TILBURG - In Your Pocket

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TILBURG
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
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ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES
Contents
Foreword E4
A few words from the editor
Arriving in Tilburg E5
How to get to your hotel
The Basics E6
Getting to grips with Tilburg
History E8
The city’s past on two pages
Culture & Events E10
Concerts, galleries and events
Where to stay E16
Beds for backpackers and business executives
Restaurants E20
The Dutch have much more than cheese to offer
Cafés E29
Classic cafés, bakeries and high tea
Nightlife E30
Bars, pubs, clubs and cafés
Sightseeing E36
Museums, churches and other sights
Tilburg is a true sports city. In fact, more than 90 different
sports from aikido and darts to volleyball and swimming
can be practiced at one of the many sports centres
scattered around town. At a professional level, you can
attend home games of Tilburg’s two most beloved teams:
the Destil Trappers (ice hockey) and Willem II (football).
Read more on p.15. Photo courtesy of the Destil Trappers
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
CONTENTS
Holland is an excellent place to find unique, delicious
beers. Every region has its own special brands and
flavours and we‘ve made a list of our favourite local brews
in case you need a little help deciding what to drink. These
beers are brewed exclusively in the Tilburg area. Photo by
Frank van Bergen
Getting around E42
Trains, buses and taxis
Directory
Shopping E44
Sports & Lifestyle E46
List of small features
Cover story E4
Message from the Mayor E5
Sports in Tilburg E15
Football schedule: WIllem II E15
Our favourite local beers E31
Jan Taminiau E37
Tilburg apps E41
Capital of Culture 2018 E45
Wellness: past and present E47
Maps & Index
Old town street register E48
Hotel, restaurant and nightlife index E48
Old town map E49
Tilburg map E50
Greater Tilburg map E51
Netherlands map E52
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E3

E4 FOREWORD
Netherlands In Your Pocket celebrates its second anniversary
this year. In this fourth edition of Tilburg In Your
Pocket we offer a varied and colourful range of independent
reviews written by our own researchers. Once again,
they’ve worked overtime to visit every single restaurant,
bar, hotel, theatre, museum and pub to bring you unbiased
information. And while the Dutch government may no
longer support cultural life in Holland, the city of Tilburg
clearly values this essential part of everyday life. Read
our Culture & Events pages to find the perfect concert or
festival for you.
By the time you read these words, fall or winter will be in
full swing. But don’t fear the cold or rain because this city
always pulsating with life and you can sense it on every
corner and on every square. The thousands of local and
international students that call this university town home
only enhance this feeling by making a nightlife scene you
won’t want to miss. Any visitor will also discover vibrant
restaurants, an impressive calendar of cultural events
that includes concerts and art exhibitions and a hip air of
freedom and vitality.
A lot has happened since the first Dutch issue of In Your
Pocket hit newsstands two years ago. During this time
we’ve expanded and covered even more cities in the Netherlands.
’s-Hertogenbosch was first, followed soon after
by Utrecht, while Amsterdam and Tilburg made their debut
in 2011. Although some of these cities may seem like
surprising choices to some readers, it’s In Your Pocket’s
aim to be your personal guide to Holland’s undiscovered
gems. Our quest continues in 2013, so look out for more
In Your Pocket city guides in the Netherlands. For now,
explore Tilburg and enjoy!
Cover story
ESSENTIAL CITY GUIDES
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In Your Pocket Tilburg
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tilburg@inyourpocket.com
ISSN 2211-2553
© In Your Pocket Netherlands
Printed by Microdot in the EU
Published two times per year
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This issue’s cover features one of
Tilburg’s most outstanding modern
monuments: Concertzaal Tilburg. The
architect used a unique combination of
wood, aluminum and glass to create the
structure and the interior is equally as
stunning, especially the ceiling, which is
illuminated with colourful lights. Photo
by Persbureau van Eijndhoven
Editorial
Editorial team Theo Leerintveld
(theo.leerintveld@inyourpocket.com) &
Martins Zaprauskis
Contributors Frank van Bergen, Joep
van Aert, Floor Claessen & Mark van
Bergen
Researchers Theo Leerintveld & Bob
Oostelbos
Layout & Design Martins Zaprauskis
Photos Theo Leerintveld, Lya Cattel
& Gemeente Tilburg unless otherwise
noted
Cover photo Persbureau van
Eijndhoven
Sales & Circulation
Advertising ASEGA Media, tel. (+31)
135 453 298
Distribution Theo Leerintveld &
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Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

These days any city in the Netherlands is relatively easy
to reach and that includes Tilburg. The central station
borders the city centre, while the smaller train stations
give access to the suburbs. From the two airports (Schiphol
and Eindhoven) it takes an hour and a half or an hour
respectively to reach Tilburg by train. The public transport
system is fairly simple and well organised, however, many
people prefer to walk to the city centre. Changing money
is possible at the airports, but also at the central train
station in Tilburg. And whether arriving after being packed
into a low-budget plane or jumping off a Dutch train, here’s
some handy info to help smooth your landing.
By bus
Since travel by train is very efficient in the Netherlands, there
are no international bus connections in Tilburg. Veolia is a
company that provides bus service in and around the city.
When you exit the central train station, the bus station is to
your right. For routes and times visit www.journeyplanner.
9292.nl.
By car
Tilburg can be easily reached via motorway A58 or other
provincial roads. In and around the city centre there are seven
indoor car parks; along the roads into the centre electronic
signs will show you the right direction and free spaces available.
You pay when you exit the car park again. For drivers
with physical limitations there are disabled parking spaces
available at the indoor car parks at Koningsplein, Tivoli and
Pieter Vreedeplein. On many streets in the city centre, and
at the outdoor car parks, you’ll find ticket machines. Pay in
advance and place the ticket on the dashboard in a visible
place. The indoor parking options are cheaper.
By plane
If you arrive at either Schiphol or Eindhoven airport Tilburg
is only an hour away by public transport. A single trip from
Schiphol by train costs about €15, and from Eindhoven
Airport the bus followed by the train will cost you about €10.
Both routes will take just over an hour of travelling and you’ll
arrive at the Tilburg Central Station. Check www.9292ov.nl
for more information on schedules and prices.
The bus and train journey from Eindhoven Airport to Tilburg
costs about €9.00. A single train ticket from Schiphol costs
€17.00 and the journey takes about an hour and a half. Be
aware that when you travel from Schiphol to Tilburg, you will
have to change onto the train to Venlo in Rotterdam, within 10
minutes of your arrival. From the central station in Eindhoven
you take the train that is headed for Den Haag (The Hague).
You can find more information on journeyplanner.9292.nl.
Tourist information
VVV Tilburg B-3, Nieuwlandstraat 34, tel. (+31)
90 02 02 08 15, vvv@tilburg.nl, www.vvvtilburg.
nl. Buy typical Tilburg souvenirs here such as the
leesplengske (horn book), real Kruikenstad items and
Willem II products. Everything you’ll need to know about
the city is also available here and the friendly staff will
do everything they can to inform you about what to see
and do in Tilburg. In the back of the room you can even
email your own picture in a postcard of Tilburg to your
friends and loved ones. QOpen 09:30 - 18:00, Mon
13:00 - 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 16:00. Closed Sun. J
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
ARRIVING IN TILBURG
Message from the Mayor
Hello and welcome!
Tilburg: surprisingly provocative.
Tilburg is a city with something
for everyone. It is a true student
city because of the myriad educational
facilities it offers, especially
Tilburg University and its dance
classes. Tilburg is a city of dance.
All links in the ‘dancing chain’ are
within reach of Tilburg’s so-called
Kunstcluster (art cluster). Talented dancers can develop
their skills in a unique climate of culture. What about a
Rock Academy or a course in becoming a musical star?
It’s all possible in Tilburg.
Tilburg is also a city with many businesses. Many of
these revolve around the logistics, tourism/recreation,
flight/maintenance and care sectors. The city has a rich
cultural scene with an emphasis on the events season
that stretches from April to November.
In short, Tilburg has a lot to offer. The large diversity
of art and culture with interesting museums, beautiful city
walks and varied architecture, as well as great shopping
and entertainment districts make Tilburg a fine city. For
the entire duration of the events season, the centre of
Tilburg is everyone’s living room. You’ll run into each
other during Tilburg Zingt (Tilburg Sings), Incubate, at the
Tilburg Ten Miles and of course also at Festival Mundial
or at the Tilburg Fun Fair. If that’s not your cup of tea you
can repose in one of the many parks or in the green city
surroundings with unique nature only a 15-minute bike
ride away. Or you can simply enjoy a café and relax at
an outdoor terrace.
Welcome to Tilburg!
Peter Noordanus
Mayor of Tilburg
Train
Tilburg can be easily reached via its three train stations.
The central train station borders the city centre and the bus
station. From the central station you can reach any corner of
the Netherlands, but if you want to get to Amsterdam, you’ll
need to change trains in ’s-Hertogenbosch. The journey to
Den Bosch only takes 15 minutes, and an hour and a half
later you’ll already be in the capital. One kilometer from the
central station is the smaller Tilburg Universiteit station
where hundreds of students get off to quench their thirst for
knowledge. A two-minute walk is all they need to reach the
university from the train station. Finally, at the edge of the
city you’ll find the Tilburg Reeshof station that connects the
newest part of the city to the rest of the country. This train
station was built purely to facilitate the commute to work for
the residents of the area.
To travel by train, you’ll need a ticket. There are regular
checks on board trains and if you’re travelling without a ticket
you’ll be fined €35, even if you smile and speak a foreign
language. You can purchase tickets at the yellow machines
that adorn all train stations or at the NS Service desk on the
right hand side of the central station in Tilburg. When you
buy a ticket at the service desk, you pay 50 cents extra in
service charges, but the first option is a bit trickier, because
it requires large amounts of loose change. You see, though
the machines are fairly intelligent, they only accept Dutch
bank cards and coins. For more information visit www.ns.nl.
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E5

E6 BASICS
Lots of funny facts about the Netherlands are available
here so read on.
Alcohol
‘Tilburg has many cafés and restaurants so you’re never far
from a glass of wine or a pint of beer. Heineken, Grolsch and
the Belgian Jupiler are the three most popular beers on offer
at most places in the inner city. Other tasty brews include
Brand, Bavaria, Hertog Jan and Amstel. Beer is served everywhere,
but you must be able to prove that you’re at least 16
years old (to drink beer or wine) or 18 for spirits. If you look
too young you’ll be carded, so always bring identification. This
holds true for supermarkets and off-licences, too. If you’re a
little too tipsy you’ll probably be asked to leave the premises
and if you don’t cooperate you could end up spending a night
sobering up in a police drunk tank.
Language
Dutch is an Indo-European Germanic language that is mostly
spoken in the Netherlands, Flanders and Suriname (South
America). It represents a group of important dialects that
were spoken by the founders of the Frankish Empire and the
Saxons. The latter group were the founders of the English
language as it is spoken today, hence Anglo-Saxons. Afrikaans,
as it is spoken in South Africa, is descended from the
17th-century version of modern Dutch. Most Dutch have a
more than fairly healthy command of the English language.
Many will also be adept at other European languages with
German being the most commonly spoken. Mastering the
Dutch language can be a terrifying ordeal, but learning a few
key phrases will make things easier and may even win you
friends and admirers.
Money
Since 2002, a large part of the European Union has adopted
the euro as its local currency and the Netherlands is no
exception. One euro contains 100 eurocents. There are
coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 eurocents, and also of 1 and
2 euro. Banknotes are available with the following values:
5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, and 500. Although a collection of
€200 and €500 bills in your wallet might make you feel like
Bill Gates or some Russian tycoon bear in mind that they’re
almost never accepted in shops or restaurants. You can
exchange and withdraw money at most large banks; there
are a few in the centre of Tilburg. All Dutch banks accept Visa
and MasterCard at their cash dispensers. At the train station
you can find a GWK Travelex shop (open 08:00 - 20:00, Sat
09:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00). Many restaurants, hotels,
and shops accept Visa and MasterCard, but to avoid disappointment,
be sure to carry some cash with you.
Market values
McDonald’s Big Mac €3.25 $4.08 £2.57
Loaf of white bread €0.55 $0.69 £0.43
Snickers bar €0.75 $0.94 £0.59
0.7L of vodka €7.99 $10.03 £6.31
0.5L bottle of local beer €0.54 $0.68 £0.43
20 Marlboros €4.80 $6.02 £3.79
Public transport ticket €1.60 $2.00 £1.26
Cinema ticket €9.00 $11.30 £7.11
1l of petrol €1.82 $2.29 £1.44
Exchange rates (as of 05.09.2012)
US$1 - €0.80, £1 - €1.27, ¥100 - €1.02, AUD$1 - €0.81
National holidays
January 1 New Year’s Day (Nieuwjaarsdag)
March 29, 2013 Good Friday (Goede Vrijdag)
March 31, 2013 Easter Sunday (Pasen)
April 1, 2013 Easter Monday (Pasen)
April 30 Queen’s Day (Koninginnedag)
May 1 Labour Day (Dag van de Arbeid)
May 4 Remembrance of the Dead
(Nationale Herdenking)
May 5 Liberation Day (Dag van de Vrijheid)
May 9 Mother’s Day (Moederdag)
May 13 Ascension Day (Hemelvaartsdag)
May 23 - 24 Whitsun (Pinksteren)
June 20 Father’s Day (Vaderdag)
June 26 Veterans’ Day (Veteranendag)
September 21 Budget Day (Prinsjesdag)
December 5 St. Nicolas (Sinterklaas)
December 25 - 26 Christmas (Kerstmis)
December 31 New Year’s Eve (Oudejaarsdag)
Roads
For a country as small as the Netherlands, there are a
ridiculously high number of asphalt roads and motorways.
Every town, village or hamlet can be reached from the black
ribbon that never seems to be more than a few kilometres
away. Despite the excellent state of Dutch roads (and
cars - it is compulsory in the Netherlands that your car is
checked for faults at least once every two years) traffic quite
frequently jams at a large number of bottlenecks. This is not
very strange if you consider that there are, on average, two
vehicles per household. And there are 7 million households!
The majority of Dutch drivers never break the speed limit,
and considering the severity of traffic fines, this seems
wise enough. Driving through a red light? This will cost you
€160. Driving too fast within city limits? Be prepared to pay
€180! And as soon as you exceed the maximum speed by
50km/h you’ll lose your driving licence and be fined. Just a
few rules: within city limits you must drive 50km/h, outside
city limits 80 and on motorways 100 or 120 (check the road
signs!). In the Netherlands you must drive on the right side
of the road, and you are not allowed to cycle on motorways!
You don’t want to know how many tourists are plucked off
the road by police each year, happily pedalling to their next
destination. In Tilburg you get rewarded for driving 50 km/h
within the city limits.
Smoking
Until recently, smoking was very common in the Netherlands.
Since the introduction of the ban on smoking in public places
on 1 July 2008, smoking has become a lot less common. This
is partially because the government started a huge campaign
to make people aware of the effects of smoking on their
health. Nowadays you can have a wild night out and come
home without your hair and your clothes reeking of cigarette
smoke. For some this is an enormous benefit, and others
(read: smokers) find it a pain, and banish themselves to the
many smoker’s rooms in the country. Moreover, thanks to
unclear rules you may suddenly find yourself in a pub where
there are people smoking. This is usually in pubs with just
a single staff member: the boss. Or you may find yourself in
a pub that flouts the ban on smoking. This will not have any
consequences for you: if you light a cigarette in a pub and
the manager tolerates this, then the manager will receive a
fine upon inspection.
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

BASICS

E8 HISTORY
Tilburg’s long history stretches back to the 8th century.
709 - First mention of Tilburg
A document from the Liber Aereus Epternacensis includes a
mention of Tiliburgis. On 21May, the priest Vigilius writes a
document in Tiliburgis, in which the nobleman Aengilbertus
donates a farm to the Bishop of Utrecht, Wilibrord. Tiliburgis
is most likely a name for a collection of settlements.
1232 - First
mention of the
church
Duke Hendrik I of Brabant
grants patronage rights to
the church of West Tilburg at
the abbey of Tongerlo. The
church had Saint Dionysius,
the first bishop of Paris,
as its patron. It’s unknown
when Tilburg’s first church
was built, but it was erected
at the location of the current
Heike Church.
1387 - Lord of Tilburg
Duchess Johanna van Brabant is in need of money. Knight
Paulus van Haestrecht, high sheriff of ‘s-Hertogenbosch, is
willing to lend the Duchess a sum of money. Johanna van
Brabant gives him the villages of Tilburg, Drunen and Goirle
as collateral for the loan. Hereby Paulus van Haestrecht
becomes lord of Tilburg.
1453 - Philip’s
own aldermen
Philip the Good of Burgundy
and the Duke of Brabant
grants Paulus van
Haestrecht the authority
to annually appoint seven
aldermen to oversee the
administration of justice in
his villages of Tilburg and
Goirle. From now on justice
will be meted out according
to the code of justice of
’s-Hertogenbosch.
Beautiful stained glass
1500 - A centre
for textiles
At this time Tilburg consists
of the villages of Goirke,
Heike, Heuvel, Hasselt and
Heikant. Many sheep are
kept on the vast heaths
surrounding these villages. The large quantities of wool
generated through this are ideal for the emerging of Tilburg’s
textile industry. Many people in Tilburg find work as sheep
shearers, spinners or weavers. As time passes Tilburg
grows to become the Netherlands’ largest centre for textiles.
1570 - The Tilburg Fair
The first written mention
of the Tilburg Fair, which is
held in August, is made in a
custody account. In 1575,
King Philip II grants Tilburg
permission to hold three
annual fairs. The Fun Fair
of Tilburg, which has been
held each last week of July
since 1939, has now grown into an event which draws over
one million visitors.
1746 - Painter
Gérard van
Spaendonck is
born
The painter Gérard van
Spaendonck is born. This
son of a future mayor of
Tilburg receives his training
as a painter in Antwerp
from Guillaume-Jacques
Herreyns. In 1769 he leaves
for Paris where he makes a name for himself as a painter
of flowers. Claude-Henri Watelet vouches for him and he is
appointed as a miniature painter at the court of Louis XVI.
In 1808 Napoleon grants him the title of Count. When he
dies in 1822, he is buried at
the Parisian cemetery Père
Lachaise.
1809 - Tilburg
becomes a city
King Louis Napoleon visits
Tilburg during a tour of the
Netherlands. By royal decree
the king grants Tilburg the
rights of a city on 18 April
1809. An earlier census
showed that Tilburg had
9465 inhabitants.
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

1809 - Petrus Donders is born
On 27 October Petrus
Donders is born in Tilburg.
Peerke, as he is called by
locals, graduates from
seminary and leaves for
Suriname in 1842. Initially
he works as a chaplain
in Paramaribo. In 1855
he becomes the priest
in a leper colony on the
Coppename river. Peerke
dies in 1887 and is later
buried in the Cathedral in
Paramaribo. After his death,
several miraculous healings
are attributed to him and the
house where he was born
becomes a place of pilgrimage. In 1982 he was beatified
in Rome and and in 2009 a museum was opened in his
honour in Tilburg: Peerke Donders Paviljoen, Museum voor
naastenliefde.
1827 - The first steam engine arrives
in Tilburg
Pieter van Dooren uses
Tilburg’s first steam engine,
built in Vervier, in the wool
mill which he opened in
1825. Protests erupt among
local textile workers, who
fear that the machine will make them obsolete and Pieter
van Doren’s windows are smashed. In 1975 his wool mill
is demolished after heated debates in the Tilburg city
council.
Attend a show at Tilburg’s modern concert hall
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
1840 - Crowning
of King Willem II
On 7 October King Willem II
is crowned. This member of
the royal family enjoyed his
stay in Tilburg commenting
“Here I can breathe freely.”
In 1847 he commissioned a
palace to be built here, which
was to serve as a country
residence. It was in this
beloved city that King Willem
II passed away on 17 March
1849 after a brief illness.
HISTORY
1927 - Tilburg University
The Roman Catholic Trade Academy is founded. The school
opens with 28 economics students. From 1963, several
departments are added to the academy, among others
the faculties of Law, Theology and Literature. In 1986, the
name of the academy is changed to the Catholic University
of Brabant, but since 2002 its official name is Tilburg
University.
1944 - Resistance by Coba Pulskens
On 8 July 1944, Coba Pulskens,
who had already provided a hiding
place for Jews, is requested to
arrange a place to stay for five Allied
pilots. While three of the pilots are
already ensconced in a house on
Diepenstraat, the car containing
the two remaining pilots is stopped
by German soldiers. During the
interrogation, the Germans find out
the hiding place of the other pilots.
During the subsequent house
raid, the three pilots, of Canadian, British and Australian
nationality, are killed. Coba is arrested and dies in February
1945 in the Ravensbrück concentration camp.
1992 - Museum De Pont is opened
The De Pont centre for modern art is opened in a former
wool mill, which was remodelled by the architects Bethem
and Crouwel. The museum
for national and international
visual art was named after
lawyer and businessman Mr
J.H. de Pont (1915 - 1987),
whose will stipulates the
creation of a foundation
‘for the stimulation of
contemporary art’.
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E9

E10 CULTURE & EVENTS
When the Dutch think of Tilburg and events, the annual
Tilburgse Kermis fair immediately comes to mind and as
far as culture is concerned the city has a lot to offer. A
great theatre and one of the Netherlands’ better concert
halls are both available in Tilburg. Any true music fan would
be happy to pay a visit to 013, which has gained worldwide
recognition as the venue for the Roadburn Festival. Check
venue websites for more musicals, theatre and concerts.
Tilburg’s various art academies and associations are also
a major driving force behind the cultural life of the city. And
its actually the only city in the Netherlands that has six
vocational art academies. This diversity produces a wide
variety or performances, concerts and events.
Cinemas
Cinecitta C-2, Willem II Straat 29, tel. (+31) 135 42
13 79, www.cinecitta.nl. This cinema shows films of
completely different calibre than the ones featured at the
big multiplexes. The cinema is currently being renovated, so
for now try the Filmfoyer at the Schouwburgring for arthouse
films. QOpen 18:30 - 01:00.
Euroscoop I-6, Olympiaplein 2, tel. (+31) 135 81 28 20,
www.euroscoop.nl. This massive Belgian cinema offers 12
screening rooms and a wide variety of popular current films
including some in 3D. QOpen 14:00 - 24:30. TG
Pathé C-2, Pieter Vreedeplein 174, tel. (+31) 900 14
58, www.pathe.nl. Although virtually every type of film
is shown here, it’s a cinema that seems to attract mainly
younger people, a fact that’s also reflected in the selection
of films. QOpen 13:00 - 24:00. PJUG
Concert halls
013 D-2, Veemarktstraat 44, tel. (+31) 134 60 95 00,
www.013.nl. From Cypress Hill and Robbie Williams to
Editors and Moby, the biggest names in pop and alternative
music have all played at 013. QOpen 07:30 - 02:30, Thu,
Fri, Sat 07:30 - 04:30. JEGX
Paradox C-2, Telegraafstraat 62, www.paradoxtilburg.
nl. Tilburg has a long tradition of Jazz music, but even though
several of its pioneers were born here, these days it’s still a
genre which is only regularly heard at a place like Paradox.
Q JEGX
Exhibitions
Audax Textielmuseum Tilburg I-5, Goirkestraat 96, tel.
(+31) 135 36 74 75, www.textielmuseum.nl. The Textile
Museum offers insight into the rich textile history of Tilburg. It is
housed in a 19th century building and the collection is divided
into four sections: textile science, design, industrial culture and
arts. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 17:00.
BKKC C-2, Spoorlaan 21 i-k, tel. (+31) 137 50 84 00,
www.bkkc.nl. BKKC is Brabant’s provincial Knowledge
Centre for the Arts. Its main objective is to support artists
from Brabant in their development as much as possible, but
the general public can also benefit from the exhibitions on
display here, but entertaining day trippers isn’t its highest
priority. QOpen 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. JG
De Pont I-5, Tjeuke Timmermansstraat 4, tel. (+31) 135
43 83 00, www.depont.nl. De Pont combines the history of
Tilburg with contemporary art. It offers both temporary and
permanent exhibitions. QOpen 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon.
Natuurmuseum Brabant B-2, Spoorlaan 434, tel.
(+31) 135 35 39 35, www.natuurmuseumbrabant.
nl. This magnificent building has permanent and temporary
exhibitions and a very creative way marketing them.
QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Closed
Mon. TJAGK
Air
Rock, folk, jazz & More
Sept
Date Time Event Venue
28 22:30 Various. De Gin Gin. 1960s rock
n roll, soul, jazz and boogaloo. €5 NV
28 20:30 Afro. JuJu Brothers. Funky
afrogrooves by the Dutch
PA
superband. €15
29 20:30 Various. Boi Akih - Circles in
a Square Society. Songs of
freedom by the likes of Jimmy,
Bob and Neil. €10 - 13
Oct
1 20:30 Folk. The Dubliners. 50 years
and counting. Enjoy their jubilee
party. €38
3 21:00 Balkan. Goran Bregovic and his
Wedding & Funeral Band. €44
5 20:30 Jazz. Tim Langedijk Trio featuring
Jasper van ‚t Hof. €12 - 15
Experience Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Gamak featuring
David Fiuczynski (USA) on March 20 at Paradox. Photo by
Zak Shelby-Szyszko
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com
PA
013
013
PA
5 20:15 Indie/Rock. Kensington. Maybe
the last chance to see these
guys in an intimate setting before
they move to stadiums. €12
013
7 19:30 Pop. Trijntje Oosterhuis. €22.50 013
12 20:30 New wave. Ultravox - Brilliant 013
Tour. €40.50
13 22:00 Hardstyle. Euphoria. Line-up:
Brennan Heart, Wildstylez,
Crypsis, Nitrouz, F8trix and
more. €23.50
013
18 20:30 Singer/Songwriter. Janne Schra -
The New… €20.50
SB
21 15:30 Gothic. Heidenfest 2012. Autumn 013
is coming so pull out your black
dress and make up for Finntrol,
Wintersun, Korpiklaani, Varg and
Trollfest. €30
24 21:00 Pop. Steve Miller Band. €55.50 013
27 15:00 Hip hop. Definition of HipHop
2012. Dutch rap stars such as
Fresku, Kraantje Pappie, Kubus,
Rico and Sticks, Extince and
many more. €22.50
013
28 20:15 Pop. Van Velzen - The Rush of
Life. Holland‘s biggest little pop
star has had a moving year
(concert in Dutch). €19.50
SB

