Autumn is the ideal time to take a stroll around town. Often the temperatures are a little lower, perfect for discovering new acquisitions.
From delicious catering to bear-tasting sandwich stores - Dordrecht has been enriched again!
Couple's, inspired by love
Many years ago, Boris Iliev promised his partner Anita Pavlova that they would open a café together-a long-held dream of the couple. After an extensive search, they found the perfect location in Dordrecht. "We fell in love with this property!" says Anita a day after the opening of Couple's, a name that refers to their love. Together they developed a concept and worked out their vision: a place where you can enjoy a drink with friends or family, but also work in peace. Boris, an expert in preparing coffee, provides the perfect cup, while Anita focuses on the homemade treats, from pastries to sandwiches. Anita and Boris want to make Couple's a real community hotspot: a place where you can work, relax and, in the future, even participate in chess tournaments and game nights.
Enjoying the waterfront at Quay 32
Fall can still bring many beautiful days, so why not stop by Kade 32 to take a seat on the new terrace? Here you can enjoy lunch, drinks bites, cocktails, and a selection of delicious wines and beers. The idea for the terrace originated years ago, but due to works there was an emergency bridge over the terrace for a long time, so Nick Bolte and his wife had to postpone their plans. After months of renovation, the terrace is finally ready. And the reactions are raving, says Nick: "At Kade 32 you have a lovely seat by the water, which people really appreciate. Tourists in particular love looking out into the harbor from the terrace while enjoying a snack-such as our delicious burgers-and a drink. Since the weather is better, the terrace is full every day, which obviously makes us very happy."
For true Italian flavor go to La Focaccina
Brisilda Mecaj has years of experience in the Italian hospitality industry, and she now brings that culinary expertise to Dordrecht with her new business La Focaccina. This sandwich store offers a range of Italian delicacies, with a focus on the Liguria region, where Brisilda has her roots. You will find the famous focaccia bread in various flavors, pesto, a typical Italian nut sauce, lasagna, Italian cheeses and ham, and of course pastries such as tiramisu. The delicacies are to take away or to taste on the spot at one of the tables. Brisilda is happy to be able to bring the taste of Italy to Dordrecht: "One of our specialties is the focaccia genovese; in the dialect around Genoa we call it 'fügassa'-a crispy outside and a soft inside. And then delicious with pesto! I've always worked in salaried jobs, and it's great to run my own store now. Everything is new to me, and I'm learning every day."
Moroccan bakery with a little something extra
When restaurant Nedmar was increasingly asked where their delicious dishes came from and owner Zini el Abidine had to refer customers to Rotterdam for takeout, he figured it could be done differently. After two and a half years, he decided to open his own Moroccan bakery: Ma Baker. That turned out to be a golden move, because since then the Moroccan delicacies and fresh meals, also offered by Nedmar, have been flying over the counter. The cookies, various rice dishes, couscous and tagines are popular, but the special round Moroccan rolls, which are still unknown to many people, are also selling well. "I never thought I would start a bakery at 58, but there was a demand for it," says Zini. "It was a good decision, because the business is running extremely well. I want as many people as possible to enjoy our delicacies." Zini makes 95 percent of the products herself, and you can taste it. "We already have many satisfied customers, and tourists are also enthusiastic. They say, 'we don't have this at home'."
Delicatessen Foodnerd: where you can taste everything
What do you get when you put two food nerds together? The store Foodnerd! Couple Marnix and Stephanie de Wit love good food and together wanted to create a place where you can discover the most delicious products as well as get inspiration for your own kitchen. As soon as you enter, you see a wide range of products, both local and from abroad. You can taste them on the spot, for example on a sandwich or a drinks board, but there are also sweet treats like pastel de nata, croissants and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Or you take them home-especially don't forget the organic cheese and farmhouse cheese-because everything you eat at Foodnerd is also for sale. "We wanted a business where the quality of the products is the focus," Stephanie says. "That you know where they come from and that they have a beautiful origin. We succeeded in that! We are both tremendously enthusiastic about food and love being able to share it with others in this way."
