2026, Gemeente Groningen, via overheid.nl (in force from July 21, 2026), accessed October 2026
Keep exploring

More of Groningen

Binnenstad-Noord

17 cafés

Vismarkt & Folkingestraat

18 cafés

In Grote Markt & Oosterstraat, also browse: Terraces Vegan & vegetarian Bubble tea

FAQ

Grote Markt & Oosterstraat cafés: questions

When did the new Grote Markt in Groningen open?

The redesigned Grote Markt in Groningen opened on 1 June 2024. Paving now runs from facade to facade, cars and bicycle parking have been removed, and a cluster of trees and water features that double as play elements on warm days fill the square. Its north and east sides had been destroyed by fire in April 1945 and rebuilt after the war.

How tall is the Martinitoren on Groningen's Grote Markt?

The Martinitoren, on the northeast corner of the Grote Markt in Groningen, is about 97 meters tall. It was built between 1469 and 1482, and a brick spiral staircase of 260 steps leads to the top. Locals call it d'Olle Grieze, which means "the old grey one" in the local dialect.

Which café near Groningen's Grote Markt opens earliest?

Among the cafés around the Grote Markt and Oosterstraat in Groningen, Revista at Carolieweg 11 opens earliest, at 07:30 from Wednesday to Friday. At the other end of the day, Wadapartja on the Gedempte Zuiderdiep stays open until 22:00 from Thursday to Saturday.

For café owners

Own a café in Grote Markt & Oosterstraat?

Free listings are free for good. A featured page gives you photos, a menu and your own URL, in your café's own design, for less than a coffee a day.

Get listed, free See a page in its own design