The Soweto Gospel Choir will perform their Joy to the World
concert at the Schouwburg on December 30
Rock, folk, jazz & More
Nov
1 20:00 Blues/Rock. Triggerfinger (extra
show). €24
2 20:30 Metal. W.A.S.P. 30 Years of
Thunder. Three decades of
controversial metal that‘s still
alive and kickin‘. €27
3 21:00 Dubstep. Circus Takeover
Holland. Line-up: Doctor P, Cookie
Monsta, Funtcase, Roksonix,
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
Brown & Gammon and more. €15
16 20:30 Indie. Scala & Kolacny Brothers.
This indie rock choir from
Belgium performs classics with
a twist. €16
16 20:30 Rock. Steve Vai. A solo
performance by one of the best
guitar players ever. €45
23 20:30 World music. Yiddish Festival
2012. David Krakauer & the
Madness Orchestra. Play John
Zorn. €15 - 20
24 20:30 Yiddish Festival 2012. L‘Chaim &
David Golek‘s Tiltan. €12 - 15
25 11:00 World music. Yiddish Festival
2012. Duo NIHZ ft Louk Boer &
Di Gojim feturing Ivo Janssen.
The Glanzberg Project. €12 - 15
SB
013
013
SB
013
Dec
2 20:00 Country. Kris Kristofferson. A
contemporary of Johnny Cash
and Willie Nelson, at 75 he‘s still
doing what he does best. €35
013
14 20:30 Jazz. Reggie Washington
Freedom Trio (USA) €12 - 15
PA
15 20:15 Indie/Britpop. Moke. €16 013
16 12:39 Various. JeWelste Live! Free
admission
CB
19 20:30 Jazz. Rubatong. €10 - 13 PA
21 22:30 Various. De Gin Gin. 1960s rock
‚n‘ roll, soul, jazz and boogaloo.
€5
NV
21 20:30 Flamenco. Flamenco Night:
Maurice Leenaars and guests.
€12 - 15
PA
22 21:00 Breakcore. Let loose at the Hall
of Fame. €4
HF
30 20:30 World music. Soweto Gospel
Choir: Joy to the World. €25
SB
PA
PA
PA
CULTURE & EVENTS
Rock, folk, jazz & More
Jan
4 20:30 New Year‘s Concert 2013. New
Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra meets
Anton Goudsmit. €15
16 20:30 Jazz. New Year‘s Concert
presented by Lunapark & Friends
featuring Crescent Double
Quartet. €15
18 20:30 Jazz. Joris Roelofs Trio featuring
Matt Penmann & Ted Poor (USA).
€15
PA
PA
PA
25 22:30 Various. De Gin Gin. 1960s rock
n roll, soul, jazz and boogaloo. €5 NV
29 20:30 Flamenco. Dutch Brass
Ensemble. Flamenco Biënnale
SB
with Carmen Linares. €18
30 20:15 Chanson. Liesbeth List - 70
Years of Liesbeth. €20
Feb
1 20:30 Jazz. Yuri Honing Wired Paradise.
Saxophone virtuoso and Boy
Edgar Prize winner together
with Frank Möbus, Stef van Es,
Mark Haanstra & Joost Lijbaart.
€12 - 15
19 19:30 Deathmetal. Cannibal Corpse
with DevilDriver. €30
19 21:00 Jazz. Jazz session lead by Esther
van Hees. Free admission
23 20:30 Fado. Carlos Leitão and others:
Noite Do Fado. €12.50
28 20:30 Various. World Photo Concert.
The best of the best in World
Photos accompanied by music
from Hans Visser & Irene
Filippova. €11.50
Mar
1 20:30 Jazz. Seeds IV: Tezepi meets
Louis Sclavis (France). €15
2 20:30 Jazz. Carte Blanche, Niels Broos
& Kapok. €15
8 20:30 Pop. The Amazing Stroopwafels -
De Eeuwige Vlam. €18
9 20:30 Celtic. Rapalje - Hearts of Steel.
€20.50
13 20:00 Blues/Rock. The Urban Voodoo
Machine. They like to call their
music ‘bourbon soaked gypsy
blues bop n stroll’. €10
15 20:30 Jazz. Ray Anderson‘s
BassDrumBone (USA). €15
16 20:15 Pop. BLØF - Later als ze groot
zijn. €26
20 20:30 Jazz. Rudresh Mahanthappa‘s
Gamak featuring David
Fiuczynski (USA). €25
22 20:30 Jazz. ECM artist in concert:
Mathias Eick Quintet (Norway).
€15
SB
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For a complete list of Tilburg
events visit
www.tilburg.inyourpocket.com
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E11

E12 CULTURE & EVENTS
Classical & Opera
Sept
Date Time Event Venue
22 20:30 Classical. The Orchestra of
Brabant - Serie de Favorieten.
A presentation of their own
favourite material. €98
SB
Oct
5 20:30 Classical. The Brabant
Orchestra. The Cornerstones of
a Symphony. €17.50
7 14:30 Classical. Surprising Encounters
(Verrassende ontmoetingen).
€12.50
9 20:30 Classical. Amsterdam Sinfonietta
& Patricia Kopatchinskaja.
€11.50
13 20:30 Classical. Magogo Chamber
Orchestra. Riverdance Revisited.
€11.50
25 20:30 Classical. The Orchestra of
Brabant. Lalo’s Masterpiece
conducted by Marc Soustrot with
Adelina Hasani on violin. €17.50
Nov
4 15:00 Classical. Chamber Music Series.
The Sunday Afternoon Matinee:
Liza Ferschtman, Örs Köszeghy,
Daniël Kramer & Céleste Zewald.
€16
6 20:15 Opera. The Tatarstan State
Opera. Free admission.
Reservations required (www.
theaterstilburg.nl)
8 20:30 Classical. Glenn Miller Orchestra.
In the Miller Mood. €14
9 20:30 Classical. Il Giardino Armonico
(Italy). Vivaldi’s Concerti di
Camera performed and lead by
Giovanni Antonini. €13.50
10 20:15 Musical. Big Black & Beautiful.
Rocq-E Harrel, Lucretia van der
Vloot & Michelle David. Holland’s
most popular soul divas perform
energizing and touching songs.
€16.50
11 20:30 Classical. Chamber Music Series.
Souvenir presents the Brodsky
Quartet. €28.50
15 20:30 Classical. Magogo Chamber
Orchestra. Broadway Tonight.
€11.50
23 20:30 Classical. The symphony
orchestras of Ghent, Maastricht
and Tilburg present the Three
Conservatories Concert. €12.50
25 14:30 Opera. The Don Kosaken Choir
of Russia presents A Russian
Affair. €16.50
29 20:15 Opera. Opera Zuid presents
Manon by Massenet. €16
Dec
8 20:30 Classical. Orkest Zuid. Lang leve
de champagne! Kerst in de opera
(Bring the Booze! It’s Christmas
at the Opera)
SB
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SB
SB
SB
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SB
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SB
Classical & Opera
9 14:30 Opera. Valerius Ensemble &
Consensus Vocalis. Stabat Mater
(Wilmink) & Sint Jorismis 2.0
(Finkers). €13
18 19:30 Ballet. The Tatarstan State
Opera performs The Nutcracker.
€24.50
20 20:30 Classical. Magogo Chamber
Orchestra. Christmas with Izaline
Calister. €11.50
23 14:30 Classical. The Dutch Bach
Association presents Messiah.
€22
Jan
5 20:30 Classical. The Royal Harmony
of Thorn presents a New Year‘s
Concert. €12.50
11 20:30 Classical. Amsterdam Sinfonietta
& Ane Brun. Breder dan klassiek
(More Than Just Classical). €23
12 20:30 Big Band. De Koos Mark Big
Band & Barrie Stevens perform
the known and unknown in movie
soundtracks. €24
18 20:30 Classical. The symphony
orchestras of Ghent, Maastricht
and Tilburg present the Three
Conservatories Concert. €12.50
20 15:00 Classical. Chamber Music Series.
The Sunday Afternoon Matinee:
Lenneke Ruiten, Peter Brunt and
others. €9.50
21 20:30 Classical. Storioni International
Chamber Music Festival. €28.50
26 20:30 Opera. Mastreechter Staar &
Royal Harmony of St. Cecile. €13
Feb
1 20:30 Classical. Chamber Music Series.
Souvenir presents Alexei Volodin.
€28.50
19 20:30 Classical. Amsterdam Sinfonietta
& Ronals Brautigam. €11.50
Mar
2 20:30 Classical. The UK Academy of
Ancient Music presents Bach
orchestral suites. €13.50
17 15:00 Classical. Chamber Music Series.
The Sunday Afternoon Matinee:
Enrico Pace & Igor Roma. €16
21 19:30 Classical. Dutch Bach Association:
Matthäus Passion. €29
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com
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Live music
Bolle D-3, Piusplein 8, tel. (+31) 135 81 02 90, www.
cafebolle.nl. In 2011 this place was named one of the best
pubs in the Netherlands. The stage at the back is frequently
occupied by live bands and you might just stumble upon a
fairly famous group, even on a weekday. QOpen 10:00 -
04:00, Mon, Tue, Wed 10:00 - 02:00, Sun 11:00 - 02:00.
(€9 - 14). TJEGBKX
Cenakel J-6, Cenakel 1, tel. (+31) 135 81 13 67, www.
cenakel.nl. After a thorough renovation in 1998, the former
monastery chapel of the Cenakel has become a popular venue
for concerts and exhibitions. Q

Special events venues
Leijpark J-6, Ringbaan Zuid. This 30-acre park was built
in an English landscape style as a job creation project prior
to World War II. The tiny De Leij stream from which the park
derives its name lends it extra allure. In the summer the
Mundial Festival takes place here. Q
Muzentuin C-4, Zwijsenplein 1. The Garden Muse is a
hidden gem where concerts and theatre events take place on
a regular basis. It was formerly the garden of the monastery
of the Order of Our Lady of Visitation. Q
Oisterwijk Outdoor Theatre (Natuurtheater
Oisterwijk) M-8, Gemullehoekenweg 147, Oisterwijk,
tel. (+31) 617 59 53 68, www.natuurtheater.nl. During
the summer months weekly performances take place in
this Roman-style amphitheatre. For over half a century local
culture-lovers have enjoyed the modern open-air version of
‘Bread & Circuses’. Q
Tivoli Park (Interpolistuin) E-2, Spoorlaan 298.
The Tivoli Park is located on the edge of the shopping and
entertainment district of the city centre. Its trees and ponds
make it the perfect place for a wide variety of cultural events.
The name of this green oasis comes from its sponsor, the
Interpolis insurance company, which also owns the gigantic
futuristic building next door. Q
Sport venues
Irene Wüst ijsbaan (Ireen Wüst Rink) I-6, Curlingstraat
15, tel. (+31) 135 83 61 00, www.ijsclubtilburg.
nl. Irene Wust, a skater from the nearby village of Gloirle, won
two gold medals at the Olympic winter games in both 2006
and 2010. She’s also one of the biggest all-round skating
stars in Holland, so it comes as no surprise that the Tilburg
Ice Rink was named after her. YQOpen 10:00 - 22:00,
Mon 10:00 - 19:30, Sat 12:00 - 17:00, Sun 10:00 - 17:00.
(€5.80). T
Willem II stadium I-6, Goirleseweg 34, tel. (+31)
135 49 05 90, www.willem-ii.nl. Since the local football
club hasn’t had much success recently, most people
come to this great stadium for concerts by famous Dutch
pop stars. Q
Theatres
Bosvreugd Cultuurbos H-5, Reeshofdijk 12, tel.
(+31) 134 63 35 31, www.bosvreugd.nl. Bosvreugd is
a multicultural meeting place every Sunday afternoon. Surrounded
by two parks, the Wandelbos and the Oude Warande,
Bosvreugd is located in the heart of the greenest part of
Tilburg. QOpen Sun 15:00 - 02:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed,
Thu, Fri, Sat. T6EB
De NWE Vorst C-3, Willem II straat 49, tel. (+31) 135
32 85 20, www.denwevorst.nl. This building has served
various functions since it was built in 1872, but today it’s a
modern, unusual theatre. It offers two stages, one large and
one incredibly small where you’re practically sitting in the laps
of the actors. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 15:00 - 18:00.
Closed Mon, Sun. TJHGK
Theatres Tilburg B-4, Louisbouwmeesterplein 1, tel.
(+13) 135 43 22 20, www.theaterstilburg.nl. Theaters
Tilburg consists of a monumental theatre, a strikingconcert
hall, a studio and intimate arthouse cinema. A culturalspot
with a wide range of performing arts and film. Enjoy more
than 300 performances and concerts and 600 movies this
year. Also many Dutch musicals have premiered and young
talents from the neighbouring Hogeschool voor de Kunsten
(Art College) regularly perform here. Quality and service
are paramount, even their own restaurant-café Lucebert.
QOpen 12:00 - 01:00. GBK
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
CULTURE & EVENTS
Events & Exhibitions
Date Time Event Venue
23.09 10:00 Hike & Boat tour Moerenburg &
- - Piushaven. Get to know Tilburg
07.10 12:30 by boat and enjoy an afternoon
of Dutch cosiness. Reservations
via www.dekuierlat.nl. €13.50
CC
Kunstronde Tilburg (Art Tour
of Tilburg). Aiming at the
distribution and promotion of
visual arts and culture in the
Tilburg region and beyond with
various programmes at venues
across Tilburg. Every first Sunday
of the month frpm 13:00 - 17:00
CC
25 - Oktoberfest Tilburg. An
TL
28.10 adaptation of the German fest
loaded with beers, unhealthy
food and gemütlichkeit. Tickets
available at www.oktoberfesttilburg.nl
23 - Playgrounds. THE audio-visual art NV
24.11 festival for creative digital arts.
Two days filled to the brim with
film, documentaries, animation
and more
09.01 15:00 Festival C. Circus theatre. Young
performers and producers
compete at the one and only circus
theatre festival in Tilburg. €8.50
NV
02 20:00 Festival Artdanthé. An
NV
09 international theatre exchange
14 between Paris, Montréal and
22 & Tilburg. T.r.a.s.h., Nicolas Cantin,
29.03 Fred Momotenko & Hans
Tuerlings, David Wampach and
Guilhemre Miottu perform at
NWE Vorst
The Don Cossack Choir of Russia will perform A Russian
Affair on November 25 at Theatres Tilburg
Venues
013 013 CB Cafe Bolle
CP Café Philip CS Café Studio
DP De Pont HF Hall of Fame
NB Natuurmuseum Brabant
NV De NWE Vorst PA Paradox
SB Schouwburg TM Audax Textiel Museum
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E13

E14 CULTURE & EVENTS
Theatre, dance & Ballet
Sept
Date Time Event Venue
25 20:15 Dance. T.r.a.s.h. -
Einbahnstrasse. €11.50
SB
Oct
2 19:30 Dance. Opening Night Dance
Month with La Veronal - Islandia
and Danshuis Station Zuid -
Mono. €16
SB
3 20:30 Dance. Ben Duke/Lost Dog;
Home for Broken Turns. €13
NV
4 20:15 Theatre. Jakop Albom -
Lebensraum. Slapstick and
physical comedy. €11.40
SB
6 20:00 Dance. L‘Avventura night. €13 NV
14, 20:15 Ruth Jacott - A Lady on Stage. SB
15 €23
20 20:00 Dance. BAD. A Jubilee NV
21 20:15 Music. Slagerij van Kampen -
Sticks ‚n‘ Drums ‚n‘ Let it Roll.
These percussion maniacs know
how to rock the crowd. €16
SB
25 20:30 Dance. Nicole Beutler & Ulrike
Quaden - Antigone. €11
NV
Nov
3 20:00 Theatre/Music. L‘Avventura
Night. €10 - 13
16 20:30 Dance. Living Dance Studio &
Wen Hui. €14 - 17
17 20:15 Musical. Jeans 22- Dynamite.
The youngsters from Jeans and
their energetic shows usually go
banging. €17.50
18 20:15 Dance. Flamenco Nuevo 2. Maria
Juncal, La Truco and others
perform a brand-new show.
€11.50
22 20:15 Dance. The Dutch Dance
Theatre presents Sleepless.
€11.50
24 20:15 Dance. Momix (VS). Physical and
acrobatic dance theatre. €16
30 20:15 Dance. Emio Greco & PC
present: Rocco. Where boxers
become dancers and dancers
become boxers and the jabs
flow elegantly on the stage.
Nominated for Zwaan 2012
‚most impressive production of
the year‘. Free admission, but
a reservation is required. Visit
www.theaterstilburg.nl
30 20:30 Dance. Helma Melis - Tour Petit
Praline. €8 - 11
Dec
1 20:00 Dance. L‘Avventura Night with
Keren Levi‘s The Dry Piece.
€10 - 13
1, 2 20:15 Musical. Yab Yum - Het Circus
van de Nacht (The Circus of
the Night). A musical about the
infamous brothel in Amsterdam.
€45
NV
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Exhibitions
Exhibition Venue
The Making of… Dinosaurs. How do we know NB
what dinosaurs looked like? And how did we find
their bones? These and more questions will be
answered at this exhibition. Open 10:00 - 17:00,
Sat, Sun 12:00 - 17:00
Dino-Doe Zaal. Kids can experience dinosaurs NB
up close and personal with crafts, painting,
dressing up and more. Open 10:00 - 17:00, Sat,
Sun 12:00 - 17:00
The Journey. An exhibition about the
NB
extraordinary lives of animals. Open 10:00 -
17:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 17:00
Brabant is Going Outside (Brabant in de NB
Ban van Buiten). An exhibition illustrating
the diversity of Brabant‘s landscape and its
inhabitants. Open 10:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun
12:00 - 17:00
The Craft of Jan Taminiau (Het ambacht van TM
Jantaminiau). Showcasing collections from
fashion designer Jan Taminiau. On display from
29.09 - 27.01. Open 10:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun
12:00 - 17:00
TextilleLab. A peek behind the screens of the TM
machinery at the Textile Museum. Open 10:00 -
17:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 17:00
The Pont in the Picture. Photo contest in DP
honour of the 20th anniversary of the museum.
On display from 08.09 - 04.11. Open 11:00 -
17:00. Closed Mon
Philippe Vandenberg & Berlinde De
DP
Bruyckere. Innocence is never to avoid the
worst. A personal choice of paintings by Philippe.
On display until 28.10. Open 11:00 - 17:00.
Closed Mon
Anish Kapoor. A showcase of work at de Pont DP
by the artist responsible for the ArcelorMittal at
the Olympic Games in London. On display 13.10
- 27.01. Open 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon
Wout Berger. When I Open My Eyes. 35 years DP
of living at the IJsselmeer recorded in 60
photos. On display from 10.11 - 06.01. Open
11:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon
Tickets
Tickets for events (music, sports, arts and theatre, family
fun and festivals) are best bought at the venue itself or from
TicketMaster (www.ticketmaster.nl). You can buy tickets by
phone or pick up reserved tickets from selected VVV Outlets,
TicketShops and the Free Record Shop at Heuvelstraat 111.
Watch the New Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra and Anton
Goudsmit at their New Year’s Concert on January 4 at Paradox
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

Tilburg is a true sports city. In fact, more than 90 different
sports from aikido and darts to volleyball and swimming can
be practiced at one of the many sports centres scattered
around town. At a professional level, you can attend home
games of Tilburg’s two most beloved teams: the Destil
Trappers (ice hockey) and Willem II (football). The musclemen
of the Destil Trappers and the local heroes of Willem II both
play in the highest Dutch leagues of their respective sports
and each has been successful over the course of their long
and storied histories.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey may not be the biggest sport in the Netherlands,
but the home games at the cosy Stappegoor Stadium are
always thrilling and packed with action. In addition to some
Dutch stars you can also watch a mix of players of different
nationalities (Italian, Swedish, American and Russian)
wearing the white and blue jersey. Destil Trappers is also
a team with a long history dating back to 1939 when they
played their first game. The team won its first league title
(1946 - 1947) just after World War II and 12 more would
follow in the years to come making it the most successful
Dutch ice hockey club in history. It also holds the record for
being in the first division the longest. In the mid-1970s the
Destil Trappers even received international acclaim when it
reached the semi-finals of the European Cup. The numbers
of its most important players from the good old days have
been retired including number 31, Martin Trommelen, who
played an astonishing 954 games for his beloved Tilburg
team. This is the highest number ever achieved and a record
that won’t be broken easily. Tickets for home games can be
bought at the stadium one hour before face-off or at the
‘t Pleintje video store (Pater van den Elsenplein 2). Ticket
prices vary between €15 - 20 and students and kids pay
only €5. Unfortunately, not all schedules for Destil Trappers
home games were ready as we went to press. You can find
up-to-date information at www.trappers.nl.
Football
With names like Seedorf, Bergkamp, Kluivert, Robben,
Van Nistelrooy, Van Basten, Van Persie, Van der Sar and
many other Vans, it's no secret that football rules in the
Netherlands. Unfortunately,
Willem II isn’t at the height
of its profession, but that
doesn't stop locals from
supporting their home team.
The club was named Willem
II on January 14, 1898 after
the then Prince of Orange
and subsequent king of the Netherlands (1840 - 1849),
who established his military headquarters in Tilburg during
the Belgian Revolution. The club didn’t have its own home
stadium at first, but played at different pitches around town.
Until 1916, football was largely the domain of the western
side of the country, but in that year things changed when a
provincial club called Willem II won the national title for the
first time. During World War II the league carried on as usual
and the stadiums were fuller than ever, but attending a match
didn’t come without risks as the Germans considered these
venues ideal places for raids. To its credit, Willem II didn’t
change its name during the war and continued to play in the
national colours of the Dutch flag. At away games, Willem II
players were often applauded by the other team’s supporters
as an opportunity to express their patriotism. Unfortunately,
the war brought devastation to Willem II’s home pitch. Due
to fuel shortages, most of the wooden seats and other
infrastructure ended up in local fireplaces.
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
SPORTS IN TILBURG
In 1974, Willem II was featured heavily in the media when
it opened a boarding school for young players, the first in
the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the team’s results were
so poor that supporters arrived at ticket counters in their
hundreds rather than thousands. In 1995, Willem II reached
another milestone in its history when a completely renovated
stadium, which seats 14,700 people, was opened at the
Goirleseweg. In 1999, the club even made it to the lucrative
Champions League. However, a decade later the jubilant
mood came to an end when bankruptcy was narrowly avoided
in 2010. The significantly downsized organisation and players
were faced with the virtually impossible task of staying in the
Dutch Premier League and after a desperate season were
finally relegated. However, less than a year later the club was
once again promoted to the top league after a fascinating
encounter with neighbour FC Den Bosch. This season Willem
II has started reasonably well with a couple of draws and
this year’s objective is simply to stay in the Premier League
without playoffs. The fortnightly home games draw crowds
of almost 12,000 and tickets can be bought at the stadium
located at Goirleseweg 34. The reception desk is open 13:00
- 17:00 on weekdays. On match days the stadium’s ticket
counters are open 90 minutes before kick-off. Tickets can
also be purchased online via www.besteljekaartje.nl. Prices
vary between €20 - 35, with discounts for kids. Visit www.
willem-ii.nl for more information.
Watch the Destil Trappers and their angry mascot
Football: Willem II
Sept
Date Time Match Venue
30 14:30 Willem II vs. Pec Zwolle W2
Oct
6 18:45 Willem II vs. RKC Waalwijk W2
Nov
3 19:45 Willem II vs. FC Utrecht W2
24 20:45 Willem II vs. Heracles Almelo W2
Dec
1 19:45 Willem II vs. Sc Heerenveen W2
16 16:30 Willem II vs. Ajax W2
Jan
20 Willem II vs. ADO Den Haag W2
Feb
3 Willem II vs. Feyenoord W2
22 Willem II vs. N.E.C. W2
Mar
9 Willem II vs. VVV Venlo W2
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E15

E16 WHERE TO STAY
Finding a place to stay in Tilburg takes some planning.
There are few low budget hotels and hostels, so, unfortunately,
most options are more expensive accommodations.
If you’re a business traveller who can abuse the
company’s expense account, then you’re in luck. All prices
listed below include VAT and many offer breakfast, but
often for a hefty fee.
Upmarket
Auberge Du Bonheur H-5, Bredaseweg 441, tel. (+31)
134 68 69 42, www.bonheurhorecagroep.nl. The small
Auberge du Bonheur hotel has a beautiful, classic Jaguar
parked in the driveway, which is characteristic of the luxury
and style you can expect here. Auberge du Bonheurs is, after
all, the most chic hotel in Tilburg and each of its 26 rooms is
uniquely designed with rural themes. The villa in which the
hotel is housed is just outside the city centre, but there’s
enough to do close by. The hotel has an outstanding restaurant
and hikers can take advantage of the nearby woods, de
Oude Warande, where you can go on long walks. The hotel is
a short distance from Tilburg University and it’s suitable for
bon vivants as well as for hardworking businesspeople. Q 26
rooms (doubles €129). PHALGBKXW hhhh
De Postelse Hoeve I-5, Dr. Deelenlaan 10, tel. (+31)
134 63 63 35, www.depostelsehoeve.nl. De Postelse
Hoeve is located on the edge of the city near many motorways,
so it’s ideal for business travellers and free parking is another
perk. It looks more like an American motel, however, than a
Dutch four-star hotel, because of its layered architecture.
Despite the fact that the interior is somewhat dated, it still
has plenty to offer. The dark rooms and corridors give the complex
a 1970s look, but all have been upgraded with modern
conveniences like wireless internet. The hotel’s restaurant,
which happens to serve the best lobster in the Tilburg area,
is reason enough to spend a cosy night here. Q35 rooms
(€97 - 195). PTHALGBKXW hhhh
Mercure Hotel Tilburg Centrum D-3, Heuvelpoort
300, tel. (+31) 135 35 46 75, www.mercure-tilburg.
nl. The biggest advantage of this four-star hotel is also its
biggest drawback. Because it’s so centrally located in the
heart of the bustling inner city near all of the pubs, clubs and
nightlife, early sleepers might be bothered by the commotion
outside. If, however, you don’t mind sleeping with your
window closed, you’ll be fine. The staff is friendly and the
rooms are spacious, but bear in mind that the best rooms
are in the new extension of the hotel. The Taste restaurant
in the cellar is excellent and well worth a try. Q 91 rooms
(2 singles €128, 79 doubles €128, 4 triples €128, 2 suites
€134, 4 apartments €140). PTJHAULGB�
KXW hhhh
Mid-range
Bastion Hotel Tilburg J-6, Kempenbaan 2, tel. (+31)
135 44 19 99, www.bastionhotelgroep.nl. Bastion is
the Netherlands’ only national hotel chain of Dutch origin.
It’s situated on the edge of Tilburg, ideally located between
the Beekse Bergen and Efteling amusement parks. The
rooms and bathrooms are simple and equipped with modern
conveniences like electric kettles and free internet. This
unpretentious hotel also serves the best breakfast in town
where everything is fresh and you can eat as much as your
stomach permits. The only downside is that the management
still has a smoking-friendly policy, which could of course be
an advantage if you like to light up. On weekdays the hotel
is packed with businesspeople. Q 40 rooms (40 doubles
€36). THALGKXW hhh
Symbol key
P Air conditioning A Credit cards accepted
C Swimming pool H Conference facilities
F Fitness centre U Facilities for the disabled
6 Pets allowed L Guarded parking
K Restaurant D Sauna
W Free wireless internet
City Hotel Tilburg D-3, Heuvelring 126, tel. (+31)
135 35 13 55, www.cityhoteltilburg.nl. People who just
see their hotel room as a place to sleep could hardly find a
better place than the City Hotel, which is located in the heart
of the city centre. But if you’re a light sleeper, this might not
be the best place for you. Not everyone would be thrilled by
the corny name and dull exterior, but no one could possibly
complain about the comfortable beds in this small hotel.
Modern amenities like flat screen TVs and recently renovated
shower/bathrooms all come standard. Unfortunately you have
to pay an absurd amount of money (€16) for internet. Q 18
rooms. JALGW hhh
De Rooi Pannen I-5, Dr. Ahausstraat 1, tel. (+31) 135
95 56 50, www.derooipannen.nl. The unsuspecting tourist
who happens across this former convent will no doubt be
surprised by the relatively low prices of its rooms. All of its
accommodation from standard to super deluxe rooms are
modern, comfortable, incredibly clean and are equipped with
excellent beds. The reason for all this quality is that De Rooi
Pannen is an educational institution for HoReCa students
learning the hospitality trade in a practical setting. So don’t
be surprised if an instructor openly discusses a mistake
made by the receptionist. The rooms on the ground level have
been furnished by the large, well-known hotel chains, while
the rooms above are designed to look like luxurious five-star
rooms. The hotel is closed during school holidays. QOpen
07:00 - 23:00. Closed Sat, Sun. 19 rooms (3-star €49, 4-star
€59, 5-star €74). PTHALGKXW
Hotel Central B-1, Spoorlaan 422, tel. (+31) 135 43
62 34, www.hotelcentraltilburg.nl. In the beginning of
2012 all of Central’s 22 rooms were completely renovated.
The new accommodation in these historic premises is clean
and tastefully decorated with wooden walls and blue and
white wallpaper and bedding. The rooms aren’t particularly
large, but sufficient for an overnight stay in the Tilburg city
centre and the location is ideal if you plan on using public
transport as the Central Station is located directly opposite
the hotel. The free morning meal is excellent. Q 25 rooms.
JHALGBKXW
Ibis Tilburg H-6, Dr. Hub Van Doorneweg 105, tel. (+31)
134 63 64 65, www.ibishotel.com. Wedged between an
industrial estate and a stately neighbourhood of villas, at first
glance Ibis doesn’t seem like an attractive option for spending
the night in Tilburg. Yet, things are seldom what they seem.
Its 72 rooms may be somewhat small, but they are incredibly
clean, comfortable and the beds have great mattresses. The
staff is friendly, parking is free and an outdoor terrace where
you can fully enjoy the sun in summer is available. Unfortunately
wi-fi is only free in the lobby, but double rooms with
dividing doors are ideal for families. The bus will take you to
the centre in eight minutes and a taxi ride will cost you €15.
Q 72 rooms (68 doubles €65 - 75, 4 family rooms €65 - 75).
PHALBKXW hhhh
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

