What time do café terraces close in Utrecht?

Café terraces in Utrecht close at 01:00. Between 1 May and 30 September, if a day of 25 °C or more is forecast and the city announces it on its website the day before, terraces may stay open until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday nights. Terraces whose permit sets other hours are excluded.

When is the best terrace weather in Utrecht?

Late spring and summer. At De Bilt, near Utrecht, the mean daily high is 18.3 °C in May and 23.1 °C in July on 1991–2020 normals, and May is the sunniest month, with about 218 hours of sunshine. July and August are the wettest months, with about 84 mm of rain each.

Which squares in Utrecht have the best café terraces?

Discover Utrecht names the Stadhuisplein, opposite the old city hall, as possibly the cosiest square in Utrecht, with sunny terraces such as Daen's. It also picks out the Ledig Erf at the south end of the Oudegracht and the Janskerkhof, where a flower market is held on Saturday mornings.

Terraces in Utrecht: Wharf Cafés, Squares and Late Hours

A terras (terrace) in Utrecht can be a row of chairs on a square, a bench outside a shop door or a table at the foot of a flight of steps by the canal. Under the quays of the Oudegracht, the old wharf cellars hold many cafés and restaurants, and most of them set their tables along the water.⁴

The season follows the weather station at De Bilt, near the city. On 1991–2020 normals the mean daily high is 14.8 °C in April, 18.3 °C in May and 23.1 °C in July, and May is the sunniest month, with about 218 hours of sunshine.² July and August are the wettest, at about 84 mm each, and rain falls on around ten days a month from May to August.²

Local tip: On a summer forecast of 25 °C or more, look for the city's announcement the day before: terraces may then stay open until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.¹

Where these cafés are: Binnenstad (18), Zuid (7), Oost (5), Museumkwartier (3), Lombok & West (3), Pijlsweerd & Ondiep (2), Science Park & Rijnsweerd (2), Wittevrouwen & Noordoost (2), Zuilen (1), Kanaleneiland (1), Overvecht (1).

At a glance

45Cafés listed

33With opening hours

08:00Earliest opening

02:00Latest closing

Opens earliest: Café Elize bij ‘t Spoor, from 08:00 (Mon–Thu 08:00–17:00 · Fri–Sat 08:00–20:00 · Sun 09:00–17:00).

Closes latest: Villa Orloff, until 02:00 (Tue–Thu 10:00–01:00 · Fri–Sat 10:00–02:00 · Sun 10:00–01:00).

Most common features: indoor seating (62%), vegetarian options (33%), wheelchair access (33%).

Along the Oudegracht

The city's terrace rules keep a path of at least 0.75 m free for pedestrians along the werven (wharves).¹ Up at street level, Quignon is at Oudegracht 134, Zizo at 281 and Cafca, open from 08:30, at 302.

Blackbird, at Oudegracht 222, has no indoor seats at all: coffee comes to go or on a bench by the door, served in porcelain or glass if you ask. It opens Wednesday to Saturday 09:00–17:00 and Sunday 12:00–17:00.⁵

Squares in the center

Discover Utrecht, the city's tourism office, calls the Stadhuisplein, opposite the old city hall, possibly the cosiest square in Utrecht, and names Daen's among the cafés there with sunny terraces.³ Daen's serves daily 08:00–18:00. On the Domplein, Badabing and Lebowski put tables out at numbers 20 and 17, and Kluts has a terrace behind the cathedral on Achter de Dom.

The same office picks out the Ledig Erf, at the south end of the canal, and the Janskerkhof, where a flower market fills the square on Saturday mornings.³ The Coffee Vine found Ukiyo Koffie Kart there, a mobile bar serving mainly filter coffee from Dutch roasters.⁸ On the Donkere Gaard, De Vingerhoed has a heated terrace facing the Wed at the front and looks onto the Oudegracht at the back.⁷

Closing time, screens and pins

Utrecht terraces close at 01:00. From 1 May to 30 September, when a day of 25 °C or more is forecast and the city has announced it on its website the day before, they may stay open until 02:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.¹ Terraces whose permit sets its own hours are excluded.¹

Screens may be up to 2 m high but must be see-through above 1.20 m. Standing tables, decking, tents and tarps are not allowed, and open fires such as fire baskets are banned.¹ In the center, pins in the pavement mark how far each terrace may reach, and furniture has to come in, or be stacked so it can't be used, after closing.¹

Terraces outside the singel

Zuid has the most terraces after the Binnenstad. Ohøj on the Rijnlaan has only a few seats inside and more on its terrace.⁸ On the Kanaalweg, Cupp at number 59 and Keet at 30 both seat guests outside, and Tinto on the W.A. Vultostraat serves daily 08:00–17:00.

In Lombok, west of the station, Koffie & Ik says its terrace is in the sun all day, and it opens daily 08:00–17:00.⁶ For an evening drink outside, Villa Orloff on the Lucasbolwerk stays open until 01:00 from Tuesday, and until 02:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Terraces cafés in Utrecht

At a glance

Bakkerswinkel Utrecht

Blackbird

Cafca — Coffee, Design, Books & Vintage

Café Elize bij ‘t Spoor

Cupp

Daen's Café

Dagger Coffee

De Moestuin

De Troef spelletjescafé

De Vingerhoed

DUBBEL / DWARS

Fufu Coffee Studio

Keek

Keet

Kluts

Koffie en ik

Koffie Leute Brauhaus

Lavett

LOX

Molencafé

Nieuw Rotsoord theehuis

Nieuwe Dikke Dries

Noen

NOON bar

Tijm

Tinto

Tuincafé Botanica

Ukiyo Koffie

Villa Orloff

Warmoes

Zizo

Beneden

Badabing

Cafe 't College

Heen en Weer

Koffiemaatjes

Along the Oudegracht

Squares in the center

Closing time, screens and pins

Terraces outside the singel

Sources

Other ways to browse Utrecht

Vegan & vegetarian

Wi-Fi

Bubble tea

Terraces in Utrecht: questions

What time do café terraces close in Utrecht?

When is the best terrace weather in Utrecht?

Which squares in Utrecht have the best café terraces?

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