4x restaurants with positive impact in the Netherlands

Mirjam, founder and director of Stichting Wereldkeuken Haarlem, wanted to show the diversity of Haarlem. This is how the story of this cultural gem begins. Through encounters in this sustainable restaurant and by sharing special dishes with each other, Mirjam believes that cultures come closer together. The World Kitchen is a concept that guides and helps New Haarlemmers to integrate better, in order to increase their chances on the labour market. This makes the World Kitchen one of the special restaurants in the Netherlands. Every day, volunteers put favourite dishes from their motherland on the table. Syrian, Somali, Palestinian, Iranian, Thai: every week, chefs from different cultures surprise you with their favourite dish.

What’s an evening like at the Wereldkeuken? You’re warmly welcome between 6.00 pm and 6.45 pm. After the whole team has been introduced, the dishes are served at the table. Does this initiative put a spring in your step? Then do pop in, whether it’s your first time or you’re a regular. Who knows, you might just find your second home. It certainly makes me very happy!

You will find this special restaurant not only in Amsterdam, but also in Utrecht and Arnhem. It employs people who once fled to the Netherlands and now get the chance to develop their talents. They gain valuable work experience and show how (spring) powerful they are. Very inspiring.

A Beautiful Mess is all about meeting and connecting. They prefer to avoid the word 'refugee' - because that is not an identity, but a temporary phase in someone's life. But even better just by name.

On the menu? Flavours from Middle Eastern and Levantine cuisine. From colourful mezzes and fragrant stews to crispy flatbread and creamy hummus. Vega(n), halal and meat dishes, all prepared by chefs who have brought their family recipes from Syria, Iraq or Eritrea.

Across the border in Münster, Germany, you will find Elbēn-arestaurant with a heart. Or rather two hearts, because that's what 'Elbēn' means in Syriac-Arabic. And you can feel it. This is not just a place to eat, but a meeting place where cultures come together and stories are shared.

Elbēn once started as a project to offer Syrian refugees a new perspective in Germany. Since then, people from all corners of the world work together here, with a shared passion for hospitality and good food. The menu includes Manakish, a richly filled flatbread from the Levant. Topped with everything from fragrant za'atar and spicy cheese to succulent minced lamb and fresh vegetables. Fresh from the oven, and perfect for sharing.

Good to know: Elbēn is in two locations in Münster: by the atmospheric Lake Aasee and in the lively Wolbecker Straße.

In the heart of Antwerp, Samenloop brings people, flavours and stories together. This social restaurant gives asylum seekers and refugees, among others, the chance to gain work experience and develop their culinary talents. Here they don't just cook dishes, but share their roots-a confluence of world cuisines on one plate.

Think aromatic spices from the Middle East, home-made pasta with a touch of Italy and surprising combinations that stimulate your senses. Each dish is a meeting, a bridge between cultures.

Dining at Samenloop means enjoying with impact. You not only taste the love and craftsmanship of the chefs, but also contribute to an initiative that strives for inclusion and social integration. Eating has never been so connecting.