WHERE TO STAY

E18
WHERE TO STAY: OUT OF TOWN
Budget
Gastenverblijf Koningshoeven M-8, Eindhovenseweg
3, Berkel-Enschot, tel. (+31) 135 40 85 08, info@koningshoeven.nl,
www.koningshoeven.nl. In these hectic times
it’s great to get some proper rest now and again. One of the
most beautiful places in Brabant, the Trappist monastery of
Koningshoeven Abbey, is therefore an ideal location to spend
the night. Peace reigns supreme in the charming monastery
gardens as well as the library. For €40 per day you can catch
a glimpse of modern monastic life, although the 18 resident
monks live separate from their guests. Two of the three
communal meals are eaten in silence, an atmosphere that
these clergymen seem perfectly at ease with. Visitors must
comply with the house rules, as well as the Golden Rule that
nobody may speak after 21:00. The guest quarters include
29 sober one person rooms. If you feel like an even more
ecclesiastical experience you can receive the sacrament of
penance or have a personal talk with one of the monks. Q
29 singles (€40/room). Tours: 09:00 - 10:30 & 15:00 - 16:30.
Closed Mon. LG
Het Wapen van Tilburg C-1, Spoorlaan 362, tel.
(+31) 135 42 26 92, fax (+31) 135 35 18 68, info@
hetwapenvantilburg.nl, www.hetwapenvantilburg.nl.
Het Wapen van Tilburg is a backpackers’ hostel rather than
a budget hotel. It’s located diagonally opposite the railway
station and next door to hash paradise The Grass Company.
The very basic furnishings are almost spartan, with beds from
IKEA and very little else. Five of the seven rooms are doubles
and two can be reserved by groups. The communal showers
and toilets are in the corridor. If you don’t mind all this, you’ve
found one of the cheapest ways to experience Tilburg. And the
bar is very cosy. QOpen 11:30 - 00:30, Thu 11:30 - 01:00,
Sat, Sun 11:30 - 02:00. 7 rooms (7 suites, 8 apartments).
(€22.50/person). TJALGBKW
Bed & Breakfast
Appartement Henk Perdijk B-2, Noordstraat 97,
tel. (+31) 135 35 76 20, www.bedandbreakfast.nl. On
the top floor of the Viva Vintage second hand shop you’ll
find Henk Perdijk’s apartment. The studio is very spacious
and clean and, naturally, decorated with second hand goods
that may strike you as a bit artistic. The owners are incredibly
hospitable exceeding all expectations and are at your
constant beck and call. As soon as you exit the front door
you’re in a beautiful old street on the edge of the city centre
surrounded by pubs, shops and restaurants. The station
and the bus stop are within walking distance and a beautiful
garden is also at your disposal. Q 1 room (single €65, double
€75). JLGBX
Who wouldn’t want to wake up in such a tranquil setting?
B&B Winterresidentie Kasteel Doorwerthstraat 82, tel.
(+31) 644 93 68 54, www.winterresidentie.com. If you’re
looking for a place to stay with a Zen-like atmosphere that’s
walking distance from the centre of town, you’ve hit the jackpot
at this rather confusingly named B&B. After all, you can enjoy Winterresidentie
(Winter Residence) any season of the year. We do,
however, have to admit that the adjoining garden is best enjoyed
in the summer. The rooms are rather scarcely furnished as far
as we’re concerned, but the modern bathroom is a tremendous
bonus. Q (singles €65, doubles €85). JLGBW
Buitenom J-5, Broekstraat 4, tel. (+31) 646 42 88 77,
www.buitenomtilburg.nl. Don’t be surprised if you find a
small horse looking through your bedroom window when you
wake up at Bed & Breakfast Buitenom. The friendly owners
have furnished a room for guests on the ground floor of this
farmhouse, which includes a seating area and a modern
bathroom as well as a private terrace with an attractive view
of the rural surroundings. This clean and tidy accommodation
can be found at the edge of the Moerenburg nature reserve.
Q 1 room (1 double €65 - 85). 6GB
Een der Koningshoeven M-8, Torentjeshoeve 7, Berkel-
Enschot, tel. (+31) 651 99 19 52, www.eenderkoningshoeven.nl.
The beautiful Een Der Koningshoeven farm is
situated near a forest on a country estate that, as the name
suggests, used to be part of one of the five farms that King
William II had built in 1832. Many of these buildings have been
used by the Cistercian Order, otherwise known as Trappist
monks, since 1881. However, one has been converted into
lovely accommodation. There is space enough for two people in
this little house, which has been designed with natural materials,
but if you’re with a large group you can make use of the
dormitory in the attic. Q (€40/person). LGB
Gust van Dijk E-2, Tivolistraat 22, tel. (+31) 135 44 44
95, www.bedandbreakfasttilburg.nl. In the middle of the
inner city of Tilburg you’ll find B&B Gust van Dijk that offers
two rooms. These are both designed by artists and therefore
look super hip. One is called the ‘Orange Submarine’ because
of the overpowering colour scheme and the ‘City Park Greens’
offers a beautiful view of the lovely Tivoli Park. The B&B is
located above a former shop that was built in 1937 based on
drawings by architect Frans Ruts, who helped a lot of Brabant
residents create their dream homes. Q 2 rooms (doubles
€90). JGBXW
Lelia en Michel Bakker J-5, Gildebroederstraat 60,
tel. (+31) 132 11 48 23, www.bedandbreakfast.nl. In the
middle of a residential area that borders the busy centre of
Tilburg is a friendly-looking house where three ordinary rooms
have been turned into accommodation: two double rooms and
a small single room. Due to the residential surroundings, you
may feel like you’re staying the night with friends. The house
is spic and span and you can contribute to this by only wearing
the coloured slippers that are placed in front of you. If the
owners of this friendly B&B ever go bankrupt, they’ll still be
able to find work as translators as this hospitable duo speaks
seven languages fluently. This, naturally, helps make all their
visitors feel very much at home. Q 3 rooms (singles and
doubles €35/person). JB
Pinos B-1, Stationsstraat 8, tel. (+31) 135 42 55 23.
Pino’s bed and breakfast consists of three double rooms
with ensuite bathrooms. The building is located directly opposite
the railway station and it’s about a five-minute walk
from the centre of town near the city’s best pubs, shops and
restaurants. The B&B is housed above the Pino’s restaurant,
which offers great atmosphere and international cuisine. Q
3 rooms (doubles €60). JGK
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

WHERE TO STAY: OUT OF TOWN
Out of town: Bed and Breakfast
De 2 Linden I-5, Kerkstraat 122, Oisterwijk, tel. (+31)
135 21 70 68, www.de2linden.nl. This well-appointed accommodation
offers the atmosphere of a five-star hotel, but
without the stuffiness. The 2 Linden only has one apartment
for a maximum of two people, but it has its own entrance, a
bedroom, sitting room and small kitchenette. It’s also possible
to have your breakfast served in your sitting room, which we
highly recommend, as the breakfast is quite good. The monumental
square leads directly to the oldest part of Oisterwijk
and it’s only a couple of minutes’ walk to the main street with
its many pleasant terraces. Q 1 room (apartments €95). G
De Keer N-7, Bossche weg 60, Den Dungen, tel. (+31)
736 13 40 54, achtvan@xs4all.nl, www.bbdekeer.nl. If
you’ve spent any time travelling around the Netherlands you’ll
have noticed that the Dutch keep their yards in immaculate
condition and this B&B is no exception. De Keer, which dates
back to 1720, has high bushes all around a spacious lawn
and a beautiful sitting terrace where you can just make out
the sounds of traffic going past. The apartment is equally
spacious and just like the yard is in great condition. It’s in the
middle of the Dutch heartland so bring your running shoes
or rent a cycle from the B&B to explore the countryside. Q
1 apartment (single €80, double €90). TB
Hoeve de Mertel M-7, Biezenmortelsestraat 8, Biezenmortel,
tel. (+31) 135 11 17 64, www.hoevedemertel.nl.
In the middle of Dutch countryside you’ll find one of the many
long farms which are characteristic of the rural landscape. At
Hoeve De Mertel you can stay the night in a former granary or
a hay loft. Breakfast is included and this B&B also offers an
extensive lunch or dinner with local produce, so your stay will
be completely hassle-free. If you prefer to do your own cooking
in the large kitchen, that’s also possible. The eight rooms
differ in size and the bathrooms and toilets are communal.
As you might expect, there are quite a few animals around.
Cats roam freely and Swifter sheep can be admired on the
meadows. Q 8 rooms (€29 - 34/person). TGBKW
‘t Vaticaan M-8, Koestraat 23, Hilvarenbeek, tel. (+31)
135 05 40 29, www.vgestel.nl. On the second floor of the
old rectory named The Vatican you’ll find this B&B with two
rooms. The breakfast is extensive and filling and in the room
there’s even a well-stocked fridge for the guest’s convenience.
A coffee maker, to help you get started in the morning is also a
nice touch. The terrace and sauna are communal and children’s
facilities sufficient. The premises are only a short walk away
from the best pubs and restaurants on the historic Vrijthof
square in Hilvarenbeek. Q 2 rooms (€35). TLGB
Out of town: Hotels
De Druiventros M-8, Bosscheweg 11, Berkel-Enschot,
tel. (+31) 347 75 04 38, info@druiventros.nl, www.
hoteldedruiventros.nl. This authentic family hotel offers
plenty of the friendliness which is typical of the province of
Brabant. Some would say the dated decor has seen better
days, others will be impressed with the traditional hospitality,
the comfortable bathrooms and unfailingly friendly staff.
Whichever way you look at it, De Druiventros got its name in
Napoleonic times, when there was a guesthouse at this very
spot and a wine depot across the road. These days you’re
better off with a room at the back of this large hotel, as the
horse-drawn carts have been replaced by fairly heavy traffic.
Modern conveniences include a restaurant, bar, free parking
at the back, wireless internet access and laundry service. Entertainment
includes a bowling alley. Q 56 rooms (€97.50).
PTH6ULGBKXW hhhh
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
The Fairytale Bath House at Efteling Bosrijk
Efteling Bosrijk M-7, Eftelingsestraat 7, Kaatsheuvel,
tel. (+31) 900 - 01 61, www.efteling.com. Efteling Village
Bosrijk is a splendid holiday park with apartments and
cottages that put one in mind of a medieval village rather
than a brand new park. All facilities are exemplary, from the
restaurant to the swimming pool and the staff is friendly. Only
a stone’s throw away lies the Efteling, but Mister Sandman
prefers to live far away from all the upheaval. With his owl
Houdoe he lives in his small, quiet castle in the middle of the
lake. At nightfall this is a magical spot that will enchant children
and adults alike. Q THA6ULGBKXCW
Efteling Hotel M-7, Horst 31, Kaatsheuvel, tel. (+31)
900 01 61, www.efteling.com. The Efteling Hotel is a
perfect reflection of the amusement park: a bit like a fairy
tale and very busy at times. Don’t be surprised when during
breakfast one of the park’s characters pops up to run off with
your kids, leaving heaps of plates with half eaten sandwiches
in their wake. In this hotel the little ones are the boss and they
clearly relish this role. You won’t find much peace and quiet
here, but the beautifully arranged rooms will make a quick
slumber easy. If not, there’s always non-stop fairy tales on
EftelingTelevision! Q (doubles from €109, 20 theme suites).
PTHAULBKXW
Hotel Gilze-Rijen L-8, Klein Zwitserland 8, Gilze, tel.
(+31) 161 45 49 51, www.hotelgilzerijen.nl. The fourstar
hotel Van der Valk Gilze-Rijen is exactly halfway between
Tilburg and Breda, which means that each of these Brabant
towns is only a 15-minute drive away. The hotel was built in
a country house style, which is typical of Van der Valk hotels,
not to mention the enormous toucan on the roof. The majority
of the 210 rooms have been furnished according to the
latest fashion, although guests who enjoy a bit more luxury
can use their credit cards to gain access to an even more
luxurious suite. The hotel also boasts a pool, Jacuzzi, sauna,
Turkish steam bath and in-house casino - a major bonus
in our estimation. Q 210 rooms (standard, comfort and
luxury suites €79 - €149). POTHA6UFLGB�
KDXCW hhhh
Waalwijk hotel Burg van de Klokkenlaan 55, Waalwijk,
tel. (+31) 416 33 60 45, www.hotelwaalwijk.nl.
This multifunctional hotel in the centre of Waalwijk caters
to businesspeople and the primarily Dutch visitors of the
nearby amusement park. The spacious family rooms
provide added value to this hotel, which is nevertheless in
dire need of a redecoration. The rather shabby and dated
exterior isn’t exactly encouraging and the sagging mattresses
will cause you to roll to the middle of your bed, but
the extensive breakfast buffet is excellent. Q 61 rooms
(€64). HALBKW hhhh
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E19

E20 RESTAURANTS
With a population of thousands of international students,
Tilburg isn’t exactly a Mecca for foodies and gourmets,
but local restaurants do cater to pretty much every
ethnic taste. It’s possible to sip margaritas at siesta time
and savour souvlaki for supper. And compared to other
European cities, typical tourist traps are relatively rare. In
Your Pocket staff undertake the strenuous task of selecting,
among hundreds of establishments, those that truly
respect their patrons and take their business seriously
whether they’re humble french fries joints or sophisticated
Michelin-starred restaurants. And with so many establishments
to choose from, we hope that our guide serves as
the solution to what can be an overwhelming question:
what’s for dinner? By the way, tipping isn’t mandatory, but
it’s a nice gesture to leave 10% for good service. Prices
that appear in parentheses indicate the average cost of a
main course only.
Arabic
Sarban I-5, Besterdring 2, tel. (+31) 135 35 35 67,
www.sarban.nl. Even if Afghan cuisine doesn’t ring any bells,
anyone who has enjoyed a meal at Sarban will leave the restaurant
full of praise and admiration. The starters and mains
consist of several dishes with a variety of appetisers. The
service is very friendly and the staff is keen to explain what’s
on offer. The Sarban logo depicts camels and they’re also to
be found in photographs and statues all over the restaurant.
Strangely enough it’s main table is at the back and is typically
Afghan. Think of a raised stage with gorgeous cushions on
which guests sit cross-legged. Diners remove their shoes and
beach wraps are available for women wearing short skirts.
QOpen 16:30 - 22:00. (€27). TGK
Asian
Easy Wok & Go D-3, Juliana van Stolbergstraat 23, tel.
(+31) 135 80 03 79, www.easywokengo.nl. This chain
of Asian restaurants doesn’t owe its success to any attempt
at style or unique interior décor. The small plastic tables
and chairs definitely won’t attract diners out for a romantic
candlelit dinner. This is a fast food wok restaurant where
appetising meals are prepared and packed to go within 10
minutes, which is a welcome change from the usual plate of
chips or a hot dog. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sun 15:00 - 21:30.
(€5 - 10). PJBKS
Jade B-1, Spoorlaan 406-408, tel. (+31) 135 42 31 81,
www.restaurantjade.com. This Asian restaurant has a
large menu with Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes. While it
isn’t cheap, the price-quality ratio is quite good at Jade. The
interior is a different matter. Jade has held onto the standard
Asian restaurant interior design of the 1980s with a lot of
rubbish on the walls and shoddy use of colours. However,
the varied cuisine largely makes up for that and it also offers
take away. QOpen 16:00 - 22:30, Fri 12:00 - 22:30, Sun
13:00 - 22:30. (€25 - 30). PAGKS
Wok Dynasty M-7, Kalverstraat 75, tel. (+31) 134 55
80 83, www.wokdynasty.nl. This Chinese/Japanese wok
restaurant located on the edge of town offers an extensive
menu of pretty much anything Asian, but most people come
here for the all-you-can-eat buffet. You can get a lot of food
for relatively little money, which is why it’s an ideal place for
the frugal Dutch who know how to make the most of their
cash. Unfortunately, not much attention has been paid to the
décor. Although it looks more or less like a cosy farmhouse
from the outside, inside it’s more like a gigantic food factory
permeated by the penetrating smell of fried food. QOpen
16:30 - 22:00. Closed Mon. (€25 - 27). UBK
Symbol key
P Air conditioning A Credit cards accepted
E Live music S Take away
T Child friendly I Fireplace
X Smoking section U Facilities for the disabled
W Free wireless internet 6 Pets allowed
Belgian
Anvers B-3, Oude Markt 8, tel. (+31) 135 83 35 33,
info@oudemarkt.nl, www.oudemarkt.nl. The row of restaurants
on this square is often called Antwerp on the Oude
Markt. Café Anvers is the largest bar-restaurant of the bunch
and with some imagination it might just put one in mind of
Antwerp. The outdoor seating area is almost always full and
inside you’ll discover an exuberant atmosphere. The terrace
affords diners a great view of the Jugendstil buildings by architects
Jan van der Valk and Jos Donders. QOpen 10:00
- 24:00, Mon, Sun 12:00 - 24:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 01:00.
(€13 - 18). PTJABKW
Child friendly
Etenstijd J-6, Professor van Buchemlaan 4, tel. (+31)
135 37 26 50, info@etenstijd.nl, www.etenstijd.nl. From
the outside this restaurant looks like an English mansion, yet
the interior is reminiscent of an old-fashioned ocean liner. In
the middle there’s an enormous clock which you can walk
through to access the balcony. This may sound romantic like
a scene from Titanic, but Etenstijd is hardly a suitable location
for an intimate dinner for two. It is, however, ideal for families
and groups who can get stuck into an all you can eat offer
for a set price within a two-hour time frame. The extensive
buffet offers some refined dishes as well as plenty of stuff for
the little ones. The cellar also houses a playground. QOpen
17:00 - 22:30, Fri 17:00 - 23:00, Sat, Sun 16:00 - 23:00. (€25).
PTAGBKXW
Chinese
I Pin Ke H-5, Bredaseweg 105, tel. (+31) 135 43 41
05. This isn’t just the best Chinese restaurant in Tilburg, but
probably one of the best in the Netherlands. The location isn’t
the greatest, but it’s more than worth the detour. Put aside
the horrible, typically Chinese kitschy interior and get ready
to feast. Although some people swear by the egg rolls, our
favourites have to be the Peking duck, Tipan dishes and crab
cocktail with, yes, real crab. I Pin Ke actually delivers that
which many similar establishments merely promise. QOpen
12:00 - 22:00. TLGKS
Not exactly healthy, but a feast for your taste buds
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

New China Crown I-5, Wandelboslaan 40, tel. (+31)
134 67 30 55. Not unlike students the world over, Holland’s
young ‘scholars’ don’t have a reputation as being good
cooks. This Chinese restaurant cleverly uses this fact having
established itself at a strategic distance from the University.
Takeaway dishes are the most popular, which is hardly surprising
considering that a graveyard at midnight exudes more
atmosphere than this place. The food, however, is delicious,
especially if you go through the trouble of asking the chef to
prepare your dishes in the traditional Chinese manner with
proper spices. Q (€10 - 15). KS
Dutch
Boerke Mutsaers H-5, Vijverlaan 2, tel. (+31) 135 90
08 08, fax (+31) 135 90 08 09, info@boerkemutsaers.
nl, www.boerkemutsaers.nl. Although this restaurant
has been owned by the Mutsaers family since 1644 you
shouldn’t expect antique furnishings in this modern multifunctional
building. The restaurant part is not particularly
large, but has a cosy, nostalgic atmosphere and puts one
more in mind of the English countryside than a location
near the Tilburg West train station. The unusual menu
covers many regional dishes, including the popular peppered
hare, which has been prepared here according to
the same secret family recipe for four centuries. QOpen
09:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:30 - 21:00. Closed Mon. (€19).
PTHAULGBKXW
Bommel Beer H-6, OIympiaplein 1, tel. (+31) 135
82 03 44, bommel@beren.nl, www.beren.nl. This
restaurant, which is part of a national chain, is located in
the same building as Euroscoop, Tilburg’s largest cinema.
Unfortunately, the large scale of the massive hall doesn’t
contribute anything to the restaurant’s atmosphere. If
anything, it feels like a theme park restaurant. A couple
of stuffed bears have been placed here and there and an
attempt has been made to imitate some kind of medieval
castle interior, but it doesn’t really work. It may be a fine
place for families to have an affordable bite to eat before or
after a film, but couples out for a romantic dinner for two
are better off skipping this place. QOpen 12:00 - 23:00.
(€11 - 16). PTUBK
De Bisschop C-3, Heuvelstraat 122, tel. (+31) 135 44
21 03, info@restaurantdebisschop.nl, www.restaurantdebisschop.nl.
Named after Monseigneur Zwijssen, this
restaurant is managed by the descendants of this famous
Tilburg bishop. Zwijssen enjoyed life thoroughly and local lore
has it that this round-bellied man loved food, drink and the
carnival celebrations. Thankfully, these values have been
passed down to the current owner. The menu is rather daring
listing such dishes as butterfish with smoked salmon and
foamed cucumber and the terrace, which borders one of
the city’s quiet squares offers a great view of the one and
only real Kruikenzeiker. QOpen 17:00 - 22:00. (€18 - 23).
JABK
Het Huys van Voskens D-3, Heuvel 5, tel. (+31) 135
43 98 18, www.huysvanvoskens.nl. If you have a bit of
cash to spend and enjoy culinary perfection then pay a visit
to Het Huys van Voskens. Everything here is slightly different
from typical restaurants and the stylish entrance alone is
more reminiscent of a five-star hotel than a multi-functional
building. Seasonal dishes like venison make this place particularly
attractive and the freshness of the food is illustrated
by the oysters bathing in the hallway. The sommelier is also
eager to help you choose the proper bottle of wine with your
meal. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sat 10:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon.
(€20 - 25). JAUGBK
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
RESTAURANTS
Dutch still life: apple pie on a Delftware plate
Klein Tilburg I-5, Beukenstraat 40, tel. (+31) 134 68
30 12, info@kleintilburg.nl, www.kleintilburg.nl. This
restaurant is located in a quiet residential area just outside
the city centre. The name Klein Tilburg is appropriate because
once you’re inside you’ll encounter an atmosphere that evokes
the city’s heydays. The owner is obviously proud of his town
as old newspapers adorn the walls and tables are cut in the
shape of well-known Tilburg buildings. You can have lunch,
dinner or high tea and on warmer days you can even have
a barbecue outside. QOpen , Wed, Thu 16:30 - 24:00, Fri
12:00 - 01:00, Sat 16:30 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 22:00. Closed
Mon, Tue. (€12 - 16). PTUBKS
Langeboom B-2, Nieuwlandstraat 1, tel. (+31) 135 44
14 26, info@langeboom.nl, www.langeboom.nl. Café
Langeboom is located at beautiful intersection in Tilburg
where you can stretch out and enjoy some people watching
as soon as the sun comes out . You can however also take
advantage of the garden behind the building, which also
serves as a terrace. Family-run Langeboom has a lovely lunch
menu and we highly recommend the carpaccio roll. Classic
Dutch dishes are on the menu in the evening and even a dish
like mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts, that makes
most local children gag unreservedly, tastes heavenly here.
QOpen 11:45 - 24:00. Closed Mon. (€9 - 14). JGBK
Lokaal Zeven C-2, Pieter Vreedeplein 7, tel. (+31) 135
44 43 31, michael@lokaalzeven.nl, www.lokaalzeven.
nl. The nostalgic interior makes you yearn for the classroom
of your schooldays. This cosy restaurant is decorated with
blackboards, old school books and Dutch reading primers.
Among other things on the playful menu, you’ll find the ‘Tilburger’
a hamburger as done in Tilburg. Lokaal 7 is a welcome
and warm diversion on the otherwise modern Pieter Vreedeplein.
In spring and summer it has a large outdoor seating
area. Make sure you mind your lessons, despite the large
choice of liquors, wines, beers and ‘special’ coffees. QOpen
10:00 - 02:00. Closed Sun. (€12 - 18). TJEGBKX
Slagroom D-3, Piusplein 6a, tel. (+31) 135 82 00 70,
info@cafeslagroom.nl, www.cafeslagroom.nl. Café
Slagroom is an old-fashioned Dutch farmer’s kitchen with a
checkered floor and small curtains lining the ceilings and the
kitchen shelves. You could almost imagine a family with nine
children sitting at the table being served kale with sausage
from a large, orange casserole dish. Thankfully, Slagroom
has modernised and its menu extends beyond traditional
Dutch cuisine. You can come here for homemade stews, pork
tenderloin with brie or even a European catfish with smoked
bacon. And where women may entertain themselves with a
Tilburg-style high tea that includes traditional koetjesrepen
(a kind of chocolate), men will enjoy its beer selection, greasy
dishes and football. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Mon, Sun 10:00
- 24:00. (€14 - 19). JGBKX
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E21

E22 RESTAURANTS
European
Auberge du Bonheur H-5, Bredaseweg 441, tel. (+31)
134 68 69 42, www.bonheurhorecagroep.nl. Although the
first impression of this villa just outside the centre of Tilburg
is rather decadent, as soon as the waiter welcomes you on
the terrace you feel right at home. This place isn’t really posh,
but the service and menu are certainly on the upmarket side
and the wearing of trainers and workout wear will definitely
earn you a few stares here. QOpen 07:00 - 22:00, Sat
08:00 - 22:00. Closed Sun. AGBKX
NEW
Bistro St. Sjaak I-5, Heuvelring 118, tel. (+31) 135 90
62 68, www.stsjaak.nl. This restaurant is operated by an
eager young newcomer in the Tilburg catering industry. It’s a
bistro that offers culinary classics, originating from France, Italy,
Spain and England, but with a contemporary twist. The dishes
on the menu vary regularly, which makes eating here a bit of an
adventure. The menu is not very extensive, but offers plenty
of choice to please everyone. The wines, moreover, perfectly
complement the dishes offered on the menu. We personally
loved the steak tartare. Thanks to the open plan kitchen,
customers are able to watch the chef’s every move. QOpen
17:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon, Tue. (€15 - 18). JAGBX
De Ouwe Stokerij I-4, Leharstraat 110, tel. (+31)
134 55 11 18, www.deouwestokerij.nl. Although this
restaurant has only been open three years, the management
claims it has been here since 1769. What is remarkable
about this place, which is decorated in medieval style, is
that the customer is allowed to choose from an authentic
Burgundian menu. We highly recommend the so-called
Stokersmenu, where your table is stocked with all kinds of
meats and fish and you are allowed to make your own soup.
A large pan of broth is put on the table and you then add
your own vegetables, meat and other ingredients. Patrons
are offered homemade liqueurs and the wine list, although
not very extensive, is exceptionally good. Service is carried
out in Burgundian style meaning everything in its own time.
QOpen 17:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon, Tue. (€18 - 23). GX
NEW
La Place I-5, Heuvel 25 - 26, tel. (0900) 235 83 63,
www.laplace.nl. La Place at de Heuvel is the second
franchise of this large Dutch restaurant chain. Its concept is
simple; freshly prepared dishes can be ordered in a market-like
setting that makes the senses run ahead before you’ve even
ordered anything. After ordering, you can enjoy your meal in
a fast-food-like ambiance. This restaurant is brand new, as
one can clearly tell. For a much needed authentic Tilburg feel,
enlarged black and white photos of the Heuvelplein have
been put up on the wall. The food (including the smoothies
and coffee) in La Place is freshly prepared and very tasty,
especially considering how cheap it is. For those who feel
like having dinner or lunch during or after shopping, this is
the place to be. However, if you’re looking for ambiance and
an extensive menu, better avoid this restaurant. QOpen
10.00 - 22.00. (€10 - 15). PJAVGBXW
L’Orangerie D-3, Heuvel 39, tel. (+31) 135 43 11 32,
www.lorangerietilburg.nl. L’Orangerie offers a diverse menu
in combination with a domestically-inspired interior. Here you’ll
find dishes such as bitterballen (a type of local croquette)
with salmon, a fisherman’s catch of the day or stuffed peppers.
The oak cupboards against the wall, the buzz of guests
talking and the warm colours all make this place a fine choice
for a meal. The fully-stocked wine racks are also impressive.
QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 22:00. (€18 - 23).
TJULBK
You’re never alone with a good pint at The Three Swallows
Puur Mercure D-3, Heuvelpoort 300, tel. (+31) 135
35 46 75, info@puur-mercure.nl, www.puur-mercure.
nl. If you’re looking for a modern, trendy restaurant with a
matching menu, this is the place. The businesslike interior
where white, brown and dark grey tones prevail make for a
calm, yet refined atmosphere. The menu lists such dishes as
corn chicken fillet, jumbo shrimp and salads, all for affordable
prices. Because this restaurant is connected to the hotel of
the same name, you’ll find plenty of business travellers and
tourists here. If you’re into the brown stuff, sample a dram of
single malt from the bar’s extensive collection of whiskeys.
QOpen 09:00 - 01:00. (€13 - 18). JABK
Taste! D-3, Heuvelpoort 300, tel. (+31) 135 35 32 96,
info@taste-tilburg.nl, www.taste-tilburg.nl. ‘Hier adem
ik vrij en voel ik mij gelukkig’ (or ‘here I can breathe freely
and I feel happy’), is written on the wall of Taste. It’s actually
a quote that King William II once made about Tilburg. This
restaurant, which can be reached through Hotel Mercure, only
serves the crème de la crème of the culinary spectrum. The
interior is modern and you can see exactly what the chefs
are doing in the open plan kitchen. The wines are perfectly
suited to the dishes served and each plate is a feast for the
eyes and a surprise for your taste buds. In short, this is one
of Tilburg’s best restaurants. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (€21 -
26). JABKW
Fast food & Delivery
New York Pizza H-5, Wandelboslaan 36, tel. (+31)
135 90 09 58, www.newyorkpizza.nl. Don’t expect the
legendary pizzas served in Manhattan. New York Pizza is a
large chain that offers a variety of large American-style pizzas
for affordable prices and you can even create your own pizza
on its website. QOpen 16:00 - 22:00. (€7 - 12). AVKS
French
Hofstede De Blaak H-6, Dussenpad 1 - 3, tel. (+31)
134 63 88 99, info@hofstededeblaak.nl, www.hofstededeblaak.nl.
Some secrets you don’t really want to share.
Hofstede De Blaak, an authentic English-style manor house,
is one such a secret, but we’ll share it anyway at the risk of
inspiring hundreds of hungry tourists moving en masse to
this hidden treasure located in a rather boring suburb. Free
parking at the entrance, a large terrace, pleasant furnishings
and a staff that fully understands its profession. A great variety
of extraordinary dishes are on offer, a number of which
can be sampled in a reasonably priced set menu. QOpen
12:00 - 22:00. (€23 - 28). TALGBKX
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

Le Bistro C-3, Juliana van Stolbergstraat 6, tel. (+31)
135 35 13 42, lebistro@planet.nl, www.lebistro.nl. Le
Bistro is a small and cosy restaurant as the name would
suggest. Each dish is a feast for the eyes and thanks to the
open-plan kitchen you can see exactly how the chef prepares
the coquilles, foie gras or sweetbread. If you have the time
make sure to check out the restaurant’s website where the
chef gives cooking tips in an amusing short video. Tilburg
doesn’t have many restaurants with unusual menus, but Le
Bistro is a great exception to the rule. Food is not cheap, but
very tasty. QOpen 17:30 - 22:30. Closed Mon, Tue. (€25 -
30). PJALBK
Lucebert B-4, Schouwburgring, tel. (+31) 135 43 25
15, lucebert@theaterstilburg.nl, www.theaterstilburg.
nl/lucebert. if you’re indecisive about going out for a posh
meal or a bite to eat in a more casual café, you can satisfy
both options at Lucebert. To the left of the entrance you’ll find
a chic restaurant and to the right a cosy bistro. Its location
next to the main entrance of Theaters Tilburg means that
many a culture vulture, including posh folk over 60, can be
spotted here before or after a play. The well off won’t regret
the three-course menu in the restaurant with its linen covered
tables and beautiful décor, while the budget-minded will be
happy with the cheap dish of the day in the relaxed bistro.
From the elaborately decorated walls, the deceased poet and
painter Lucebert observes the goings on here, but bear in
mind that the establishment named in his honour is only open
on nights when performances are scheduled in the theatre.
QOpen 17:00 - 22:00. (€24 - 28). PJAULGBKX
Riddershoeve M-7, ‘t Zwaantje 1, tel. (+31) 135 33
12 39, info@riddershoeve.nl, www.riddershoeve.nl.
This former inn is now a restaurant where dining is a pleasure.
It’s situated on the town square of the small village of
Berkel-Enschot, which is cycling-distance from the centre
of Tilburg. A dinner here isn’t complete without a so-called
wine-deal, which will ensure that each dish is served with
the proper wine. Although the old inn has received a 21stcentury
upgrade, the red tiled floor still reminds one of the
distant past. If you want to truly enjoy traditional Brabant
cuisine, then be sure to try the foie gras. QOpen 17:30 -
23:00. (€15 - 20). AB
Sjieque D-3, Sint Josephstraat 138, tel. (+31) 135 43
20 85, info@restaurantsjieque.nl, www.restaurantsjieque.nl.
The décor of the Sjieque (Chic) Restaurant is true
to its name. Your coat will be taken to the cloakroom while
you enjoy a glass of bubbly and are treated to a tasty appetiser.
The glasses are so clean, they sparkle, the cutlery
is simply immaculate and the napkins are made of pure
linen. The purple and silver interior and the high ceilings
make guests feel like royalty and although the prices are
higher than those at an average café, a meal at Sjieque
won’t cost you an arm and a leg. QOpen 17:00 - 24:00.
(€25 - 30). PJABKW
Greek
Minos Pallas D-3, Heuvelring 224, tel. (+31) 135 35
00 35, info@minospallas.net, www.minospallas.net.
You’ll find everything you expect from a Greek restaurant
here including a bit of kitsch and a lot of Greek décor like faux
columns, wall paintings, ceramic pots and wooden furniture.
The menu however, is quite surprising. The Greek dishes are
authentic and the seafood, like the swordfish, is excellent.
There’s also an outdoor terrace at Minas Palas, which reinforces
its Mediterranean atmosphere when knocking back an
ouzo or two. Unfortunately, its only view is of a busy motorway.
QOpen 16:00 - 22:00. (€19 - 24). ABK
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
RESTAURANTS
Zorba de Griek D-2, Heuvelring 33, tel. (+31) 135
35 86 96, info@zorbadegriektilburg.nl, www.zorbadegriektilburg.nl.
In contrast to the current turmoil
in Greece, Zorba the Greek exudes an atmosphere of
peace and calm and although the name doesn’t suggest
a high level of creativity, the chefs confound this premise.
As soon as you enter you’ll be greeted warm-heartedly
with a glass of ouzo that they’ve been serving to all new
customers ever since the restaurant was established in
1985. Try the traditional giouvarlakia meatball soup.
QOpen 17:00 - 23:00, Sun 16:30 - 23:00. Closed Tue.
(€15 - 19). TJALK
Grill
Bosporus A-4, Korvelseweg 188, tel. (+31) 135 35 90
20. Bosporus’ motto is ‘something for everyone’ and rarely
has a slogan been more on the mark than at this place that
offers a simple interior. This upmarket snack shack practises
European integration by serving Turkish and Greek as well
as Italian and Dutch food. Make sure to try the deep fried
‘fire-eater’, although we’re not quite sure yet what the exact
ingredients are. Q JALVKS
De Reunie D-3, Heuvelring 220, tel. (+31) 135 36 35
35, info@reunietilburg.nl, www.reunietilburg.nl. Meateating
and drinking have always gone hand in hand and let’s
face it: there’s nothing better than an alcoholic beverage after
a good steak. The trendy waiters at this somewhat kitschy
pub don’t just serve a selection of bottled beers, but also the
tasty Erdinger White on draught. But if you think beer’s a bit
too ordinary then forgo the peasant brew and try one of 16
different cocktails at a price, which would barely buy you an
ice cube at some clubs in Amsterdam. QOpen 17:00 - 24:00,
Fri 17:00 - 01:30, Sat 16:30 - 01:30, Sun 16:30 - 24:00.
(€15 - 20). PTJAIEBKW
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E23

E24 RESTAURANTS
Rodeo Grill Restaurant D-3, Heuvelring 120, tel. (+31)
137 505 841, info@rodeo-tilburg.nl, www.rodeo-tilburg.
nl. Carnivores can get their daily intake of iron at the Latin
American-style Rodeo, which specialises in meat dishes of
all stripes including small 180g fillets and monster 800g
steaks that could give a lion a run for its money. There are a
few seafood options for the vegetarians among us, but the
delicious aroma of sizzling flesh would probably be too much
for them to stand. This is the sort of place where lumberjacks
would feel at home, due to the generous servings and the
wood interior, although a bit more privacy might attract even
more gluttons to this affordable restaurant. QOpen 17:00 -
23:00. Closed Mon. (€15 - 20). PJABKW
The 7 Hillranch H-4, Zevenheuvelenweg 30, tel. (+31)
134 68 45 40, info@7hillranch.nl, www.7hillranch.
nl. If this restaurant ever goes broke, it could immediately
re-open as a kids’ playground or as a wild west museum.
After all, no cost has been spared to appropriate the perfect
knick-knacks for this American-style restaurant. The idea is
very simple. Wagonloads of food, particularly meat dishes,
are set out in a buffet for all the hungry cowboys and Indians.
The all-you-can-eat spread will cost you around €24. QOpen
Thu 12:00 - 23:00, Fri 12:00 - 24:00, Sat 17:00 - 24:00, Sun
17:00 - 21:30. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed. PTA6UKS
Health food
Tuinhuis Culinair H-5, Westermarkt 5, tel. (+31) 134
63 48 68, info@tuinhuisculinair.nl, www.tuinhuisculinair.nl.
You’ll find ‘t Tuinhuis (the Garden House) at the fringe
of a not particularly appealing shopping centre. As the name
suggests, the owners enjoy outdoor living and the menu
they’ve created from candied steak and teriyaki dishes to
steamed duck breast and tempura fried Dutch herring reflect
their travels around the globe. All of these eclectic dishes are
prepared with dedication and love in an open-plan kitchen.
Unfortunately, the junior staff could benefit from a kick to their
respective backsides. QOpen , Mon 12:00 - 18:00, Tue, Wed
11:00 - 20:30, Thu 10:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat 11:00 - 23:00.
Closed Sun. (€18 - 23). TULBKSW
Yammie C-2, Telegraafstraat 1a, tel. (+31) 135 80
29 23, info@yammietilburg.nl, www.yammietilburg.nl.
This tiny establishment is tucked away on Telegraafstraat,
but worth the effort to find especially if you like a trendy
atmosphere and healthy meals that you can take away in
a card board box with chop sticks. Yammie’s menu is hardly
spectacular, but the food tastes good. This little take-away
restaurant also has a lounge corner where you can wait while
your meal is being prepared. Yammie also delivers. QOpen
16:00 - 21:30. (€6 - 9). JVGS
Smoking is now forbidden in Dutch restaurants
Historic taverns
St. Petrus M-8, Gelderstraat 1, Hilvarenbeek, tel. (+31)
135 05 21 66, www.petrus-paulus.nl. Next to the Church
of Saint Peter you’ll find the comfortable terrace of Saint
Peter’s Inn. The fitting name as well as the furnishings seem
to have borrowed much from the church next door, but in a
modern fashion. A priest delivers a sermon from his pulpit
in the middle of the room and on the left hand side of the
restaurant you could confess to the greed which is bound
to overwhelm you when looking at the excellent menu. The
same owner runs Taverne Paulus next door, which is more
popular with the younger generation. QOpen 08:00 - 22:00.
(€25 - 30). AUBW
Ice cream
Intermezzo D-2, Heuvering 31, tel. (+31) 135 44 89 22,
info@intermezzotilburg.nl, www.intermezzotilburg.nl. If
you want to taste the most delicious, home made ice cream in
the city, then look no further than Intermezzo. Unfortunately,
the clean and sleek salon on Heuvelring is only open for a
few months every year, but in the spring and summer local
Tilburgers queue up here for the Italian-style frosty stuff. You’ll
find flavours like grandma’s apple pie and white chocolate as
well as ciambella, fruitella and green apple. Although seating
is available, most customers take their ice cream cones
with them. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. (€1 - 5). PJGBS
Indonesian
De Kleine Indo I-5, Professor Romeinstraat 19, tel.
(+31) 135 81 29 90, www.dekleine-indo.nl. This small
Indonesian restaurant is hidden behind Ringbaan Oost, but is
well worth the hike. The décor borrows heavily from traditional
Indonesian furnishings, but with a modern twist. The window
sills are covered in Wajang dolls, the tables are set with bamboo
placemats and, true to tradition, the staff wear sarongs. The
food’s authentically Indonesian, prepared the way old Javan
women might, but in a professional manner. Several types
of satay form the core of this traditional menu and typically
Indonesian drinks like klappa muda (rose syrup) and tjendol
(coconut milk) are also served here. QOpen 16:00 - 21:30,
Sat, Sun 16:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon. (€11 - 16). TUKS
Gember & Sereh D-3, Heuvel 3, tel. (+31) 135 36 05
85, www.gember-sereh.nl. You can order your food as spicy
as you like it at the Gember & Sereh Indonesian speciality
restaurant, but you’re personally responsible for any pain and
discomfort should your burning tongue and watering eyes
cause you any problems. The tables aren’t pushed together
due to lack of space like at many restaurants. Instead, a
large room full of tables and chairs with high backs help
keep your conversations private. Recommended. QOpen
16:00 - 22:00. (€17 - 22). JGBKS
International
Aan Tafel! J-5, J.P. Coenstraat 71, tel. (+31) 135 77 11
37, info@allemaalaantafel.nl, www.allemaalaantafel.nl.
Every Dutch child has heard their mother call out aan tafel!
which literally means ‘to the table’ and that’s the concept of
this restaurant: an eating establishment for families. There’s
a special children’s corner, a changing room and an elaborate
children’s menu. Even the seating area looks like an original
Tilburg living room, which is perhaps fitting as Aan Tafel! is
located in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. The
food is prepared as lovingly as it is at home, but with the
professional skills of a top-notch chef. QOpen 17:00 - 23:00.
Closed Mon. (€13 - 17). TLGBK
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

Blend New Day C-2, Spoorlaan 346, tel. (+31) 135 81
25 16, www.blendnewday.nl. Blend New Day is located on
a hideous property on the Spoorlaan, yet it appeals to pretty
much anyone. You can’t miss it, if only for the multi-cultural
graffiti scribbled on the wall next to the enormous building.
Immediately upon entering you’ll smell incense and, surprisingly
enough by Dutch cultural standards, you’ll run into a wash
basin. The interior is a melting pot of innumerable cultures,
which express themselves in various styles. Both the kitchen
and the restaurant are run by employees from all over the
world, which greatly contributes to the atmosphere. Come
here for a traditional FaFa soup, a kangaroo fillet or maybe
some red snapper. QOpen 17:00 - 21:30. Closed Mon, Sun.
(€15 - 20). JGK
De Kievitshoeve F-4, Nijkerkstraat 1, tel. (+31) 135
70 51 05, www.dekievitshoeve.nl. More than a century
ago farmer Peerke van de Staak established a pub miles
from the city centre of Tilburg. A hundred year later this
establishment is now called ‘Reeshof’s Livingroom’ after
the surrounding estate. Some of the main courses sound a
bit pretentious like the caramelized duck breast and Iberico
pork roulaux (rolls) and the chef hasn’t put much effort into
the kids’ menu. Unfortunately, the staff aren’t very capable
either and our food was served lukewarm. All told, in spite of
its excellent location, the beautiful building and terrace, this
place could use some improvement. QOpen 14:00 - 21:30,
Sun 12:00 - 21:30. Closed Mon. (€18 - 22). TBK
De Rooi Pannen I-5, Dr. Ahausstraat 1, tel. (+31) 135
95 56 50, www.derooipannen.nl. There are nearly 8,000
students at De Rooij Pannen, one of the largest education
centres for the hospitality industry in Holland. No less than
five different restaurants as well as a hotel have been established
in a distinctive old convent, where the students learn
the skills of their professions in a practical setting. Don’t
worry therefore, if a teacher turns up to correct your waiter if
he makes a mistake. Fortunately the food that reaches your
table has already been deemed fit for human consumption in
the kitchen and everything that ends up on your plate tastes
superb. All of this is available for only a fraction of the price
you’d pay in a comparable restaurant. It is, however, closed
during school holidays. QOpen 12:00 - 13:30 & 17:30-19:00.
Closed Sat, Sun. Open 12:00 - 13:30, 17:30 - 19:00. Closed
Sat, Sun. (€15 - 20). THAULGKW
De Spaarbank B-2, Noordstraat 125, tel. (+31) 135 43
83 31, www.stadscafedespaarbank.nl. This historic art
nouveau national monument from 1910 is an ode to architecturally
better times. Today people can enjoy it with lunch or dinner
at De Spaarbank which is decorated by historic details like
a bank vault, a period chandelier, a fire place, a nostalgic train
seat and, best of all, many wonderful stained-glass windows.
The bar/restaurant has a good menu for those with a healthy
appetite and we recommend the duck or rack of lamb. There’s
also a large selection of expensive wines and the menu makes
suggestions on how to pair your meal with a good vintage.
QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 02:00, Sun 11:00
- 24:00. (€16 - 21). TJ6UEGBKW
Jack’s Cuisine D-2, Pieter Vreedeplein 176, tel. (+31)
135 42 57 80, www.jackscuisine.nl. Fancy a stroll down
the Las Vegas strip? That’s what it feels like when you enter
Jack’s Cuisine. Expect separate seats along the wall, many
dark tones and the sound of slot machines in the background.
The restaurant is situated in the same building as a casino,
so the atmosphere is almost American, but with less kitsch
and more style. The menu is actually quite impressive and
offers such dishes as bass, duck and pork tenderloin. QOpen
11:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon. (€18 - 23). ABK
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
RESTAURANTS
Pino’s B-2, Stationsstraat 8, tel. (+31) 135 42 55 23,
info@pinos-eetcafe.nl, www.pinos-eetcafe.nl. Pino’s is
located near the Spoorlaan, one of the city’s busiest roads.
Escape your hurried daily existence and reward yourself
with a journey through a veritable United Nations of culinary
treats. The whole restaurant is decorated with various props
from one of the 10 countries that grace Pino’s menu. This
is a surprising restaurant with a good price-quality ratio and
on warm days the garden is a great place to kill some time.
QOpen 17:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon. (€13 - 18). JBK
Prise d’Eau F-6, Gilzerbaan 400, tel. (+31) 134 67 23
32, receptie@prisedeau-golf.nl, www.prisedeau-golf.nl.
As far as the surroundings are concerned, there are few more
attractive places in Tilburg for lunch or dinner than Prise d’Eau.
This restaurant is full of ambience and its staff know how to
pamper their patrons. The only disadvantage is that you are
supposed to be a member of the golf club to enjoy a meal
here. But considering that nobody checks for an ID badge or a
secret handshake, you can put on your glad rags and enjoy the
Veluwe duck breast with citrus oil and moscato sauce even
if you’re not sure what that means.. QOpen 10:00 - 21:30.
(€13 - 20). TALGBKXW
Sur Plus D-3, Heuvel 49, tel. (+31) 135 43 98 86, info@
sur-plus.nl, www.sur-plus.nl. On the outside Sur Plus appears
to be small and cosy, but once inside the decorations,
the building itself and even the menu are imposing and
majestic. There are also enormous beer tanks showcased in
a massive display cabinet of sorts with steel pipes that you
can follow through the room to the taps. Sur Plus also offers
excellent upmarket cuisine like deer, sea bass and guinea fowl
but for affordable prices. QOpen 17:00 - 24:00. Closed Mon,
Tue. (€17 - 22). JGBK
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E25

E26 RESTAURANTS
The Talk D-2, Heuvel 20, tel. (+31) 135 81 02 23,
bestelling@thetalk.nl, www.thetalk.nl. Do not be discouraged
by the semi-philosophical aphorisms on the wall,
such as: ‘Two monologues don’t make a dialogue’. The Talk
will keep you guessing with its multi-functionality. This is a
colourful place not only for a lovely lunch or dinner, but also
the right address for an affordable drink. You can even ask the
staff for a (simple) cocktail. The open kitchen, the mixture of
architectural styles and the variety on the menu will put even
the greatest pessimist at ease. QOpen 11:00 - 23:00, Fri,
Sat, Sun 11:00 - 24:00. (€11 - 16). PTJVGBKX
Werelds D-3, Emmastraat 3, tel. (+31) 135 43 09 18,
info@brasseriewerelds.nl, www.brasseriewerelds.nl.
Brasserie Werelds is slightly hidden near the entrance of
the Emma Passage. The menu doesn’t offer spectacular
haute cuisine, but simple good food and great value for
money. The wine list is also worth a look, and one should
definitely try the homemade pastries and chocolates.
QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Mon, Sun 17:00 - 22:00. (€17 - 22).
TJAUGBK
Italian
Eataly D-3, St. Josephstraat 136, tel. (+31) 135 44 28
44, info@eataly-tilburg.nl, www.eataly-tilburg.nl. The
name Eataly pokes a little fun at Italians, but in truth, you’d
have a hard time finding a more authentic place. Beautiful
modern leather chairs adorn every table in the colours of
the Italian flag and the warm welcome you’ll receive is Italian
hospitality at its best. Andrea Bocelli sings to the guests
via the sound system and of course there are plenty of
pizzas and pastas on the very extensive traditional menu.
The knowledgeable staff kindly squat down to talk to their
guests and a large garden with a sizable terrace is available
behind the restaurant. Try the antipasto Eataly. You won’t be
disappointed. QOpen 12:00 - 22:30. Closed Mon. (€17 -
22). JAGKW
Il Calatino D-3, Piusplein 74, tel. (+31) 135 35 44 73,
info@il-calatino.nl, www.il-calatino.nl. Sounds simple,
doesn’t it? You start a restaurant that uses only fresh produce,
all your patrons praise the beautiful dishes and tell their
friends and acquaintances, which earns you a reputation in
no time as the place to go. This is exactly what Il Calatino
has done since it opened its doors in the spring of 2011.
Affordable house wines, tender meat, a varied menu with
good sized portions and perfect service make this restaurant
a must if you’re into Italian cuisine. QOpen 17:00 - 22:00.
Closed Mon. (€20 - 25). JAK
Make sure to try the local spirit: Schrobbeler
L’Olivo D-2, Heuvel 41, tel. (+31) 135 42 67 31, info@
lolivo.nl, www.lolivo.nl. L’Olivo combines one of the world’s
best-loved cuisines - Italian - with one that rarely ends up on
anyone’s radar - Swiss. Even after a number of visits to this
cosy, romantic restaurant, we’re still not sure how to judge
the place. You might praise the most expensive meal on the
menu, Livornese fish, yet be annoyed by the burnt rosti, one
of the simplest and least complicated dishes it offers. In short,
when the staff and chef are on their game, this is a brilliant
place to be. At other times it’s simply far too expensive for
the rather scanty portions it serves. QOpen 17:00 - 22:00.
Closed Tue.(€24 - 28). JABK
Japanese & Sushi
Enjoii D-1, NS-Plein 38, tel. (+31) 135 42 11 75, enjoii@
tasteofjoii.nl, www.tasteofjoii.nl. You’ll find Enjoii at the NS
Plein (Railway Square) not far from the centre of town. It’s the
latest in a long line of sushi restaurants that have recently
sprung up all over Tilburg. The restaurant consists of a sushi
section, a buffet area and a place where you can sit together
around the grill while your food is being juggled right before
your eyes. The buffet menu is very straightforward, but the
sushi offers more than a few surprises. For example, you can
order frushi (sushi with bits of fruit), which has just blown
over from the United States. The restaurant also offers an
interesting view of the old rail yard. QOpen 13:00 - 22:00.
(€21). JGK
Koi D-3, Heuvelring 126, tel. (+31) 135 45 10 00, info@
sushi-koi.nl, www.sushi-koi.nl. Sushi Koi is a roaring
success in Tilburg, and not just because of the Japanese
plum wine. At the weekend the queue of people waiting for
a highly prized spot in this sushi and grill restaurant extends
all the way outside. The disadvantage of these throngs of
patrons is that once inside the din from chatty diners is
amplified. So why is this place so popular in a student town
like Tilburg? Sushi Koi employs an all-you-can-eat concept
which allows you to sample as much as you can stomach
for two and a half hours by filling out an order list on your
table. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Mon 13:00 - 22:00. (€21,50).
PTJALGBK
Shinzo E-4, Piushaven 17, tel. (+31) 135 81 28 17,
www.shinzolounge.nl. At Shinzo sushi, lounge and grill,
you can eat all you like for a fixed sum of money, just like
at many of the other sushi restaurants in Tilburg. Free ice
cream, good choices of sashimi and a special price for
children are small differences that set it apart from the rest.
Downstairs you’ll find a lounge area with sofas, wonderful
broad chairs and ambient lights. The dining area upstairs
is like a refurbished farm attic, but in Japanese style. The
decorations of enormous vases, gigantic lion statues and
geishas will keep you occupied between bites. QOpen
16:00 - 22:00, Fri, Sat, Sun 16:00 - 23:00. Closed Mon.
(€23,50). TJLGKX
Suki D-3, Piusplein 55, tel. (+31) 135 44 91 28, fax
(+31) 135 44 77 44, info@sushisuki.nl, www.sushisuki.
nl. Sushi Suki is a kind of square cafeteria that desperately
tries to imitate Japanese style with four rice paper columns.
The menu offers more than 100 types of sushi and the food
is quite tasty. In contrast to the country of the Rising Sun,
tea here is served in enormous pitchers and during the week
you can order all-you-can-eat for a fixed price. The friendly
staff will also welcome you if you simply want a few small
appetisers, for which you won’t have to pay the full price. The
chefs also give you as much wasabi as you can handle with
your sushi. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Mon, Sun 16:00 - 22:00,
Fri, Sat 12:00 - 22:30. (€23,50). PTJALGKSW
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

You haven’t been to Tilburg until you’ve had a Broodje Jantje
Sushi Boulevard I-6, Curlingstraat 1-11, tel. (+31) 135
90 61 47, www.asianboulevard.nl. ‘A lot for a little’ is the
maxim here in every respect. An all-you-can-eat meal can be
had for a set price of €21.50 provided you finish within 2.5
hours. It’s obvious there are several seatings a night, because
the wait staff work so fast that your order slip has disappeared
before you realise it. Although the uninviting arrangement of
tables at the back can be annoying, the cheerful and cosy
area near the large windows at the front is excellent and the
sushi specialities are finger-licking good and as fresh as can
be! QOpen 17:00 - 22:30. (€21.50). TJAK
Tippi Wan A-2, Noordstraat 36, tel. (+31) 135 35 02 59,
info@tippiwan.nu, www.tippiwan.nu. The sophisticated
interior of this restaurant is refreshing. You won’t find kitschy
Japanese paintings on the wall or geisha dolls, but wooden
tables and chairs at a great location. Tippi Wan housed on
the first floor of Villa de Vier Jaargetijden (Four Season’s Villa),
built in the 19th-century in eclectic style. The wine list is
also pretty good. QOpen 17:00 - 21:30. Closed Mon, Tue.
(€3 - 7). ALBKW
Mediterranean
Mañana D-3, Zwaanstraat 18, tel. (+31) 135 45 34 37.
Given the often dreary weather in the Netherlands, the Dutch
enjoy escaping to warmer climates. The Mañana tapas bar fills
this niche perfectly with tasty Spanish mini dishes. Although
the restaurant is located in a rather gloomy alley, locals know
where to find it because it’s always busy here. With a wall
to wall canopy and flamenco dancers on the canvasses on
the walls, the atmosphere is definitely Iberian. In summer
the barbecue is lit every day and everyone sits outside.
QOpen 16:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 01:00. Closed Tue.
(€3 - 8). JUGBK
MeesterS C-3, Monumentstraat 6, tel. (+31) 135 36 29
87, fax (+31) 135 44 29 39, info@stadscafemeesters.nl,
www.stadscafemeesters.nl. This place is Mediterranean
and a tad exclusive, but despite the expensive exterior and
typical hors d’oeuvre before dinner, MeesterS is absolutely
affordable for the middle class. The restaurant is divided into
multiple rooms with different ceiling heights, so the bustle is
never overwhelming. A lot of the building’s original details have
survived renovations such as leaded glass, the high wooden
doors between the rooms and the elegantly decorated ceiling.
A lot more can be seen on the terrace including the highlight -
an abstract fountain from 1972. QOpen 10:30 - 22:00, Sun
14:00 - 22:00. (€18 - 23). TJHA6GBK
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
RESTAURANTS
Mexican
Tortilla’s D-3, Heuvel 47, tel. (+31) 135 45 41 55,
tilburg@tortillas.nl, www.tortillas.nl. Close the front
door and you’ll think you’re in a tropical paradise surrounded
by decorations with strong and vibrant colours
like parrots, traditional dishes, Mexican rugs and all kinds
of bits and pieces which contribute to the restaurant’s
atmosphere. The menu is good and affordable and all the
dishes are mouthwatering including the Cocoloco dessert.
The restaurant boasts a big, beautiful courtyard garden
which provides lots of privacy from the city in summer. If
you prefer people watching take a seat on the terrace.
Mind you, it gets busy - so don’t be late. Make sure to try
the fruity sangria, guaranteed to put you in a good mood.
QOpen 17:00 - 23:00. (€13 - 18). JABK
Out of town
Boslust M-7, Schoorstraat 37, Udenhout, tel. (+31)
135 11 18 72, www.brasserieboslust.nl. In the wooded
area surrounding Udenhout you’ll find Boslust, a café that
was founded in1897, which is now a real tourist attraction.
Play mini-golf, visit the playground with your children or take
a bike ride through the Loonse and Drunense Duinen (natural
dunes). The menu has something for everyone including
food for kids and vegetarians. Boslust is also an ideal point
of departure for anyone who wants to explore the city’s rural
surroundings. QOpen 10:00 - 01:00. Closed Mon. (€14 - 18).
TUGBKX
Pancakes
De Pannekoekenbakker C-3, Heuvelstraat 40, tel.
(+31) 135 36 14 26, www.pannekoekenbakker-tilburg.
nl. Tilburg’s city centre is full of ultra modern buildings, but
halfway down the busiest shopping street is a narrow alley
which leads to a coach house from 1897. It’s nothing short
of a miracle that these premises survived the forces of
modernisation that altered neighbouring buildings forever.
This amazing place serves 250 different kinds of pancakes
including our favourite: chicken satay pancakes! On sunny
days try the small garden behind the restaurant. QOpen
12:00 - 19:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 12:00 - 20:00. Closed Mon. (€8
- 13). TJGBK
Quick eats
Broodje Jantje D-2, Pieter Vreedeplein 2, tel. (+31)
135 49 96 00, info@broodjejantje.nl, www.broodjejantje.nl.
If you’re looking for an authentic snack from
Tilburg, you have to taste Broodje Jantje. It’s a kind of
hamburger with sauce that’s made according to a local
recipe and it has been eaten in the city for generations
by people of all ages. In addition to the roll, you can also
buy fries, croquettes and frikandellen to truly experience
Dutch fast food culture. QOpen 12:00 - 20:00, Thu, Fri
12:00 - 04:00, Sat 15:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon, Sun.
(€2 - 5). JS
De Ritz D-2, Heuvelring 43, tel. (+31) 135 43 06 66,
fax (+31) 135 43 01 00, www.ritz-broodjes.nl. This
place offers little ambience, but it does sell really tasty hot
and cold sandwiches. Specialised in Surinamese delicaties.
All the local businesses in the surrounding area come to De
Ritz for lunch and in the evening you won’t find the kind of
people that enjoy a kebab or a hamburger, but rather the kind
of person that wants a healthy meal. QOpen 11:00 - 20:00,
Thu 11:00 - 22:00, Fri 12:30 - 03:30, Sat 11:00 - 03:30, Sun
12:30 - 01:00. (€3 - 6). JVGBS
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E27

E28 RESTAURANTS
Pim’s Broodjeszaak D-3, Juliana van Stolbergstr 6,
tel. (+31) 135 35 13 42. You can’t sit down and take your
time here, but that doesn’t at all affect the high quality of
the sandwiches served. A staggering 26 different options
will make it difficult to choose from a simple Dutch cheese
sandwich to something more special like with imported Italian
meats and sausages. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.
(€3 - 5). TJS
Snitz I-6, Nieuwstraat 124, tel. (+31) 624 88 26 60. This
place is a must for frites fanatics. You’ll find this chip shop par
excellence in one of the working class areas just outside the
city centre. The cheerful owner fries the best chips for miles
around with a sense of humour, pride and craftsmanship. Avoid
Sundays or queue up behind the last local around 18:00 as
it’s rush hour at Snitz! Q TLKS
Seafood
Kok Verhoeven D-1, NS Plein 32, tel. (+31) 135 45
10 88, www.kokverhoeven.nl. Although you can enjoy
meat courses like duck at Kok Verhoeven, the restaurant
specialises in fish dishes and this is evident as the aroma of
delicious seafood greets you when you walk in. The restaurant
is rather small, but has a lovely terrace with an awning and
a long white sofa and lovely little braziers that provide it with
extra class. Judging from the mountain of champagne corks
in the silver wine cooler visitors must order bubbly in large
quantities. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00, Sat 17:00 - 22:00, Sun
17:00 - 02:00. (€24 - 29). JAUGBKW
Steak
De Reünie D-3, Heuvelring 220, tel. (+31) 135 36 35 35,
www.reunietilburg.nl. De Reünie has the robust appearance
of a steakhouse, while at the same time exuding the trendiness
of a cocktail bar. The wooden beams look like they’ve been
nicked from a Burgundian farmhouse and against the walls you’ll
find sofas with enough room to seat an entire football team.
For those who prefer a more intimate meal there are plenty
of small tables in the centre of the room. Men go all out here
with T-bone steaks and 9% Straffe Hendrik beer, while women
enjoy a fish dish and sip of a Strawberry Collins. QOpen
16:30 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 16:30 - 03:00. (€18 - 23). JGBK
Surinamese
Faja Lobi B-3, Oude Markt 9, tel. (+31) 135 44 96 66,
www.fajalobi-tilburg.nl. These small, narrow premises with
only a couple of tables have the look and feel of a Surinamese
bar, but it actually has much more to offer. Faja Lobi is the
only Surinamese restaurant in Tilburg, so if you’re craving
roti or catjang this is the place to go. The menu is excellent
for both lunch and dinner and if you just need to cool down
after an exhausting afternoon try the Surinamese Djogo
beer. QOpen 12:00 - 21:30, Sun 16:00 - 20:30. Closed
Mon. (€5 - 10). JUBKS
Tapas
La Cabaña H-5, Academielaan 73, tel. (+31) 134 67
33 84, www.lacabanatilburg.nl. If you’re looking for a bit
of sunny Spain in Tilburg, this is the place to go. Order tapas
with wine here in the proper Spanish way. The sheer number
of tapas, including vegetarian appetisers, is impressive and a
lot of thought has been put into restaurant’s interior design,
especially the sophisticated garden. The only drawback is
the location on the outskirts of town. Be that as it may, this
is definitely the best tapas bar in Tilburg. QOpen 17:00 -
23:45. (€3 - 6). PTUGBKS
Try a beer at the Euroscoop cinema café
Más Tapas Y Vinos B-3, Oude Markt 14, tel. (+31)
135 36 07 00, www.mas-tapas.nl. Tapas bar Mas Tapas
Y Vinos offers an extensive list of Spanish wines, which is surprisingly
exceptional for a tapas bar in Tilburg. Unfortunately,
diners are seated on low white stools, which may cause a lack
of legroom for many men. Part of the restaurant is a raised
area, separated by a typically Spanish partition. Fortunately
the stools in this area are a bit higher. The menu is impressive,
with no less than three types of jambon and four kinds of
Spanish cheese and it’s an especially pleasant place to visit
late in the afternoon in summer. QOpen 17:00 - 22:00, Sat
12:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon. (€5 - 10). JABK
Thai
Jasmine I-5, Molenstraat 136, tel. (+31) 135 81 07 66,
www.jasminethai.nl. The restaurant is decorated haphazardly
with an excess of Thai frills, but the menu is attractive
and organised very clearly by the type of meat on offer: chicken,
beef, pork or fish. For added clarity there’s an indication of how
spicy each meal is. When you see three red peppers there’s
a danger of combustion and tears, whereas a dish with no
peppers is even safe enough for children. Daredevils who order
spicy courses can douse the fire with real Thai beer: Singha.
QOpen 15:00 - 22:00. Closed Mon. (€8 - 13). GK
Turkish
Melisa F-4, Dalempromenade 70, tel. (+31) 135 70 47
70, www.restaurantmelisa.nl. For several years Turkey has
been holiday destination number 1 for the Dutch and this is
partly due to the all-inclusive all-you-can-eat packages that
are often offered. However, if you expect to be served the
same processed Western trash in Melisa that these holiday
factories spew out three times a day, you’re mistaken. Meilsa’s
brilliant food matches the view of the Donge Valley, one
of Tilburg’s most attractive and relatively unknown areas of
outstanding natural beauty. QOpen 12:00 - 22:00. Closed
Mon. (€16 - 20). TALBKS
Vegetarian
De Imme C-3, Willem II straat 52a, tel. (+31) 135 42 52
29, www.immetilburg.nl. Vegetarian, gourmet and organic,
that about sums up the food on offer at De Imme. Many of
its products are even raised locally and only available in
season. De Imme’s aim is to create an ecologically sustainable
restaurant and to convince meat-eaters that healthy,
vegetarian cuisine doesn’t have to be bland and tasteless.
It seems to succeed as most of what’s served here tastes
pretty good. It does however go slightly overboard on the
eco-friendly angle, offering organic cola as the only choice of
soda. QOpen 17:00 - 23:00. (€12 - 17). TJUGKS
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

The Dutch share a love of espresso and cappuccino with
the Italians. Cafés in Tilburg quite often offer much more
than just a cup of coffee with pastry or a cup of tea. Most
of them have soups, salads and sandwiches on their
menus, so the border between restaurants, pubs and cafés
is very thin. But have a look over our carefully selected
cafés and pick the one that is just right for your mood or
occasion, Eet smakelijk!
Bakeries
Sissy Boy C-2, Pieter Vreedeplein 43 & 50, tel. (+31)
135 82 14 18, www.sissy-boy.nl. The Sissy Boy chain is
both a clothing and an interior design shop, but you can drink
all sorts of coffees and teas in a coffee house with a somewhat
industrial, but stylish interior in the adjacent building. QOpen
09:30 - 18:00, Mon 12:00 - 18:00, Thu 09:30 - 21:00, Sat
09:30 - 17:30. Closed Sun. PJGB
Soups & Shakes B-2, Tuinstraat 114, tel. (+31) 135
45 16 97. Soups & Shakes is essentially a sandwich shop
where you can create your own lunch with a variety of toppings
for a fair price. The small, flowery room exudes a friendly
atmosphere, you can make your own coffee if you like and
the owner is always up for a chat. The place is popular with
local shoppers in need of an energy boost, but students
also seem to congregate here. QOpen 11:30 - 19:00, Thu
11:30 - 20:00. Closed Sun. (€3 - 8). JGBS
Classic cafés
NEW
Berlijn Cafe Korvelseweg 169, tel. (+31) 135 35 65 94,
www.berlijncafe.nl. In a small town like Tilburg every new
establishment is scrutinised closely in order to determine if it
adds anything to the existing scene. Berlijn Cafe has no worries
in this regard. This trendy place is slightly off the beaten
track, but we still can’t comprehend the association with
the German capital. In fact, apart from a well-hidden bust of
East Germany’s former leader, Erich Honecker, we discovered
very little that could be classified as ‘typically Berlin.’ We did,
however, discover a well-balanced wine list and a modest
menu of well-prepared dishes. QOpen 10:30 - 01:00, Fri,
Sat, Sun 10:30 - 02:00. TAULGBKX
Breexz B-1, Spoorlaan 47, tel. (+31) 135 42 52 55,
info@breexz.nl, www.breexz.nl. One of the of Breexz’s
best features is the incredible view. You’re basically floating
above the busy Spoorlaan, where traffic rushes by beneath.
You won’t find lukewarm sausages or weak coffee here, rather
caffiato, mojitos and Atlantic sole rolls that will make you
want to miss your next train. QOpen 09:00 - 21:00, Sat
10:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00. (€8 - 13). PTJAGK
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
CAFÉS
De Burgerij B-2, Noordstraat 87 - 89, tel. (+31) 138 22
09 89, www.deburgerij.nl. A visit to De Burgerij feels like
a trip back in time and the French countryside of the past is
your final destination. The cheese, olive oils and meats on
display are simply mouth-watering and placing an order here
couldn’t be easier. Just choose either A, B or C. Sandwiches
of differing prices and fillings are available from abundant and
overflowing to basic. The romantic setting, friendly service
and homemade food places this newcomer among our favourites.
Give it a try. QOpen 10.00 - 20.00, Sun 12.00 - 17.00.
Closed Mon. (€3 - 5). PTJ6BSW
Kras2 C-3, Willem II straat 27, tel. (+31) 135 44 40
42, www.kras2.nl. You can’t walk past this sandwich
shop without noticing it. The enormous ILLY coffee cup
and the memorable delivery bicycles that stand outside
the door will definitely grab your attention. The room smells
of super simple, yet delicious sandwiches, whose fillings
are often of Italian origin. Your order will be prepared right
in front of you in the open kitchen, but you could always
try a fresh piece of pie or buy something to prepare at
home. QOpen 08:00 - 18:00, Sat 09:00 - 17:00. Closed
Sun. (€2 - 7). JGS
Mugs & Muffins Willem II straat 57, tel. (+31) 135 90
45 85, info@mugsandmuffins.nl, www.mugsandmuffins.
nl. ‘A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand’ is its motto and
Mugs & Muffins lives by it. Shoppers come here by the bucket
load to enjoy hot drinks and home made pastries. Starbucks
pales by comparison with this Tilburg favourite. Take a seat
near the front window for people watching or in the back for
a view of a well-maintained city garden. If you’re in luck, you
might find a seat in one of the two wonderful arm-chairs. Every
season three new drinks appear on the menu, which are perfectly
in tune with the winter chill or a summer breeze. QOpen
08:00 - 19:00, Mon 13:00 - 19:00, Thu 08:00 - 22:00, Sat
09:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. (€2 - 7). JG
Museumcafe Eten & Drinken B-1, Spoorlaan 434,
tel. (+31) 135 35 39 35, www.natuurmuseumbrabant.
nl. If all of the exhibits in the three-storey Museum of Nature
have exhausted you or if you just want to take a moment to
compose yourself after seeing the imposing elephant genitalia
conserved in formaldehyde you can take a break at the
museum’s spacious and modern café. If you prefer simplicity
you can prepare your own slices of bread or have a plate of
poffertjes (tiny pancakes), but we opted for the large salmon
sandwich. The luxurious red couches and the large number
of magazines and books will convince you to linger a little
longer than planned and when the weather cooperates you
also can sit outside. You don’t have to be a museum visitor
to take advantage of the café. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Sat,
Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. (€3 - 6). TJULBKW
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E29

E30 NIGHTLIFE
Tilburg’s brilliant nightlife scene includes dimly lit jazz and
blues bars, groovy strip clubs, cosy pubs and a vibrant underground
music scene. Although closing times are strictly
regulated, some bars and pubs stay open until the last
group of customers have stumbled out. Most night spots
are concentrated around the area by Old Town square,
with the Korte Heuvel and the nearby Piusplein being alltime
favourites of locals and students. The town is small
enough to cover on foot, though as the night gets longer,
so does the distance between places. Some places refuse
entrance to anyone in scruffy jeans and trainers, so make
a bit of an effort before going out to the glitzier venues.
Bars
Clancy’s D-3, Heuvel 44-45, tel. (+31) 135 45 18 37,
info@clancystilburg.com, www.clancystilburg.com.
Every self-respecting city has an Irish pub and Tilburg is no
exception. Among this randomly put together collection of
stools, chairs, tables and benches, you can order your Guinness
in English, or even better, in Irish as Clancy’s staff and
owner all come from the Emerald Isle. Tilburg’s huge student
population descend on this place every week for a good glass
of whiskey or a pint of Snake Bite (beer with cider) a good old
meal of fish and chips. Sports fans can enjoy live broadcasts
of the English Premier League, French rugby or even American
football on the big screen. QOpen 16:00 - 02:00, Mon
18:00 - 02:00, Thu 16:00 - 03:00, Fri 16:00 - 04:00, Sat
12:00 - 04:00, Sun 14:00 - 02:00. JGBX
De Korenbloem H-5, Bredaseweg 261, tel. (+31) 134
63 39 80, www.stapperijdekorenbloem.nl. De Korenbloem
is located at Tilburg’s busiest intersection and yet you
hear little of the traffic rushing by on its spacious terrace. Due
to the many offices and businesses located in the vicinity, the
crowds mostly come in for lunch or after work. Suits, ties and
scarfs of both genders come to this old-fashioned cocktail bar
to unwind, especially at the end of their exhausting week. The
evening menu will definitely fill you up, especially the tasty Argentinian
steak, but there’s limited seating inside. Fortunately,
in summer the sliding doors are opened up and the terrace
tempts hungry or thirsty passers-by. QOpen 12:00 - 01:00,
Sat, Sun 15:00 - 01:00. (€11 - 16). LGBKX
De Lamme Goedzak D-2, Heuvelring 104, tel. (+31)
628 23 65 48, rob.70@hotmail.com. Both drunk and sober
pub lovers often literally fall into this pub, thanks to the steep
steps leading down from the street level entrance. Although
the facade of the building on the Heuvelring is pleasing to the
eye, once inside the interior seems to be on the decline and
in dire need of a fresh layer of paint. De Lamme Goedzak is
frequently the last stop for the regiment of inebriated locals
looking for another drink after most other pubs have closed
their doors. QOpen 21:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 21:00 - 04:00.
JGX
For many students a night out starts right after their last class
Symbol key
P Air conditioning A Credit cards accepted
E Live music S Take away
T Child friendly I Fireplace
X Smoking section U Facilities for the disabled
G No smoking J City centre location
W Free wireless internet 6 Pets allowed
De Prins C-3, Paleisring 15, tel. (+31) 135 44 50 77,
info@deprinsvan.nl, www.deprinsvan.nl. Party-pub De
Prins is everything you might expect of an Après-ski cabin.
On the inside it looks like a log cabin with coarse wooden
planks for walls and tables made of wooden beams. In Tilburg,
which is relatively warm and lacks skiing opportunities, this
place is certainly unusual. The music is invariably very loud,
so a party is quickly on hand. QOpen 19:00 - 04:00, Sun
18:00 - 02:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed. JG
De Slijterij D-3, Heuvel 42, tel. (+31) 135 36 22 46,
Michel@cafedeslijterij.nl, www.cafedeslijterij.nl. On the
way to the toilet you’ll pass images of Dolly, Aretha and Miss
Ross at least four times so you can probably guess what the
DJs play here. De Slijterij is a pub of contradictions. While you
can still smell the freshly papered walls, the clientele look like
they’ve been dancing here since the beginning of time. The
imposing display of spirits and expensive champagnes is in
stark contrast to the minimalist style of the pub. De Slijterij
is a favourite among the older generations who dance their
weekly waltz on the spotless floor. QOpen 17:00 - 01:00,
Thu, Sun 17:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 17:00 - 03:00. Closed Tue.
JGBX
Extase D-2, Heuvelring 112, tel. (+31) 135 42 25
67, info@cafe-extase.nl, www.cafe-extase.nl. Extase
is known throughout Tilburg for its casual attitude toward
opening hours on Wednesday nights. When all other bars
have closed their doors, you can continue the party here for
a while. Both young and old go wild to popular beats from
the 1980s and 90s in a large shed of sorts behind the bar.
Everyone drinks Jupiler beer and the bar staff can therefore
easily return a full crate of 26 empties each time they make
the rounds. But there’s also plenty to keep you occupied on
other nights. Tuesdays are popular with people who play
Settlers of Catan and Thursdays host ‘I Love Electronics’
nights. QOpen 19:00 - 04:00, Tue 19:00 - 02:00, Wed
19:00 - 03:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JGX
Havana D-2, Heuvel 22, tel. (+31) 135 36 53 24, info@
havana-tilburg.nl, www.havana-tilburg.nl. ‘Hasta la victoria
siempre’ is painted in large letters on the wall of Havana,
which has been the city’s best cocktail bar for years now.
These are the legendary words of Argentinian Marxist Che
Guevara written in a letter to Fidel Castro. They mean ‘forever
on the road to victory’. As soon as you set foot in this delightful
establishment you leave Tilburg and you’re engulfed by the
swinging Central American atmosphere of Cuba. This is best
illustrated by the menu. Order amazing fajitas, nachos and
sopas instead of deep fried local snacks like bitterballen and
vlammetjes (Indonesian meat filled snacks). At the weekend
the room is cleared in the evenings to make space for resident
DJs who know how to make people move. A favourite
among 30-somethings. QOpen 10:00 - 24:00, Thu, Fri, Sat
10:00 - 04:00, Sun 10:00 - 02:00. (€15 - 22). JGBKX
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

Hoppie D-3, Piusplein 3, tel. (+31) 622 51 75 82, www.
cafehoppie.nl. At Carnival each year this place is positively
bursting with patrons, but this nostalgic pub can get busy
on other nights too with a clientele of mainly older regulars
who put away quite a few drinks. The bar isn’t big, but there’s
enough space for a dance floor and local artists perform
here often, although you probably won’t miss much if you
stay home on those nights. In a nutshell, it’s the atmosphere
where everyone knows one another that sets Hoppie apart
from many other Tilburg pubs. QOpen 18:00 - 04:00, Wed
18:00 - 02:00, Sat 14:00 - 04:00, Sun 14:00 - 02:00. Closed
Mon, Tue. J
Jack’s C-2, Tuinstraat 81, tel. (+31) 135 42 63 22,
www.cafejacks.nl. Although this place won’t win any awards
for interior design, there’s no other place in Tilburg’s inner city
where you can eat as cheaply as here. For only €6 you’ll get a
delicious seasonal daily special. If it’s snowing you’ll get real
Dutch boerenkool (kale and sausage), but if it’s sunny out
you can probably expect a large salad. Even big eaters will
have trouble finishing the enormous servings here and you
also get a huge basket of bread and herb butter for free that
could feed a whole refugee camp. Drinks are also incredibly
cheap, but the real fun starts when the plates are cleared
from the tables and the bar is transformed into a board game
room. QOpen 17:00 - 02:00, Mon 20:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri
17:00 - 03:00, Sat 20:00 - 03:00. (€6 - 10). JGKX
Karel D-2, Heuvel 24, tel. (+31) 135 36 92 24, info@
cafekarel.nl, www.cafekarel.nl. Drop by Karel to read a
newspaper with a cup of coffee or to strike up a conversation
with people on shopping breaks and business types in
suits. The menu offers typical international food like steaks,
spareribs and pasta, but it’s one of the few pubs in Tilburg that
has a smoking room at the front. The sun room affords you
great views of the Heuvel and in spring and summer there’s
a large outdoor seating area that’s perfect for people watching.
QOpen 10:30 - 24:00. (€15 - 25). TJGBKX
Le Clochard C-3, Heuvel 16, tel. (+31) 135 35 76
60, www.leclochard.nl. You don’t need to wander around
Tilburg long to find a party pub but if you want to find one
of the best then head over to Le Clochard. It’s always busy
here, and if it isn’t, that means it’s closed. There’s nothing
in between. On Friday afternoon you’ll find a queue of
about 50 teenagers outside and all the local students come
here for shelter. The walls of Le Clochard curve inward with
an occasional porthole so it feels like you’re dancing in a
submarine, which can of course lead to seasickness. Or
was it just too many drinks? QOpen 20:00 - 02:00, Thu
16:00 - 04:00, Fri 14:00 - 04:00, Sat 15:00 - 04:00, Sun
15:00 - 02:00. Closed Mon. JGX
Little Devil B-2, Stationsstraat 27, tel. (+31) 135 45
21 40, info@littledevil.nl, www.littledevil.nl. Little Devil is
Tilburg’s best rock café. If you love rock, metal, trash metal,
heavy metal, garage, punk and similar music than this is the
place to go. Prepare to enter a dark cave with a lot of headbanging
regulars who attempt to destroy the place brick
by brick with often insanely loud guitar music. Definitely an
acquired taste for Europeans accustomed to techno and Top
40. QOpen 17:00 - 02:00, Fri 17:00 - 03:00, Sat 15:00 -
03:00, Sun 13:30 - 02:00. Closed Mon. (€2 - 5). EGX
More pubs and clubs at
www.tilburg.inyourpocket.com
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
NIGHTLIFE 31 E31
Our favourite local beers
Holland is an excellent place
to find unique, delicious beers.
Every region has its own special
brands and flavours and we’ve
made a list of our favourite
local brews in case you need
a little help deciding what to
drink. These beers are brewed
exclusively in the Tilburg area
and can be bought at the better
beer and liquor shops in the
city. So if you want a taste of
genuine Dutch beer, skip the cold green stuff for a change
and taste the real deal. Photo by Jan van Eijndhoven
1. La Trappe Quadrupel: a complex, superior, genuine
Trappist beer.
2. Reuzenbieren Heukelomse Mie: refreshing and dry;
the bitter flavour is created by the use of Nelson Sauvin
hops.
3. La Trappe Tripel: a fruity, spicy tripel.
4. Tilburgs Proatwoater Tripel: a creamy, fruity tripel.
5. De Roos Bikse Tripel: a little sweet, yet hoppy.
6. Beerze Bier: a blonde beer that’s nearly a tripel.
7. De Roos Konjel: fruity and spicy.
8. Budels Goudblond: a refreshing taste with a hint of
tartness.
9. Tilburgs Stadsbier Wervelend Wit: a genuine, fullflavoured
wheat beer, that’s quite refreshing.
Polly Maggoo D-3, Heuvel 10, tel. (+31) 135 45 67
30, pollymaggoo1@home.nl, www.pollymaggoo.nl.
Since the 1960s renowned model Polly Magoo has been
a true phenomenon in art cinema and Café Polly Magoo,
located in the centre of Tilburg, is also an institution in its
own right. In fact, whole generations of students have grown
up in this place. Even now, the sultry-eyed Polly watches over
all of her patrons from her life-size film poster on the wall.
Her staff are friendly, there’s room to dance to good music
in the back of the pub and the lunches are quite tatsy. To top
all this, Polly Magoo recently came up with a new concept
that makes this place the best hamburger joint in Tilburg
and beyond. The Trappistenburger made with quadrupel
Trappist beer is simply fantastic, but the all American classic
is also nothing to sneeze at. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00,
Mon 12:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. (€11 - 17).
PJEGBKX
Slagroom D-3, Piusplein 6a, tel. (+31) 135 82 00 70,
info@cafeslagroom.nl, www.cafeslagroom.nl. Café
Slagroom is an old-fashioned Dutch farm kitchen with a tiny
checkered pattern on the floor and little curtains along the
ceiling and shelves for decoration. You half expect to see
a family with nine small children sitting around the table,
being served boerenkool (curly kale and mashed potatoes)
from a large orange pot. Fortunately Café Slagroom hasn’t
put progress by the wayside and the menu has more to
offer than just traditional Dutch dishes. You can indulge
in home made hash, pork with brie or even catfish with
bacon. While the women enjoy themselves with a Tilburg
High Tea that includes characteristic local sweets and the
quintessentially Dutch koetjesrepen (chocolate), male
visitors can enjoy a beer, deep-fried snacks and football.
QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Mon, Sun 10:00 - 24:00. (€14 -
19). JGBKX
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013

E32 NIGHTLIFE
Stadscafé Van Gogh D-3, Paleisring 17, tel. (+31)
135 43 11 15, info@stadscafevangogh.nl, www.stadscafevangogh.nl.
This top-notch pub opened at the end of
2011 and its large wooden beams and imposing beer kegs
will have you craning your neck to take in the furnishings of
the place. In fact, the interior screams that it’s all a bit too
new and definitely not the kind of place the famous artist
and one-time resident of Tilburg Van Gogh is likely to have
frequented, but it’s definitely a decent choice for a cosy
drink. QOpen 15:00 - 04:00, Tue, Wed, Sun 15:00 - 02:00.
Closed Mon. J
Studio Tilburg D-3, Heuvel 7 - 9, tel. (+31) 135 43 60
16, info@studio-tilburg.com, www.studio-tilburg.com.
What came first: modern man in Tilburg or a pub in Tilburg
for modern people? Nobody knew that Tilburg could be so
trendy until Studio opened its doors. It has been a catwalk for
fashion-conscious people in their twenties and thirties, every
Thursday, Friday and Saturday night ever since. Of course this
is supported by the trendy - and really good - music played
by the DJ. Nowhere else in the city do people dance so well
as here, but this is no surprise considering the many dance
academy students in attendance. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00,
Mon, Sun 12:00 - 01:00, Thu, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. (€14 -
19). JGBKX
Tribunaal D-3, Heuvel 14, tel. (+31) 135 42 52 90,
www.tribunaal.nl. The famous Tribunaal in Tilburg is a pub
on Korte Heuvel and is probably the largest one in the inner
city. It’s a place where young professionals have been coming
for 28 years to unwind after a busy day at work. There’s
always something going on: people playing darts, cards or
shooting pool and they regularly organise poker tournaments.
QOpen 13:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri 13:00 - 03:00, Sat 13:00 -
04:00. JGBX
‘t Vaticaan D-3, Heuvel 2, tel. (+31) 135 35 79 47,
info@cafevaticaan.nl, www.cafevaticaan.nl. In the middle
of Rome you’ll find the enclave of Vatican City, but since 1994,
this vibrant pub with a similar name has been an enclave of fun
in the centre of Tilburg. On Friday nights, young and old rock
the place to great beats and twice a week (on Mondays and
Wednesdays) you can sit down to dinner. There’s no menu so
you just choose whatever’s on offer that day. In summer, the
wonderful, spacious terrace beneath an ancient tree is the
place to be. QOpen 15:00 - 02:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 04:00.
PJGBX
You can have a drink with other athletes at the sports bar
after a workout at Tiburg’s climbing hall
Traditional bars
Alt Wien I-5, Wilhelminapark 40, tel. (+31) 135 36
92 80. Opposite the attractive Wilhelminapark you’ll find
Alt Wien, an authentic local pub with Tiffany lamps hanging
from the ceiling and a live grey parrot with a red tail keeping
a close eye on the guests. Local artists are honoured here
with scarves on the wall and their records are played from
time to time. In short, it’s a pub where the regulars all know
each other. The lady behind the bar may look like a rough
pub-crawler, but her bark’s worse than her bite. QOpen
15:00 - 02:00. JGX
Bet Kolen I-6, Broekhovenseweg 111, tel. (+31) 135
42 28 60, www.betkolen.nl. Everyone in Tilburg knows
this 100-year-old bar whose founder, Bet Kolen, was born in
1896. Although it was unusual for a woman to start a pub
at that time, everybody used to visit Bet’s and she offered
many drinkers a home away from home. In 2011 the pub still
has the same name and the same values: pay attention to
the guests and make sure everybody has a good time. The
building consists of three parts. Up front there’s a bar, next
a large room which functions as a party centre followed by
a busy hall in which men play darts and billiards on one of
18 dartboards and 16 pool tables. QOpen 12:30 - 02:00,
Tue 17:00 - 02:00, Fri 12:30 - 03:00, Sat 12:00 - 02:00, Sun
11:00 - 02:00. GX
De Triangel E-3, Lanciersstraat 70, tel. (+31) 135 35
47 58. The Triangle is to Tilburg what Cheers is to Boston.
Literally everyone seems to know each other’s name here.
Landlord Frank doesn’t just pour the cheapest beers in
Tilburg, but he also acts as a special kind of social worker.
If necessary the friendly barkeep even takes on the role of
bouncer, although any form of aggression is hard to find in
this old-fashioned pub. Sleek marketing concepts have never
infected this local haunt where the oak tables are still covered
with Persian rugs and kitschy white lace curtains decorate its
windows. For some this is the height of archaic Holland, but
we love it and so do many of the regulars who have treated
this pub as their living room and home away from home for
over 50 years. Q LX
Lambiek I-5, Wilhelminapark 66, tel. (+31) 135 36
43 51, info@kaffeelambiek.nl, www.kaffeelambiek.nl.
What makes this pub named after a popular Belgian comic
strip character so special, apart from its excellent location
directly opposite the Wilhelmina Park, is that there’s
always something going on. Lambiek organises live acts,
jam sessions or workshops on an almost daily basis and
it’s an ideal place to go after a visit to Tilburg’s two largest
museums only a stone’s throw away. We personally
keep coming back for the 40 or more speciality beers it
serves. QOpen 19:00 - 01:00, Fri 16:00 - 02:00, Sat, Sun
19:00 - 02:00. EG
Beer bars
Kandinsky C-2, Telegraafstraat 58, tel. (+31) 135 44
49 24, kandinsky@home.nl, www.biercafe-kandinsky.
nl. Every pub in Tilburg offers beer, but only one can call itself
Tilburg’s best beer lovers bar. The menu boasts no less than
200 different brews, many of which flow freshly from the taps.
Unfortunately it’s a bit too much to try them all in one go,
although we certainly tried our best. The relaxed staff, the
greatly varied clientele, every beer served in its own branded
glass and music that’s not turned up too loud make this the
ideal place to sit and chat with friends. Hundreds of enamel
beer platters also adorn its walls. QOpen 15:00 - 02:00, Fri,
Sat 15:00 - 03:00, Sun 15:00 - 24:00. GBX
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

‘t BuitenBeentje D-3, Heuvel 15a, tel. (+31) 135 36 04
66, kafeebuitenbeentje@mac.com, www.kafeebuitenbeentje.nl.
‘t Buitenbeentje is truly deserving of its name if
only due to the beer that’s sold here for only €1.30 - almost a
euro cheaper than anywhere else on the Heuvel. The interior
is, to put it mildly, also rather remarkable and unconventional.
You won’t find expensive paintings or something remotely
trendy, but rather empty beer crates and whisky boxes lining
the walls. Moreover, sitting at the bar is a completely different
experience than in standard pubs. At ‘t Buitenbeentje drinkers
sit on low stools and the barman stands in a pit beneath you.
Your tab is kept on a beer mat and any money that changes
hands is literally put in a drawer. QOpen 15:00 - 02:00, Fri,
Sat 15:00 - 03:00. JGBX
Casinos & Gaming halls
Jack’s Casino C-2, Pieter Vreedeplein 172, tel. (+31)
135 42 58 80, info@jackscasino.nl, www.jackscasino.
nl. As a consequence of strict Dutch gambling laws, there’s
only one official chain of casinos in The Netherlands, the
government-run Holland Casino. Unfortunately there is no
Holland Casino in Tilburg, but we think that the Jack’s Casino
gambling hall is an excellent alternative. The gambling laws
prohibit the sale of alcohol and there are no croupiers at the
tables. Therefore you can’t play proper roulette, poker or
blackjack, but the computerised versions are available and
there are plenty of slot machines to offer an evening’s entertainment.
The service is quick and the impressive restaurant
isn’t just for fortune seekers. QOpen 09:00 - 02:00, Thu,
Fri, Sat 09:00 - 03:00, Sun 10:00 - 02:00. O
Gay & Lesbian
De Lollipop D-3, Paleisring 25, tel. (+31) 135 35 52 38,
Info@delollipop.nl, www.delollipop.nl. De Lollipop is the
gay bar in Tilburg. It’s been there for over a decade now, which
by local standards is an eternity. Men, women, young, old,
gay, straight and everything in between go wild on the dance
floor at the back of the establishment, making it a fabulous
party. Countless disco lights and glitter balls surround you and
shine on you highlighting all of your moves. The pub seems
enormous, which is an optical illusion created by its mirrored
walls. It also lets you check out your neighbours and vice
versa. QOpen , Mon 17:00 - 01:00, Thu 19:00 - 04:00, Fri
18:00 - 04:00, Sat 14:00 - 04:00, Sun 14:00 - 02:00. Closed
Tue, Wed. JGBX
De Popcorn D-3, Paleisring 19, tel. (+31) 135 43 32
18, info@depopcorn.nl, www.depopcorn.nl. No matter
what type of music the DJ plays, it’s always time to dance
at De Popcorn. Although technically a pub, it feels more like
a mini disco with its large lamps and fluorescent disco balls.
The rear bar even has two seductive poles going up to the
ceiling, but most regulars seem to be a little old to work it
properly without hurting themselves or traumatising younger
spectators. QOpen 14:00 - 04:00, Mon, Tue 19:00 - 02:00,
Wed, Sun 14:00 - 02:00. JGBX
De Wijn C-3, Stadhuisstraat 17, tel. (+31) 135 44 51
18, info@dewijn.nl, www.dewijn.nl. As the owners of De
Wijn are lesbians, this pub has been labelled a lesbian bar.
However, while there are many lesbian customers, everyone
is welcome here. To describe its interior just think of Moulin
Rouge with lots of glitter and glamour, frills, and the well-known
red and black colour scheme. Unlike many other pubs, beer
isn’t the beverage of choice here. You’ll notice this instantly
by the strong liquor hanging behind the bar and the subtle
sweet scent in the air. QOpen , Thu, Fri 20:00 - 04:00, Sat
16:00 - 04:00, Sun 16:00 - 02:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Wed.
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
NIGHTLIFE 33 E33
T Kwadraat always guarantees a good night out
Live music
Cul de Sac D-3, Heuvel 48, tel. (+31) 135 81 01 10,
www.culdesac.nl. Cul de Sac has established itself as a
lounge for an alternative crowd with a more evolved taste in
music. It’s the place to be for ‘new hippies’ and young artists,
musicians and other creative minds who like to have a beer
or a Jack Daniel’s in the pub area. Students from the Rock
Academy show off their newly learned skills in the dance pit
at the back of the room, while the crowds go wild on a wide
selection of music, as this is what separates Cul de Sac from
other pubs in Tilburg.QOpen 15:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri, Sat
15:00 - 04:00. JGBX
L!ve Music Bar D-2, Heuvelring 90, tel. (+31) 135 42
65 92, www.livemusicbar.nl. The whole weekend is one
big party Tilburg’s only proper piano bar. As soon as you cross
the threshold there’s no other option but to swing along with
the rest of the crowd. Only a few meters from the front door
you’ll find a stage with a white piano, a drum kit and - with
a bit of luck - a saxophone played by professionals and the
incredibly long bar is also designed to like a keyboard. The
toilets are located in an enormous vault, which isn’t that
surprising when one considers that this building was once
used as a bank. QOpen 16:00 - 04:00, Sun 16:00 - 02:00.
Closed Mon, Tue, Wed. PJUEGBKX
Lounges & Cocktail bars
NEW
T Kwadraat I-6, Marathonpromenade 383, tel. (+31)
135 81 28 84, www.horecatkwadraat.nl. Tilburg has
recently become a real sports town and the opening of the ‘T
Kwadraat sports centre is a perfect example of this trend. No
less than three different pubs and restaurants are housed in
this industrial-style facility including the Eatery (Het eetcafé),
the Après-ski bar and the Lounge. All three are decent enough
places to eat a burger or schnitzel or to drink a glass of wine,
but they’re not exactly the height of fashion and are better
suited as places to enjoy a Wieckse Witte draught beer after
a hard workout. Q THAUFLGKXW
Midnight munchies
Karnak Heuvel 6, tel. (+31) 135 44 13 96. Once you arrive
on Tilburg’s main pub street, Korte Heuvel, Karnak will lure you
in. The strip light over the electrical sliding doors, the camp neon
lights in the windows and the loud slogans on the façade are like
a siren’s song. It’s not the best kebab we’ve had, but no one,
especially after a dozen beers, complains about the quality of the
greasy Turkish pizza. Everyone’s just happy that it’s open so late
and is located so centrally. Ideal for getting a head start on doing
something about tomorrow’s hangover. QOpen 16:00 - 02:15,
Thu, Fri, Sat 16:00 - 04:15.JVGBS
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013

E34 NIGHTLIFE
Pool & Billiards
Poolcentrum 4 Friends H-5, Koestraat 144, tel.
(+31) 135 44 22 81, info@poolcentrum4friends.nl,
www.poolcentrum4friends.nl. This is a classic pool
hall with lots of pool and snooker tables, dart boards,
good background music and room enough for both
amateurs and sharks. You can also take lessons here.
QOpen 12:00 - 01:00, Fri 12:00 - 02:00, Sat 13:00 -
02:00, Sun 13:00 - 01:00. JU
Saints D-3, Heuvelring 222, tel. (+31) 135 36 77
11, info@saints.nl, www.saints.nl. The entrance is
hard to find, but once upstairs pool enthusiasts won’t
be disappointed. Although there are plenty of tables for
everyone, there’s not much in the way of atmosphere,
which could be due to the fact that the drinks here are
just as expensive as in the city centre. At least there you
might have a chance of being served by an attractive
waitress. QOpen 19:00 - 01:00, Fri, Sat 14:00 - 02:00,
Sun 14:00 - 24:00. JGX
Out of town
Café Zomerlust J-5, Oisterwijksebaan 15, tel. (+31)
135 42 52 92, info@cafezomerlust.nl, www.cafezomerlust.nl.
This traditional pub is an important staple of Tilburg
nightlife, particularly since its latest renovation. You have to
put in some effort to find this hidden gem but don’t get discouraged
if it takes you a while to find it, as you can charge
your electric bike here for free while you enjoy its beer menu.
Four special beers are available for a fixed price of €12.50,
but if you’d like to to avoid filling up on liquid calories, you can
go for the simple meal of the day. Café Zomerlust is also a
good place for breakfast, lunch and intimate jazz concerts.
QOpen 12:00 - 24:00, Fri 12:00 - 01:00, Sat 11:00 - 01:00,
Sun 10:00 - 24:00. Closed Tue. TH6EBKW
Het Dorstige Hert H-5, Bredaseweg 397, tel. (+31)
134 67 10 85, info@dorstigehert-tilburg.nl, www.
dorstigehert-tilburg.nl. After a walk or a cycle through the
wooded area of Waranda, you can have an intimate drink at
Het Dorstige Hert (The Thirsty Deer), which is popular with
day trippers, locals and university students. The staff are a
little older than the average employee of an inner city pub,
but this does nothing to lessen the atmosphere here. The
interior, on the other hand, is definitely of an antique variety
and is decorated like our grandma’s living room with a sturdy
wooden cabinet and a wooden chandelier. However, grandma,
it seems, throws excellent parties. QOpen 15:00 - 24:00.
Closed Sat. LGBX
Pubs
Babbus D-3, Heuvel 46, tel. (+31) 135 45 35 39, info@
babbus.nl, cafebabbus.wordpress.com. On weekdays you
usually find students in this pub on de Korte Heuvel, but at
the weekend the high bar stools are occupied by a somewhat
older crowd. In both cases the atmosphere remains free and
relaxed with experienced staff that know what a properly
poured beer is supposed to look like. The regulars welcome
newcomers with sincere smiles and expensive marketing
concepts aren’t employed at Babbus. You can make your
own night here by requesting a song and shaking your stuff
on the tiny dance floor. QOpen 15:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri, Sat
15:00 - 04:00. PJGBX
Bolle D-3, Piusplein 8, tel. (+31) 135 81 02 90, info@
cafe-bolle.nl, www.cafebolle.nl. In 2011 this place was
named one of the best pubs in the Netherlands. During the
day you’ll encounter families with children as well as businesspeople
enjoying lunch and in the evening students cram into
this familiar building on the Piusplein. The stage at the back
is frequently occupied by live bands and you may just happen
upon a famous band on a weekday. You’ll definitely notice all
of the muppets that decorate the pub and the menu offers
affordable student bites as well as extensive three-course
meals. QOpen 10:00 - 04:00, Mon, Tue, Wed 10:00 - 02:00,
Sun 11:00 - 02:00. (€9 - 14). TJAUGBKW
Brandpunt D-3, Piusplein 7, tel. (+31) 135 35 96 49,
www.cafebrandpunt.nl. Brandpunt has been making students
happy for decades. It’s one of the few real student pubs
in town where you can spend an evening drinking special beers
on draught. Other draws include the large outdoor terrace and
its affordable food, not to mention cheap specials and good
offers like ‘steak Tuesday’ and ‘spare-rib Wednesday’. But five
nights a week the place is cleared and the stage is littered
with boasting, slurring students and the air-conditioning
seems to be out of order, which means that the clammy air
quickly reeks of beer and sweat. On Friday night the average
age drops drastically. QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri, Sat
10:00 - 04:00. JGBK
Burgemeester Jansen E-4, Piushaven 22, tel. (+31)
135 45 10 08, www.burgemeesterjansen.nl. Johannes
Franciscus Jansen was the longest serving mayor of Tilburg
(1869 - 1901) and thereby practically solely responsible for
the construction of the Wilhelmina canal which flows into the
Pius harbour. This is also the exact place where the Burgemeester
Jansen pub was established in 2005. You have to
stray off the beaten path to get a beer here, but it’s definitely
worth the trek. The large interior is decorated sparingly with
austere tables, yellowing maps and wooden beer crates as
the only embellishments. Roughly a dozen different beers
are available on draught and the service is friendly. It’s also
the only pub in Tilburg with a terrace by the water. QOpen
15:00 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 15:00 - 02:00. Closed Mon. GB
De Heeren Van Tilburg C-3, Stadhuisstraat 21, tel.
(+31) 135 82 03 16, www.deheerenvantilburg.nl. Insiders
know that you can eat truly delicious food for relatively
low prices at this lovely pub that’s a mixture of old-fashioned
elegance and modern nonchalance. The menu offers plenty
of variety and we highly recommend the pot of mussels or
the suckling pig. Big steaks and enormous schnitzels also
get a thumbs up. In summer you can sit outside with a view
of the old Heiken Church that dates back to 1829. QOpen
12:00 - 04:00. Closed Mon. JAUBKW
Start your Tilburg experience at the VVV Tourist Office
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

De Plaats D-3, Piusplein 61, tel. (+31) 135 36 91 54,
jouwplaats@hotmail.com, www.deplaats.nl. On Sundays
crowds of people dance to jazzy tunes played by live bands
at De Plaats, but on most other days the pub usually caters
to a local group of regulars despite its central location in the
heart of the city. You won’t find dirty, grubby Persian rugs on
the tables or a smoky pool table in the centre of the room
here. Instead you can expect a bright and fresh décor. QOpen
11:00 - 03:00, Mon 20:00 - 02:00, Tue, Wed 11:00 - 02:00,
Sun 15:00 - 02:00. J6GBKX
Het Elfde Gebod D-3, Paleisring 23, tel. (+31) 135
36 68 69, www.hetelfdegebod.eu. Jews and Christians
have the Ten Commandments, but Tilburgers have added
their own. The eleventh commandment (Het Elfde Gebod or
thou shalt enjoy) is the focal point of this pub where you can
eat very well. The comprehensive menu is a cut above the
rest and offers such local delicacies as venison. Guests also
come here for the large variety of beer that flows from the
tap. The entire pub is decorated with Catholic paraphernalia
such as scenes from the Crusades and statues of Christ on
the cross. The large terrace is also popular and it provides
comfortable chairs and blankets in case it gets chilly, not to
mention a place to have a smoke. QOpen 11:00 - 02:00,
Sun 12:00 - 02:00. (€16 - 21). TJ6GBK
Heuvel 15 D-3, Heuvel 15, tel. (+31) 135 35 08 06, www.
heuvel15.nl. Heuvel 15 has been around for 30 years making
it the oldest pub on Korte Heuvel. The owner has such a good
time at his pub that he never skips a day and happily keeps the
Hertog Jan beer flowing from the large Delft blue tap. Although
the spirits are lined up gracefully behind the bar, Heuvel 15 calls
itself a wine bar as well as a pub. This isn’t surprising in view
of the large variety of wines on offer, which is unusual for such
a small place. Interior design isn’t Heuvel 15’s strong suit, but
who says that a bar has to be stylish when you’re just out for an
evening of fun? QOpen 14:00 - 02:00, Thu 14:00 - 03:00, Fri,
Sat 14:00 - 04:00, Sun 14:00 - 01:00. Closed Mon. JGBX
Joris D-3, Piusplein 5, tel. (+31) 135 44 60 16, www.
cafejoris.nl. Café Joris offers some kind of activity almost
every day. Watching football is popular among locals while
the many live performances, karaoke evenings and open mic
nights with singer-songwriters are a magnet for many young
patrons. Stand-up comedians and even magicians regularly
make appearances here and thanks to unusual snacks like
steak strips and jumbo shrimps, this is a wonderful place
to come for a bite, too! QOpen 11:00 - 02:00. JGB
Café Hoegaarden D-3, Piusplein 2, tel. (+31) 137
20 06 22, www.hoegaardentilburg.nl. This café named
after the delicious milky beer calls itself the Best Beer Pub in
Tilburg and in capital letters no less. The latest owners took
over at the end of 2011 and still have to prove themselves
given such local competition as Kadinsky and Buitenbeentje
(Maverick). That said, the big bar looks fantastic with its many
stained-glass windows, wood panelling and original tile work
and the toasted sandwiches made with Turkish flat bread are
excellent, but it still has to work on that characteristic Belgian
ambience to win over the locals. Don’t leave without trying the
heavenly taste of an Urthel Samaranth brew. QOpen 11:00
- 24:00, Mon 12:00 - 24:00, Thu, Fri 11:00 - 02:00, Sat 10:00
- 02:00, Sun 14:00 - 24:00. (€15 - 20). PTJGBK
Satisfy your cravings for
knowledge (and nightlife) at
www.tilburg.inyourpocket.com
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
NIGHTLIFE 35 E35
013 is the place to go for live music in Tilburg
Stoffel D-3, Heuvel 13, tel. (+31) 135 45 72 17, www.
stoffel.nl. If there were an election for the cleanest establishment
in the restaurant business in Tilburg, Café Stoffel would
win by a landslide. Over the years the management has placed
an emphasis on its food and a child-friendly atmosphere. You
can have a great lunch or dinner here for a reasonable price,
but it’s definitely not the place to go dancing. The café is better
suited to a lazy afternoon playing games. In fact, there are
shelves loaded with board games and you can play scrabble,
chess and even Risk on specially painted tables. When the
weather is nice the sliding doors are opened bringing the
outdoor terrace and the pub together. If, however, we were to
choose one thing that we’d like to change here it would have
to be the ghastly wall paper! QOpen 10:00 - 02:00, Thu,
Fri, Sat 10:00 - 04:00. (€15 - 20). PTJ6EGBKW
Van Horen Zeggen C-3, Stadhuisstraat 15, tel. (+31)
135 23 43 14, www.cafevanhorenzeggen.nl. Many events
and celebrities from Tilburg’s long and storied past have been
immortalised on the wallpaper at Van Horen Zeggen, which
means ‘hearsay’. This includes local folk hero, and Holland’s
most famous singer, Guus Meeuwis, who still regularly comes in
for a beer. You can expect a big party here every weekend and
as far as we’re concerned that’s the best reason to come. In
fact, the name ‘hearsay’ doesn’t seem at all appropriate. ‘Much
talked about’ would be more suitable. QOpen 14:00 - 02:00,
Thu, Fri, Sat 14:00 - 04:00. JGBX
Student clubs
Boekanier C-3, Stadhuisstraat 11, tel. (+31) 135 43
19 03, www.cafedeboekanier.nl. The ambiguous slogan
‘Pijpen? Een Euro!’ has put De Boekanier on the map among
students. ‘Pijpen’ for which one euro is charged could refer to
anything from pipes, narrow glasses or bottles of beer to a
blow job. In this case, it’s not the latter, so don’t expect any
oral sex on the menu. The slogan in fact refers to a narrow
glass of Jupiler beer which can be purchased for only €1.10
on Thursdays. QOpen 19:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri 15:00 - 04:00,
Sat 14:00 - 04:00. Closed Sun. JGBX
Philip D-3, Heuvel 38, tel. (+31) 135 80 03 61, www.
cafephilip.nl. To many students in Tilburg, Café Philip is like a
second living room. On the ground floor the bookworms dance
like sardines in a tin to Top 40 beats, which can be requested
through an English pay phone booth. One floor down you’ll
find a pub where you can be your own DJ, but nothing beats
the top floor. When you have danced yourself into a sweat
and have loaded up on beer, you can stagger upstairs to get
your coat and a greasy snack from the wall. There’s nothing
like a Dutch croquette at 04:00! QOpen 20:00 - 04:00, Tue
19:00 - 02:00. Closed Mon, Sun. JGBX
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013

E36 WHAT TO SEE
Tilburg has more history and more old buildings than most
Dutch people are aware of. Indeed, there may not be any
canals with accompanying canalside houses like they have
them in Utrecht and Amsterdam, and no prehistoric megaliths
like in Drenthe. But Tilburg still has many old things
which grace the town. Tilburg especially owes King William
II and Pater Donders much for the tourist attractions they
left behind. And there are also plenty of amusement parks
in the area with Efteling being number one, followed by
Beekse Bergen, Oliemeulen and Dierenpark Nuenen.
Essential Tilburg
Koningshoeven Abbey (Abdij Koningshoeven)
J-5, Eindhovenseweg 3, tel. (+31) 135 40 85 08, info@
koningshoeven.nl, www.koningshoeven.nl. If you think
that only monks live in silence and spend the whole day
praying, take a look at the Trappist farm Onze Lieve Vrouw
van Koningshoeven. Here they’ve been working hard every
day brewing one of Europe’s best beers since 1884. This is
still the most important source of income for the monastery,
partially thanks to exports to the United States where the
beer is sold under the name of ‘Koningshoeven Trappist Ale’.
Nine special beers are brewed here under the close supervision
of the clergymen themselves. Visitors will get a great
impression of the whole brewing process in an audiovisual
tour or a proper guided tour of the abbey where 16 monks
between the ages of 24 to 81 live and work. Even if you don’t
like beer, you’ll still enjoy a visit, as the peaceful surroundings
and the impressive complex with its characteristic towers are
certainly worth a look. QOpen 11:00 - 19:00. K
Buildings & Squares
013 D-2, Veemarktstraat 44, tel. (+31) 134 60 95 00,
informatie@013.nl, www.013.nl. Pop Stage 013 is a
combination of three concert halls and is the largest music
temple in southern Holland. The large Dommelsch Hall alone
can offer space for at least 2,200 visitors. The building itself
stands out because of the round shapes on its exterior that
make it look like it’s covered with hundreds of CDs. 013 is
conveniently located right on Korte Heuvel, which means that
many of the bands that play here have a beer or whisky in one
of the nearby cafés after a gig. The Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Moby
and members of Faithless have all been spotted at pubs and
clubs not far from here. Q PJUEGX
Kids love the fairy tales at the Efteling
Learn about Peerke Donders at his museum
Fontys Rock Academy (Rockacademie) C-4,
Zwijsenplein 1, tel. (+31) 877 87 41 66, rockacademie@fontys.nl,
www.rockacademie.nl. Fontys Rock
Academy is but one of the six academies that comprise
the Fontys School of Fine and Performing Arts. Students
receive ‘higher vocational education’ in pop music here.
The academy has brought forth a number of well-known
Dutch pop musicians including the rock band Krezip, Leaf
and Intwine. The distinctive building itself is worth a visit.
Q PJHREW
King Willem II Stadium I-6, Goirleseweg 34, tel. (+31)
135 49 05 90, www.willem-ii.nl. The stadium where
Tilburg’s William II professional football club plays has only
existed in its current form since 1995. At the time it was a
state of the art building, as most Dutch stadia were standing
room only prior to its completion. The club itself was
founded 100 years earlier and was once quite prestigious.
In fact, William II was the first Dutch professional club and it
won the league in the first year, a feat they only managed on
two other occasions. 10 years ago Willem II’s players even
faced the best of European football in the Champions League,
but, unfortunately, since then things have gone from bad to
worse. The team has been relegated to the first division and
the stadium is now considered to be rather outdated, but it’s
still worth a visit if you’re in town and into the beautiful game.
A number of exhibitions detail the glory days of old and if you
ask the right person, you’ll be able to have a look inside the
stadium. QOpen 13:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. HL
Palace-Town Hall (Paleis-Raadhuis) C-4, Stadhuisplein
130. Many Tilburg wedding photos have been taken on
the stairs of the Palace-Town Hall. King William II had the place
built in 1847 as a country retreat in his favourite town, but he
died in 1849 only 22 days before its completion. In 1864 the
Rijks Hogere Burger school was established in the palace and
its most famous student was none other than Vincent van
Gogh, who studied there for two years. In the south wing of
the palace you’ll find a reconstruction of Vincent’s art room.
Between the years 1934 and 1936 it was converted into the
Town Hall. As the building had several purposes throughout
the years, there’s not much left of the original design. Windows
were replaced and the entrance has been decorated
in Art Deco style. Today it’s part of the Town Hall and it’s
connected by a footbridge to the black box. A marble statue
of King William II is located in the main entrance hall and an
Art Deco staircase with stained windows can also be seen.
A large book market is held on the square in front of the
palace each year on the last Sunday of August. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. J
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

Theatres Tilburg (Schouwburg) B-4, Louisbouwmeesterplein
1, tel. (+31) 135 43 22 20, www.theaterstilburg.nl.
Voted one of the most beautiful buildings in the
Netherlands by a group of four leading Dutch architects in
2009, this theatre is literally ‘a brick ode to the sixties’. The
edifice perfectly fits its surroundings and still has a modern
look despite its age. Naturally a lot of rebuilding and renovating
has taken place throughout the years, but much of the
decor is still from the 1960s, such as the benches that were
designed by the architect Bijvoet. Even the chairs inside the
theatre are originals. Q J
Tilburg University H-5, Warandelaan 2, tel. (+31) 134
66 91 11, www.tilburguniversity.edu. The University of Tilburg
was established in 1927 as a Catholic business school.
Now, many years later, it’s the leading university in the Netherlands
in business studies and its Faculty of Economics is the
third most renowned in Europe. Its many high-rise university
buildings are surrounded by woodland so the higher floors
offer superb views of the greenery outside and the Tilburg
skyline. Roughly 12,000 students study here at six different
faculties every day, or at least the ones that aren’t hungover
from the often exhausting student lifestyle. Student housing
surrounds the hundreds of square meters of university buildings
and there’s even a supermarket and a student pub on
the premises. In the 1980s all higher vocational education
institutes received permission to call themselves universities.
This caused a problem for the Katholieke Hogeschool Tilburg,
as it was called then. Because Catholic University Tilburg
would stand for a rather inappropriate abbreviation (kut, a
very rude Dutch word for the female genitalia) for a while the
University opted to call itself Catholic University Brabant. In
2001 the university received the name it now carries, but in
international circles it’s often known as Tilburg University.
QOpen 07:30 - 18:30. Closed Sat, Sun. GKW
Westpoint I-5, Hart van Brabantlaan. The sixth tallest
building in Holland was built in Tilburg in 2004. Westpoint
measures an impressive 143m in height, which is less than
22 meters shorter than the Maastoren in Rotterdam, the
Netherlands’ tallest edifice. Hundreds of people live and work
in this colourful concrete colossus, which can be seen from
several kilometres away due to its frequent use of distinctive
light sources. The 47m-tower contains 154 apartments. Q
Churches & Religious buildings
Hasselt Chapel (Hasseltse Kapel) H-5, Hasseltplein,
tel. (+31) 134 68 10 89, www.hasseltsekapel.nl. This
chapel is located on a small square and dates back to 1536.
The statue of Mary was added to the chapel in 1796 and
now the church organises an open day during celebrations
honouring Mary. This small house of prayer has had several
functions over the years from a weaver’s house and a guest
house to an emergency hospital. These days the charming
chapel is mainly used as a place to get married, although a
prayer service is held once a month. QOpen 09:00 - 19:00.
St. Dionysos Church C-3, Stadhuisstraat 370. The
present Church of St. Dionysius, popularly known as Heikese
Church, was completed in 1826. Its style is neoclassical and
inside you’ll find pillars with Ionian capitals. The tower is the
only remaining authentic part of the original 15th-century
Gothic church, which makes it the oldest church in Tilburg.
Due to the ‘new’ bricks that were added in 1895, the tower
actually seems to be newer than the rest of the building.
The Heikese Church also has two 15th-century candleholders
and a 17th-century painting in its possession. QOpen
Sat 18:30 - 20:00, Sun 10:30 - 12:00. Closed Mon, Tue,
Wed, Thu, Fri. J
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
WHAT TO SEE E37
WHAT TO SEE
St. Joseph’s Church
(St. Jozefkerk) D-2,
Heuvelring 122. St.
Joseph’s Church, which
people in Tilburg often refer
to as Heuvelse Church,
is a neo-Gothic crossshaped
basilica with three
transepts. The church,
which was designed by
Hendrik van Tulder, was
built between 1872 and
1889. The two octagonal
72m-high towers at the
front stand out and make
this church the fourth
highest building in Tilburg.
The church displays many influences from the French Gothic
period as well as St. John’s Cathedral in Den Bosch. In the
1950s the transept was extended. The main organ as well as
the choir organ and the church itself are national monuments.
QOpen 08:00 - 18:30. J
St. Paul’s Church (Pauluskerk) B-3, Heuvelstraat
141, www.pkn-tilburg.nl. This neoclassical style octagonal
St. Paul’s Church was originally built in 1822 as a protestant
house of worship. A much older pipe organ from 1765 was
later placed in the church and is still there to be admired.
King William I of Holland visited the church only once, but King
Willem ll of Holland visited the church whenever he stayed in
Tilburg. In 2004 it was thoroughly renovated and both the
church and the organ are now considered to be national monuments.
These days St. Paul’s belongs to an Indonesian-Dutch
Christian congregation. Q J
Süleymanìye Mosque (Süleymanìye Moskee)
I-5, Wandelboslaan 2, tel. (+31) 135 35 03 92, info@
suleymaniye.nl, www.suleymaniye.nl. The architecture
of Tilburg’s biggest mosque is a combination of modern
and Islamic styles. The roof of the building resembles a
half moon, with a star on top, but this isn’t really visible
from the ground. The star protrudes slightly to indicate
the direction of Mecca. If you’d like to see the interior you
have to make an appointment. Tours are on Tuesdays and
Wednesdays. Q G
Jan Taminiau
From January 27, 2013, the
Audax Textielmuseum Tilburg
will feature an exhibition
titled ‘Het ambacht van Jan
Taminiau’ (The Craft of Jan
Taminiau). The collections of
fashion designer Jan Taminiau
(Goirle, 1975), which he
developed in the museum’s
TextielLab will be on display.
His couture, described by
connoisseurs as grand, dramatic
and unconventional, has been worn by Princess
Máxima, Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. Connoisseurs we are
not, but the designs are unmistakably remarkable and
feminine. Roel van Tour made a feature film especially
for the museum, which offers a glimpse of the designer’s
unique working method.
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013

E38 WHAT TO SEE
Modern architecture
Appartementenvilla I-5, Bisschop Zwijsenstraat. The
apartments and villas on the corner of the Primus van Gils Park
and the Bisschop Zwijssenstraat prove that contemporary
architecture and its stern lines can be very attractive indeed.
This inhabited work of art was developed as a pavilion and offers
a 360 degree panoramic view of Tilburg’s city centre. Q
Avans Hogeschool Cobbenhagenlaan 13. The thousands
of students who climb the stairs to their unique school building
every day probably take its unusual architecture for granted.
Anyone else who takes the trouble to have a closer look at
Avans Hogeschool will most likely be impressed when first
faced with this gigantic concrete colossus. The bright green
façade and the entrance with its wide stairs are uncommon
to Dutch architecture. If you ignore the colours you could even
imagine this building gracing an enormous freedom square in
some obscure city in North Korea or China. Once inside, space
prevails and you can see through the entire building from front
to back. What seem to be empty spaces and wide passages
are actually effective meeting points for students. Q
Monuments
Monument to the 15th Scottish Division (Monument
van de 15th Scottish Division) C-4, Stadhuisplein.
This monument was erected in honour of the 15th
Scottish Division. This division of the Scottish army liberated
Tilburg from German occupation on October 27, 1944. The
sculpture represents a bagpipe player. Q J
The Clothespin (De Wasknijper) C-1, Spoorlaan.
This monument in remembrance of the victims of World War
II can be found to the right of the Central Station. It’s a bell
tower with 12 small clocks, but due to its shape it’s popularly
known as the ‘clothes-pin’. Q
Museums
Audax Textile Museum (Audax Textielmuseum)
I-5, Goirkestraat 96, tel. (+31) 135 36 74 75, info@
textielmuseum.nl, www.textielmuseum.nl. The Textile
Museum offers insight into the rich history of the textile
industry in Tilburg. It’s housed in a 19th-century building and
the collection is divided into four sections: textile science,
design, industrial culture and arts. One of the most impressive
exhibits which every visitor to Tilburg should see is the
display of textile machines. You’ll be transported to a time
when steam-powered machines ran continually to provide
Europe with textiles. The place still smells of wool and oil.
QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Admission:
adults €7, children 13 - 18 years €3, children 7 - 12 years
€1.75, children 6 and under free. TUK
Peerke Donders statue
Beer gardens still exist in winter, but only the strongest
patrons can survive more the one drink
Brabant Museum of Nature (Natuurmuseum
Brabant) B-2, Spoorlaan 434, tel. (+31) 135 35 39 35,
www.natuurmuseumbrabant.nl. The magnificent building
of Natuurmuseum Brabant houses thousands of beautiful
stuffed animals, fossils, plants and insects. Although the
entire museum is so child-friendly that it almost seems like
it was built solely for kids, this isn’t the case. Adults will find
plenty of interesting exhibits to keep them occupied. In the
new OO-zone, the Ontdek en Onderzoek (Discover and Research)
part of the museum, you can explore nature yourself.
Compare bones or browse through one of the hundreds of
books about flora and fauna. You’ll be amazed by the beautiful
animals behind the glass of the high display cabinets. In addition
to all this, the museum also has temporary exhibitions
like ‘Moeder’s Mooiste’ (Beauty is in the eye of the beholder),
where you can learn about exotic animals. Discover how a
humming bird uses its beak as a pipette and how a giraffe can
have a neck of up to 160cm in length. One of the permanent
exhibitions is ‘Brabant in de Ban van Buiten’ (Brabant under
the spell of the outdoors). Here you explore the diverse flora
and fauna that make the Brabant region so special. QOpen
10:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. Adults:
€7, children 4 - 17: €5. TJAGK
De Pont I-5, Wilhelminapark 1, tel. (+31) 135 43 83
00, info@depont.nl, www.depont.nl. De Pont combines
the history of Tilburg with art. Since 1992 this former wool
mill has served as an exhibition space for numerous works
by contemporary artists. The natural light in the large hall
illuminates the pieces in all their glory. The so-called wool
cages house small rooms where you can see even more works
of art. There are temporary exhibitions and the permanent
exhibition contains works by Charlotte Dumas, Anton Henning,
Wolfgang Laib, Steve McQueen and Giuseppe Penone. Q
The Peerke Donders Pavilion: Museum for Compassion
(Het Peerke Donders Paviljoen, Museum
vor Naastenliefde) J-4, Pater Dondersstraat 20, tel.
(+31) 134 55 72 45, www.peerkedonders.nl. A modern
museum was erected next to a tiny house in Tilburg where
the beatified friar and missionary Peerke Donders used to
live with his parents. The Peerke Donders Pavilion and Museum
for Compassion is divided into three rooms. The first
one offers information about the life and work of Peerke, the
second displays a permanent exhibition about charity and
mercy and the third room is for temporary exhibitions. Next
to the museum, you can enter Peerke’s old home where
you’ll discover how he lived in a building about the size of a
postage stamp. On the other side of the house you can take
a look at the little church that was built in Surinamese style
after Peerke’s death to honour the priest and his charitable
work in that nation. QOpen 13:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. K
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

Vincent’s Art Room (Vincents Tekenlokaal) C-4,
Stadhuisplein 128, tel. (+31) 135 42 91 97, www.
vincentstekenlokaal.nl. King William II had this beautiful
residence built for himself in the centre of Tilburg, but he
passed away just before the it was completed. The Royal
Family donated the palace to the city and it was turned into
the so-called ‘Higher Citizens School’. Hidden beneath the
palace you’ll find Vincent’s Tekenlokaal (Vincent’s Drawing
Room). This space is named after the most famous person
to have lived in the city. One of the first students to study here
was the now world-famous Vincent van Gogh. In 1886 he took
classes here at the age of 13. The renowned painter received
four or five hours of drawing lessons a week in the classroom
of C.C. Huijsmans. Vincent’s Tekenlokaal can be viewed again
via an exact reconstruction that’s decorated with a modern
touch. Computers teach you about the illustrious painter and
his experiences in school. Along the staircase to the drawing
room, Van Gogh’s wandering existence is clarified with a time
line of his turbulent life. Other than that, pieces of text from letters
that he wrote to his brother Theo are on display. Historical
images also illustrate how beautiful Tilburg must have looked in
Van Gogh’s time. This was long before mayor Cees Becht (aka
Demolition Man) ‘rid’ Tilburg of its beautiful architecture. You
can also see a class photo of Van Gogh, although even experts
still argue over which child is actually Vincent. The photo is very
valiable, as only four other photographs are known to exist of
the eccentric genius. Still, Vincent’s Tekenlokaal is more of an
actual drawing room than a museum. In a separate room you
can learn to draw digitally on an interactive screen. QOpen
13:00 - 16:00. Closed Mon, Sun. TJ
Out of town
Beekse Bergen Safari Park M-8, Beekse Bergen 31,
Hilvarenbeek, tel. (+31) 135 49 12 00, www.safaripark.
nl. De Beekse Bergen is the biggest and most popular zoo/
safari park in the Netherlands. More than 1500 animals live
here in a relatively large area. One of its main attractions is
the many ways in which you can view the creatures. Most
visitors drive around the park in large safari vans, but visitors
with their own cars can also drive past the lions, giraffes
and rhinos very slowly. A rest area with plenty of goodies is
available halfway through the park near the tigers, penguins
and flamingos. Here you can also switch to a safari boat. It’s
also possible to explore the park on foot as a path a few
miles long leads you past monkeys, elephants, bears and
many other animals. Children who still have energy to spare
can burn off some adrenaline at the Kilimanjaro playground.
QOpen 10:00 - 17:00. Admission: adults €19.95, children
3 - 11 years €17.95. TULBK
Don’t let the cold keep you away from these lovely bars
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
WHAT TO SEE
Vincent van Gogh took lessons in this classroom
Museum of Religious Art (Museum voor Religieuze
kunst) Vorstenburg 1, Uden, tel. (+31) 413
26 34 31, www.museumvoorreligieuzekunst.nl. The
province of Brabant used to be full of monasteries. However,
the majority of these remarkable buildings have been given a
new destination by now. One of the few still active (women’s)
convents is located in Uden, southeast of Tilburg. Six sisters
of the Bridgettine Order devoted to the Passion of Jesus Christ
united in the Abbey Maria Refugie, maintain age-old traditions
here. Isolated from the outside world and still behind thick
bars. Living an austere life serving God and wearing rather
odd caps. For Holland this is a first class cultural document
in which medieval thinking, Bridgettine spirituality and the
twenty-first century harmoniously come together. Particularly
now the old wings of the abbey have been renovated
for use as a museum. This Museum of Religious Art, which
was founded in 1973, serves enthusiasts of religious art and
church artifacts. The small but excellent museum houses a
large number of medieval sculptures, a group of very rare
monstrance dated around 1500, a large collection of popular
devotional objects (including tens of thousands of In Memoriam
cards) and numerous papers and documents illustrating
the history of the abbey and the region. The collections of
icons and modern religious art are exceptional. The herb
garden, with more than 150 different kinds of plants, is also
worth a visit. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Sat, Sun 13:00 - 17:00.
Closed Mon. (€5). TULG
The Village Doctor (De Dorpsdokter) M-8, Doelenstraat
53, Hilvarenbeek, tel. (+31) 135 05 40 93, post@
museumdedorpsdokter.nl, www.museumdedorpsdokter.
nl. The past has been coming to life at the Village Doctor (De
Dorpsdokter) museum in Hilvarenbeek for over 25 years. The
historic building under a picturesque mill has been split into
two exhibits. Woolly mammoth bones give a hint at prehistoric
times and the rich Roman Catholic culture of the area is
illustrated through a variety of antique items, but it’s really
the country doctor’s medical odds and ends that deserve the
most attention here. Apart from a collection of fascinating
medical pictures and books, there are a number of horrific
instruments guaranteed to give any visitor the creeps. These
days a skilled carpenter could use these saws and pliers to
build a beautiful house, but only a century and a half ago
these were the standard tools of the trade used by a country
doctor who often had to serve as a surgeon, gynaecologist,
dentist, midwife, ophthalmologist and pharmacist all in one.
Unfortunately, the explanations of the implements are only
available in Dutch. QOpen Mon 13:00 - 16:00. Closed Tue,
Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. In July and August opened from Tuesday
to Sunday from 13:00-17:00. Op Sundays in May, June
and September opened from 13:00-17:00 uur. Admission:
adults €2, children 5 - 12 years €1. TJL
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E39

E40 WHAT TO SEE
The cemetery at Bredaseweg is renowned for its
white statues
Parks, gardens & Cemeteries
Bredaseweg Cemetery (Begraafplaats Bredaseweg)
A-3, Bredaseweg 45. The best-known cemetery in
Tilburg is Roman Catholic and dates from 1828. A number of
distinct, white cast-iron statues seem to guard the graveyard
on the side facing the street. You’ll also find a remarkable work
of illumination art, which is directed at one of the statues.
Many special tombstones can be found in the cemetery itself,
like Marietje Kessels’. She was murdered in 1900, aged 11.
Her body was found in the archway of the Sacred Heart Church
which was demolished in 1975. The murderer was never
found, but many people suspect it must have been somebody
associated with the church. QOpen 09:00 - 21:30.
Helga Deen Garden & Tilburg Synagogue (Helga
Deen Tuin en Tilburgse Synagoge) C-2, Willem II
straat 20. Helga Deen is essentially the Tilburg version of
Anne Frank. There’s a little park in the centre of town named
after this Jewish girl who kept a diary during her incarceration
in an SS-concentration camp (National Monument Camp
Vught). There are only a few bushes, some shrubbery, nine
small chairs and several Stars of David in the paving stones,
but this 16m2 park wasn’t created at random. The little
park was named after the 18-year-old Helga who later died
in the Sobibór concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland.
Whoever comes here can have a moment of silence to contemplate
a dark chapter in Dutch history. Q J
Leijpark J-6, Ringbaan Zuid. This 30 hectare city park
designed in English landscape style was created between
1934 - 1939 as an unemployment relief project. The park
contains a small creek called De Ley, which gives the park
its name. The Leypark is a pleasant park to walk in and in
the summer this is where Festival Mundial takes place, which
draws about 60,000 visitors each year.
Muse Garden (Muzentuin) C-4, Zwijsenplein 1. Since
there’s little greenery to be found in Tilburg, sitting in this
city park is like a breath of fresh air. Although there are only
eight trees in the garden, it seems like more. The garden is
located beside a little old church, which has been integrated
among the new buildings of the dance academy. Traffic noise
is dampened by the walls of the school and other city sounds
can barely be heard here. On a sunny day you can enjoy the
grassy surroundings, which include statues as well as the
architectural tangle of the new school buildings that surround
the little church. If you’re in luck, you might even see a live
performance by students practising their newly acquired
dance moves or hear a violin or an opera singer trying to hit
the right note at a rehearsal. Q TJ
Oude Warande H-5, Warandelaan. This is the only remaining
‘star forest’ and one of the oldest baroque forests in The
Netherlands. The German prince Wilhelm Von Hessen-Kassel
had it designed in 1712. The lanes crossing the forest come
together in the centre forming a star pattern. The four different
parts each have their own pattern: square, circular, diamond
shape and octagonal. The forest covers 60 hectares and it
boasts several works of art, including one by Rien Claessen
called Inanitas, which means ‘open space’. The latest addition
is Pavilion Grotto, designed by Australian artist Callum Morton.
The Old Waranda is a relaxing place that’s ideal for running
and you’ll see many people doing just that. Q
Wilhelminapark I-5, Wilhelminapark. The Wilhelmina
Park is one of the oldest parks in Tilburg. It was designed
in 1898 in romantic fashion by Leonard Springer who also
designed the Wandelbos and Leijpark in the city. There’s a
duck pond, open pastures and winding paths between the
trees. Many students from the surrounding dorms move their
books and other vital learning materials (like bottles of beer)
to the park on sunny days. Q TJ6
Places of interest
Old Town Square D-2/3, Heuvelplein. De Heuvel is the
central square in Tilburg and the most important shopping
street, de Heuvelstraat, leads up to it. In 1419 ‘den Hoevel’
was named for the first time. Until the water tower on Bredaseweg
was built in 1898, Tilburgers could only get water
from de Heuvel as it was the only place with a water pump. A
replica of this pump can still be found on the Oude Markt. Until
1994 the square boasted an old lime tree, but despite major
protests, the dead tree was finally uprooted. Wood from the
tree has since been used to create the mayor’s gavel and in
a tableau in the city hall. The square was completely rebuilt
in 2008 and three descendants of the old lime tree were
planted in prominent places in the middle of the square. De
Heuvel also boasts a statue of King William II, who proudly
looks over the city he loved so much. Q
Tilburg Regional Archives (Regionaal Archief Tilburg)
E-3, Kazernehof 75, tel. (+31) 135 49 45 70, info@
regionaalarchieftilburg.nl, www.regionaalarchieftilburg.
nl. Do you really want to know everything about Tilburg? As
early as AD 709, the year that Tilburg was first mentioned,
documents and files were kept about its residents, districts,
streets and important events. At the Tilburg Regional Archives
you can see how Tilburg evolved over the centuries. It’s
not a museum, but of course it’s fun to have a look at the
old books yourself. With a bit of effort you’ll find the most
extraordinary facts about the town and its past. Besides,
the building itself is worth a visit because it’s housed in King
Willem II’s old stables. QOpen 09:30 - 17:00. Closed Mon,
Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun. J
Sightseeing tours
Stadsgidserij, www.stadsgidserij.nl. If you want to
discover Tilburg with a professional guide, you can sign
up for a tour from the Stadsgidserij. You can book various
walks, such as the centre walk, the centre west walk (which
includes a visit to the cemetery on the Bredaseweg), the
hasselt walk (where the Tilburg Castle once stood), the art
walk, the architecture walk and the culinary walk. Walks
in various other neighbourhoods of Tilburg that have rich
histories are also possible. Whichever route you choose
you’re guaranteed a fun, informative walk and you’ll discover
places that you would have never found by yourself. The
walks don’t take place every day so visit its website for
exact times and dates. Q
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

Statues
King Willem II Needle (Gedenknaald Koning Willem
II) C-4, Stadhuisplein. King William II died in his home in
Tilburg at the very place where this obelisk, which was erected
in 1874, now stands. In 1968 the monument was moved to
make room for the construction of a motorway. After years
of storage, it appeared to be too heavily damaged to restore
so a new one was made. The medallion with the portrait of
William II is the only remaining piece of the original obelisk. Q
The Jug Pisser (De Kruikenzeiker) B-3, Nieuwlandstraat.
This small statue was designed by Henk Smulders
and erected in 1986. The sculptor is also known for the many
statues he created for The Efteling theme park. The sculpture
honours Tilburg’s past textile industry. The residents of
Tilburg used to save their urine in jugs, which was then used
to wash wool in the factories, hence the Jug Pisser. Q J
Willem II Statue (Standbeeld Koning Willem II) D-2,
Heuvel. The municipality of Tilburg bought this statue in 1924
from The Hague and gave it a prominent place on De Heuvel.
The statue represents King William II as commander-in-chief
of the army. On the pedestal beneath the royal there are four
figures. The woman with a crown and sceptre represents
the monarchy. To her right sits Law. On the backside there is
Prosperity, complete with the Horn of Plenty and coins. The
last figure originally held a palladium, a figurine of the deity
of ancient Troy. This refers to the role of William II as patron
of the Netherlands. On the right side of the pedestal is a lion
with a sword between his front paws, which represents the
battles in which William II took part. Q
Zoos & Animals parks
De Oliemeulen H-5, Reitse Hoevenstraat 30, tel. (+31)
134 63 00 26, info@oliemeulen.nl, www.oliemeulen.nl.
This house of reptiles isn’t for the faint hearted. You’ll see
tarantulas, piranhas, tiger pythons and crocodiles. It’s a large
building with a number of departments and the front section
of the farmhouse displays all kinds of special frogs in bright
colours. A little further on, you’ll arrive at the chameleons,
adders and snapping turtles and spiders and snakes can be
found in the attic. Monkeys, meerkats and parrots are housed
in the enormous garden and on busy days and on weekends
there’s an impressive presentation of birds of prey. The house
of reptiles displays informative signs next to each cage, but,
sadly, only in Dutch. If you have similar pets you can buy live
beetles, spiders and particularly fat maggots here to feed
your snake or frog at home. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00. B
The Willem II statue is quite an eyecatcher
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
Tilburg apps
WHAT TO SEE
Tilburg City app Imagine every scrap of info on
Tilburg on your phone. The app lists all kinds of
events in Tilburg including the Tilburg Fair. It also
has a map on which every event is easily found, so
you know exactly where to go. The app is regularly
updated with new features and is available for
iPhone and Android.
Tilburg Studentenstad Every student activity
in Tilburg is brought together in one app. It has
a complete list of activities organised especially
for students. This way, every Tilburg student will
know exactly which parties, events and performances
Tilburg has to offer. It includes a map
and this free app is available for iPhone and
Android phones.
013 Stay in touch with the playbill of 013, the
largest pop venue in the Netherlands. Artists
such as Snoop Dogg, Moby, the Editors and
Queens of the Stone Age have all performed
here. 013 also features dance events such as
We All Love 80’s & 90’s and Euphoria as well
as the latest up-and-coming domestic and
international acts.
Scoupy Scoupy grants access to a great number
of local discount coupons on your iPhone or
Android platform. Updated regularly with a variety
of new offers, Scoupy scoops up unique locally
based discount offers that can only be validated
by means of the Scoupy app.
Pathé mobiel With this app you have every
movie that’s currently playing in theatres at your
fingertips. You can order your tickets directly via
this app and paying is easy and safe with iDeal,
PayPal or credit card. The app is free and available
for iPhone and Android.
9292OV With the help of ov9292 it‘s easy to plan
your trip to and from over 54,000 destinations by
train, bus, tram, subway or ferry. 9292 lists the
timetables of all 52 public transport companies
throughout the Netherlands. It also includes maps,
a price list and alerts in case of delays.
In Your Pocket Since 1992 In Your Pocket has
been publishing regularly updated, essential
guides to an ever increasing number of European
cities. The In Your Pocket iPhone application has
incorporated all of what has made In Your Pocket
the most respected city guide publisher on the
continent: accuracy, regular updates, sharp humour,
a keen eye for detail and brilliant writing.
This is all combined with the power of the iPhone
to create Europe’s best travel apps.
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E41

E42 GETTING AROUND
Getting around Tilburg is pretty simple, but here are a few
tips and suggestions. The old town is in fact so small, that
you can easily get everywhere you need to go on foot. If
you have to go a bit further, we recommend renting a bike.
Travelling to farther destinations by bus or train requires
an OV-chipkaart.
Public transport
The OV-chipkaart is the new means of payment for the entire
public transport system in The Netherlands. The smart card
is the size of a bank card and contains an invisible chip. The
OV-chipkaart can be loaded with credit in euros with which
you can travel anywhere within the country. The OV-chipkaart
can be bought at the ticket office and vending machines at
the station. This card allows the holder to travel immediately,
but it can’t be re-charged with another travel product. You
have to check in at the gate of the tram or bus by holding your
OV-chipkaart up to the screen. The sound and light signal
indicates your card has been read. At that end of your journey,
you check out by holding your card up to the gate screen. The
sound and light signal once again indicate that your card has
been read. Checking in and out is required when you transfer
from any one form of transport to another, except when you
transfer from one train to another.
Bicycles
The city has a substantial network of cycle paths, known as
the star net-route or the ‘red cycle paths’, which criss-cross
their way through the city. The network enables students (and
their professors!) to cycle to the university quickly and safely.
You can rent a bicycle at the central station at Fietspoint
Derks for €7.50 per day. The bicycles have handbrakes and
gears which allows you to decide how hard you want to pedal.
Taking a bike on the train cost you for the whole day €6. The
city has five free guarded indoor bicycle ‘parks’: Heuvel,
Concertzaal, Katterug, Pieter Vreedeplein and Stappegoor.
Heuvel, sharing its name with the square that it is located
under, has the longest opening hours, i.e., Sunday through
Wednesday until 02:30 and Thursday through Saturday until
04:30. We do not recommend the bicycle parking at the
central train station. Not only is it always filled to bursting, it
is not guarded, and the city workers are not the only people
confiscating bicycles.
Buses
Tilburg has eight city buses, two district buses, and various
regional buses that will transport you to various places. The
city centre is more easily manageable on foot, however. With
line 169 you have a direct connection to entertainment park
De Efteling. And at night there are two ‘nightliners’ going
through Tilburg from the Spoorlaan, which deposit people,
more or less drunk, as the case may be, safely at various
set places. The bus transportation is managed by Veolia
Transport Brabant which starts to the right of the central
train station. A large sign with place names and departure
times can be found at the edge of the bus station, and the
service office is located on the other side of the bus station
in the apartment complex Tilburion. You can pay using the
OV-chipkaart (public transport chip system). For those who
only make a brief visit to the ‘textile city’, the bus driver
sells day tickets on the bus, that allow you to travel by bus
in all of the province of Brabant for €3/person all day long.
Remember to check in and out when you enter or leave the
bus. For information about routes and exact departure times,
you can visit www.9292ov.nl and plan your route in English.
When you enter your place of departure and destination, it
will show you the fastest way to get there.
Ta xis
Ordering a taxi by phone will get you better service and lower
rates for longer distances. The following companies are
among the most reliable in town.
Algemene Taxi Service (General Taxi Service) Tel.
(+31) 135 42 08 00.
Stationtaxi Tel. (+31) 135 43 21 00.
Taxi Baron Tel. (+31) 135 32 18 38, www.taxibaron.nl.
Taxicentrale Midden Brabant Tel. (+31) 135 83
83 83.
Taxi Reeshof Tel. (+31) 138 50 11 11, www.taxireeshof.nl.
Trains
Tilburg has three train stations: Central station, Tilburg
Universiteit, and Tilburg Reeshof. The central station, with
its three tracks, is a dwarf compared to the train stations in
Utrecht, ’s-Hertogenbosch and Amsterdam. The front of the
train station faces right onto the city centre, and to get to
where you want to be, all you need to do is cross the street
and turn left or walk straight on.
You can purchase train tickets at the service desk in the hall
or at one of the ticket dispensers. Do note that the ticket
dispensers do not always accept foreign bank cards, so make
sure you have plenty of coins with you to operate them. Close
to the entrance you can change foreigner currencies into
Euros and vice versa. Tilburg Universiteit and Tilburg Reeshof
can only be reached by ‘stoptrein’ (a train which stops at all
small stations). Tilburg Universiteit is a small way station with
three tracks and is located close to Tilburg University. Which
also explains the presence of large groups of young people
with a thirst for knowledge. Tilburg Reeshof has two tracks
and connects to the most westerly part of Tilburg, the new
estate called Reeshof.
If you stay a longer period in the Netherlands, you might
consider buying a Voordeelurenabonnement Off-peak Discount
Pass). Travel cheaply outside the morning peak period
is their motto. On weekdays, you receive a 40% discount on
train fare for journeys made after 9.00 in the morning. The
card costs €55 a year. And the price of a passport photo...
And it’s not only you who can benefit from this discount,
because holders of this card can travel with up to three
people and get the same 40% discount on the full fare. For
more information: www.ns.nl. Taking a bike on the train cost
you for the whole day €6.
Bikes are an essential part of everyday life in Holland
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

GETTING AROUND

E44 SHOPPING
While Tilburg isn’t exactly a shopper’s paradise in the traditional
sense, its arty reputation makes it a great place
to pick up antiques, artwork and jewellery. Tilburg’s most
popular shopping area is the pedestrian street of De Heuvel.
The city’s main department stores are also located
here. Enough patisseries and delicatessens are available
along the way to recharge from any shopping spree.
Antiques
De Refter B-3, Nieuwlandstraat 23 - 25, tel. (+31) 135
43 12 29, derefter@home.nl, www.refter.nl. If you’re
in the market for religious art, furniture, religious books or
antique monastic objects, than this is the place for you.
QOpen Fri 12:00 - 18:00, Sat 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon,
Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun.
Bookshops & Media
De Zevensprong B-3, Nieuwlandstraat 37, tel. (+31)
135 44 37 81, dezevensprong@zonnet.nl, www.
dezevensprong.net. This cheerful children’s bookshop offers
a book crossing zone. The idea is to pick up a book for
free, finish reading it and then put it down again in a random
Book crossing spot somewhere else in the world. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Thu 10:00 - 21:00, Sat
10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. J
Livius B-3, Nieuwlandstraat 56, tel. (+31) 135 43 59 44,
boekhandellivius@planet.nl, www.boekhandellivius.nl.
Livius doesn’t just offer the current Top Ten, but also interesting
stories about the city and region and, of course, Tilburg In
Your Pocket. QOpen 09:30 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Thu
09:30 - 21:00, Sat 09:30 - 17:00. Closed Sun. J
Selexyz Gianotten C-3, Emmapassage 17, tel. (+31)
134 65 11 11, www.selexyz.nl. This bookshop, which is
one of the largest in Tilburg, has a great selection of books
of all genres. It also hosts a big collection of travel guides and
books about Tilburg. QOpen 09:30 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 -
18:00, Sat 09:30 - 17:30. Closed Sun. J
Ethnic food & Delicatessens
Slagerij Kees van Hest B-3, Nieuwlandstraat 47-A,
tel. (+31) 135 42 22 16. This is a butcher’s shop with an
old-fashioned look, but the meat of course is fresh. QOpen
08:00 - 18:00, Sat 08:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun.
Visspeciaalzaak Van Oursouw A-2, Prunusstraat
9, tel. (+31) 134 67 63 84, info@vanoursouw.nl,
www.vanoursouw.nl. This speciality fish shop is located
just outside Tilburg’s city centre, but is definitely worth a
detour. The friendly owners will give you a sample of what’s
fresh and will even make you a sandwich. QOpen 09:00 -
18.00, Tue 10:00 - 18:00, Sat 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon,
Sun. PVS
Fashion
Gimbrère D-3, Heuvelstraat 41, tel. (+31) 135 43 52
50, info@gimbreremode.com, www.gimbreremode.
nl. This is one of the oldest fashion houses in Tilburg. The
founder opened the place in 1836 as an umbrella factory,
but it has since expanded to become a chain of 12 clothing
shops. QOpen 09:30 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Thu
09:30 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. J
Jan De Cock Mode D-1, NS Plein 45, tel. (+31) 135
42 16 62, info@jandecockmode.nl, www.jandecockmode.nl.
Jan De Cock Mode is an exclusive fashion shop
with well-known brands and very friendly staff. QOpen
09:00 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Thu 09:00 - 21:00, Sat,
Sun 09:00 - 17:00.
Jimmy’s C-3, Stadhuisstraat 9, tel. (+31) 135 43 44
86, fax (+31) 135 80 05 65, info@jimmysmode.nl, www.
jimmysmode.nl. This enormous clothing shop may be for
people in a higher tax bracket, but it’s still worth a peek if
only to pretend that you can afford something here. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00, Thu 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed
Mon, Sun. J
Superfly B-2, Nieuwlandstraat 2, tel. (+31) 135 35 19
66, jeroen@superfly.nl, www.superfly.nl. Big brands like
Levis fill the vintage shelves and cool unknown brands adorn
the clothes hangers. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Mon 12:00 -
18:00, Thu 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. J
Flowers
Bloom! B-3, Nieuwlandstraat 5, tel. (+31) 135 81 21
23, info@bloomflowers.nl, www.bloomflowers.nl. The
most beautiful flower shop in Tilburg is situated in a stunning
building. In short, this is a florist with good taste. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00, Thu 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 - 17:00. Closed
Mon, Sun. J
‘t Boeketje C-2, Pieter Vreedeplein 178, tel. (+31)
134 56 22 26, bloemhandel.jkools@home.nl, www.
tboeketje.nl. Even on grey rainy days this place has a colorful
and fragrant feeling. QOpen 09:30 - 18:00, Mon 12:00 -
18:00, Thu 09:30 - 20:00, Sat 09.30 - 17.00. Closed Sun. J
Games & Toys
De Dobbelsteen B-3, Schouwburgring 155, tel. (+31)
135 44 37 00, Tilburg@DeDobbelsteen.com, www.
dedobbelsteen.com. The owner of this shop takes the time
and effort needed to personally teach you any game, should
this be necessary. QOpen 11:00 - 18:00, Thu 11:00 - 21:00,
Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J
Het Zingende Nijlpaard C-3, Willem II straat 88, tel.
(+31) 135 35 38 29, fax (+31) 135 80 28 33, info@
hetzingendenijlpaard.com, www.hetzingendenijlpaard.
com. This place only sells nostalgic wooden and tin toys.
Neglected old toys are also patched up by the owner of the
shop, such as spinning tops that have been fabricated in the
same way since 1880. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 -
18:00, Thu 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. J
Intertoys C-2, Pieter Vreedeplein 155, www.intertoys.
nl. One of the largest toy shops in Tilburg is situated in the
cellar of the Pieter Vreedeplein. This shop doesn’t place a big
emphasis on modern video games and DVDs, but rather on
‘real’ toys. The large collection of Legos is especially impressive.
QOpen 09:30 - 18:00, Mon 11:00 - 18:00, Thu 09:30
- 21:00, Sat 09:30 - 17:00. Closed Sun. J
The Heuvelpoort Shopping Centre in Old Town
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

Gifts & Souvenirs
PickAlily B-2, Tuinstraat 106, tel. (+31) 135 35 68 88,
www.pickalily.nl. This lovely knick-knack shop will cheer
you up if only because birds start to sing when anyone walks
through the door. QOpen 11:00 - 18:00, Thu 11:00 - 21:00,
Sat 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. J
Jewellery & Watches
Ocho B-3, Schouwburgring 5, tel. (+31) 135 45 50 62,
info@ocho8.nl, www.ocho8.nl. Beautiful, affordable jewellery
and watches, but also bags, belts and buckles. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Thu 10:00 - 21:00, Sat
10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. J
Secondhand shops
Used Before B-3, Nieuwlandstraat 55, tel. (+31) 634
00 29 87, www.usedbefore.nl. Humbled by the economic
crisis or a lover of secondhand stuff? Whatever your reason,
this is a good place to buy a used washing machine, TV
or other household appliance for a decent price. QOpen
10:00 - 18:00, Thu 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed
Mon, Sun.
Vincentshop D-2, Veemarktstraat 37, tel. (+31) 135
42 04 21, www.vincentiustilburg.nl. Come here for used
clothing and furniture for really affordable prices. With a
little luck you’ll even find an excellent book for around €2. All
proceeds help alleviate poverty in Tilburg. QOpen 10:00 -
17:00, Sat 10:00 - 14:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J
Viva Vintage B-2, Noordstraat 97, tel. (+31) 619 62
88 54, info@vivavintage.nl, www.vivavintage.nl. This is
the most orderly second-hand shop in Tilburg. It sells ladies
clothing and bags, but also quintessentially Dutch china
such as vermicelli and sugar jars. QOpen 11:00 - 18:00,
Sat 11:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Tue, Sun. J
Shopping centres
Emmapassage C/D-3, Emmapassage, www.emmapassage.nl.
This is a rather chic, indoor mall with a wide
range of shops and there’s always plenty of natural light
provided by the glass ceiling. Among the 22 shops are a very
large bookstore, fashion and shoe shops, travel agencies, a
jewelry boutique and a restaurant. QOpen 09:30 - 18:00,
Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Thu 09:30 - 21:00, Sat 09:30 - 17:00.
Closed Sun. PTJ6ULGK
Heuvelpoort D-3, Heuvelpoort, info@heuvelpoort.nl.
This shopping centre houses two floors of stores. The ground
floor has 12 shops selling a variety of items, not to mention
a hotel and a restaurant, while the basement offers a gym
with a sauna. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 - 18:00,
Thu 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00, Sun 12:00 - 17:00.
TJUFLBKD
Schouwburg Promenade B-4, Schouwburgpromenade,
www.schouwburgpromenade.nl. This partially
covered shopping centre houses over 35 shops. Some are
privately owned and independent, but some of the larger
international franchises are also available. QOpen 10:00
- 18:00, Mon 13:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun. TJ6UB
Specialty shops
De Feestspecialist B-3, Schouwburgring 157, tel.
(+31) 135 43 08 81, www.defeestspecialist.nl. You
can count on this place for any theme party you might want
to throw. Buy festive costumes and strange outfits for any
occasion. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Thu
10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. J
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
SHOPPING
Russian Market Kalinka Koningsplein 253, tel. (+31)
642 78 74 97. The first and only Russian store in Tilburg
sells the usual items you might expect like caviar and vodka,
but also Russian tea, preserved vegetables, candy and
cookies. Some of the products have English explanations
but others are written in Cyrillic, so when in doubt ask the
staff and make sure that a can of dog food doesn’t end up in
your stew. QOpen 11:00 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Thu
11:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00 - 18:00. Closed Sun.
Sigarenspeciaalzaak Havana D-3, Piusplein 4, tel.
(+31) 135 42 54 28, . This has been a Valhalla for Tilburg’s
tobacco users since 1916. During the Tilburg fair you can
admire a miniature fairground in their shop window. QOpen
08:45 - 18:15, Mon 12:00 - 18:15, Thu 08:45 - 21:00, Sat
09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sun. PJ
Sweets
De Soete Inval B-3, Nieuwlandstraat 58a, tel. (+31)
135 43 36 71, www.desoeteinval.com. De Soete Inval
sells 700 different kinds of both traditional Dutch and modern
sweets. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00, Thu 10:00 - 20:00,
Sat 10:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon, Sun. J
Tea & Coffee shops
Kaldi C-2, Willem II straat 68, tel. (+31) 135 35 07 51,
tilburg@kaldi.nl, www.kaldi.nl. From the plant or bean to
the liquid in your colourful mug, the friendly lady who runs Kaldi
knows all there is to know about coffee and tea. You can also
buy a present for friend or attend a barista workshop here.
QOpen 09:30 - 18:00, Thu 09:30 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00,
Sun 12:00 - 17:00. Closed Mon. PJGW
Wine & Liquor shops
T Drinks D-3, Winkelcentrum Heuvelpoort, tel. (+31)
135 80 11 26, www.tilburgdrinkt.nl. This tiny liquor shop
is the only place to go for local specialties like praotwater
beer (talking water), knipoogske (a wink), and Hullie Gullie, a
unique liqour based on the Tilburg fair. The enormous whisky
and beer collections are eyecatchers. QOpen 10:00 - 18:00,
Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Thu 10:00 - 21:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00.
Closed Sun. J
Capital of Culture 2018
The title European Capital of Culture originated in 1985.
Every year two European cities are designated to be a
Capital of Culture. In 2018 the Netherlands and Malta
have the privilege of choosing one of their cities to carry
the prestigious title. Together with the cities of Breda,
Eindhoven, Helmond and ‘s Hertogenbosch, which make
up the Brabantstad, Tilburg has also thrown its hat in the
ring. As a Capital fo Culture Brabantstad has a chance
to raise its profile on a regional, national and international
level. ‘The art of living together’, is Brabantstad’s
motto for 2018, but each city has its own profile. Tilburg
has chosen to showcase ‘social innovation’ and the
Tilburg Spoorzone. For more information visit www.
brabant2018.nl.
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E45

E46 SPORTS & LIFESTYLE
New in town? Suffering a spontaneous allergy attack,
a broken tooth or a bad hair day? For doctors, dentists,
hairdressers and many more handy addresses read on.
Dance schools
Factorium C-4, Koningsplein 11A, tel. (+31) 135 35 40
55, info@factorium.nl, www.factorium.nl. The Factorium
is a beautiful building with modern facilities where classes,
workshops and lessons are given in the field of performing
arts. Tickle the ivories of a pipe organ, train your baritone
voice, move your hips to capoeira or try your dance skills
Bollywood-style. You can watch all of the action from the
comfort of a beanbag before you decide which course to take.
QOpen 09:00 - 17:00. Closed Sat, Sun. J
Dentists
G.H.M. van der Zand B-2, Spoorlaan 378, tel. (+31)
135 80 18 88. QOpen 08:00 - 17:00, Fri 13:00 - 17:00.
Closed Sat, Sun. J
Doctors
Brands en Taminiau D-3, Heuvelring 138, tel. (+31)
135 42 37 34. Q J
Diving
D-Diving L-7, Raadhuisplein 47, Rijen, tel. (+31) 682
04 71 20, www.d-diving.nl. This experienced dive team
will teach you how to appreciate life under water in a variety
of pools. Q
Karting
De Voltage I-6, Groenstraat 139-391, tel. (+31) 135
80 00 07, fax (+31) 135 80 00 09, info@devoltage.nl,
www.devoltage.nl. De Voltage was originally a part of the
Volt factory, nowadays it serves as an indoor entertainment
centre where you can have fun go-karting, playing laser tag
or paintball, try a rodeo or sumo wrestling or even play bungee
football. QOpen 15:00 - 23:00, Wed 14:00 - 23:00, Fri
15:00 - 24:00, Sat 12:00 - 24:00, Sun 12:00 - 23:00. Closed
Mon. THEKW
DVD rental
Cinematheek C-2, Willem II straat 6-A, tel. (+31)
135 43 26 79, balietilburg@cinematheek.nl, www.
cinematheek.nl. For those who have trouble choosing,
the Top-100 wall is a great source of inspiration and the
staff are like walking film-encyclopaedias. QOpen 14:00
- 22:30. J
Fitness & Gyms
Health City D-3, Heuvelpoort 380, tel. (+31) 135 32
51 00, info@healthcity.nl, www.healthcity.nl. This gym is
located in the basement of the Heuvelpoort shopping centre.
At first glance it doesn’t seem that big, but once inside you’ll
quickly come the the conclusion that it’s actually a veritable
work-out paradise. Exercising here isn’t cheap, but it does
have some fringe benefits like a pool and a sauna. QOpen
07:00 - 24:00, Thu, Fri 07:00 - 23:00, Sat 09:00 - 20:00, Sun
09:00 - 18:00. JFD
PUUR fitness H-5, Artemisstraat 6, tel. (+31) 135 90
01 40, info@puur-fitness.nl, www.puur-fitness.nl. This is
by far the cheapest option for fitness aficionados in Tilburg.
QOpen 08:30 - 22:30, Sat, Sun 09:00 - 16:00. PTFL
Hairdressers & Barbers
Hardy’s E-4, Piushaven 1-D, tel. (+31) 135 36 52 00,
info@hardys.nl, www.hardys.nl. Having your hair cut here
might be more expensive than in similar places, but the stunning
views of the Tilburg Piushaven from this hip hairdresser
boat are worth the extra cash. Call or make an appointment
on its website. QOpen 08:30 - 19:00, Mon 11:00 - 18:00,
Thu 08:30 - 20:00, Sat 08:30 - 16:00. Closed Sun. J
John Beerens Haarstudio H-5, Professor Gimbrèrelaan
45, tel. (+31) 134 670 360, info@johnbeerens.
nl, www.johnbeerens.nl. You’ve come to the right place
if you want to have your hair cut by a local Dutch celebrity.
John, the bald barber, is one of the most well-known people
in Tilburg. QOpen 09:00 - 18:00, Mon 13:00 - 18:00, Thu
09:00 - 21:00, Fri 08:30 - 21:00, Sat 08:30 - 17:00. Closed
Sun. PA
Medical & Wellness
GGD H-6, Ringbaan West 227, tel. (+31) 900 463 64
43, www.ggdhvb.nl. The address for vaccinations for long
trips (and STDs), but come also here for a world of information
about all kinds of (scary) diseases. QOpen 08:00 - 17:00.
Closed Sat, Sun.
Mediq Apotheek Julianastaete (Mediq Pharmacy
Julianastaete) D-3, Heuvelring 212, tel. (+31) 135 42
63 52, fax (+31) 135 44 73 01, julianastaete.mediq-apotheek.nl.
A centrally located pharmacy with all the medicine
and vitamins you might need. QOpen 08:00 - 17:30. Closed
Sat, Sun. PJA
Hospitals
St. Elisabeth Ziekenhuis (St. Elisabeth Hospital)
J-6, Hilvarenbeekseweg 60, tel. (+31) 135 39 13 13,
www.elisabeth.nl. This hospital is the place to go in an
emergency. Q PTULGK
TweeSteden Ziekenhuis (TweeSteden Hospital)
H-4, Dr. Deelenlaan 5, tel. (+31) 134 65 56 55, fax
(+31) 134 63 01 96, www.tweestedenziekenhuis.nl.
This hospital specialises in many fields of medicine. Q
PTULK
Massage
Pure L C-2, IJzerstraat 15, tel. (+31) 135 42 14 61,
info@pure-l.nl, www.pure-l.nl. This ayurvedic massagesalon
has the perfect city centre location when the daily
workload becomes pure stress. QOpen 10:00 - 17:00, Thu
10:00 - 21:00. Closed Wed, Sun. J
The Vogeltjesbuurt is one of Tilburg’s most colourful areas
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

Wellness: past and present
People have been using some form of a sauna since
ancient times. Steam baths were the cornerstone of
Greco-Roman civilisation and for centuries the Native
Americans purged their bodies of sickness in sweathouses
across North America. Bathhouses were among
the first buildings erected by the Ottoman Turks when
they occupied Budapest. It seems that steam has been
an integral part of many cultures throughout history. To
many Europeans, accustomed to a day at a gym or a
spa, a sauna now consists of a cedar or birch lined closet
with a glass door and an electric stove with volcanic
rocks inside. Naturally, human bodies weren’t meant
to endure such high temperatures for long stretches
of time so sauna-goers periodically cool themselves
down with a leap into the icy waters of a bath or a cold
shower. In winter time you can even roll around in the
snow for good measure. Although this activity isn’t meant
for people with heart conditions, the average person
is left either invigorated or ready for a nap. Excessive
alcohol use isn’t encouraged before or after a sauna,
but a cold local brew seems like a proper reward after a
long battle with extremes of temperature and humidity.
The Netherlands currently boasts roughly 120 wellness
centres, as these relaxing retreats are now commonly
known. At most of these modern-day oases you simply
pay a flat fee of roughly €25 - 30/day for a full day of
pleasure and pampering in pools and steam rooms. For
a proper retreat from the rigours of city life in Tilburg
we recommend:
Thermen Tilburg L-8, Moerse Dreef 10, tel. (+31)
135 71 54 10, info@thermentilburg.nl, www.
thermentilburg.nl. You can let yourself be completely
pampered at the largest and, in our opinion, best wellness
centre in town. With facilities like a Himalayan crystal salt
stone cabin, a rose salon and a light therapy room, you
can be sure that relaxing has never been easier. Your
whole body will be rejuvenated in the spa and the restaurant,
which, of course, serves healthy salads. QOpen
10:00 - 23:00, Fri, Sat 10:00 - 24:00. PUGKD
Sports centres
Dolfijn I-5, Ringbaan Oost 2a, tel. (+31) 135 42 43 80,
www.tilburg-dolfijnbowling.nl. The Dolphin has 10 bowling
alleys, but air hockey and billiard enthusiasts can also
have a great time here. Its shop offers all the professional
equipment you could possibly need to bowl a strike and kids
will have the time of their lives at its disco parties where you
can bowl under flashing lights. QOpen 14:00 - 24:00, Sat
12:00 - 01:00, Sun 13:00 - 23:00. GK
Skish Indoor Ski + Squash M-7, Gen. Eisenhowerweg
7, Berkel-Enschot, tel. (+31) 135 33 90 88, info@skish.
nl, www.skish.nl. If you’ve never skiiied before, this is an
ideal way to learn. You can pick up the basics on two small
tracks, each 6m-wide and 10m-long. Due to the large mirrored
wall you’ll be able to copy the movements of the instructors
quickly and be ready for the real slopes in no time. QOpen
17:00 - 23:00, Wed 10:00 - 23:00, Fri 14:00 - 21:00, Sat
09:00 - 14:00, Sun 10:00 - 14:00. Introductory lessons:
€18. TJL
Squashcentrum De T (Squash center De T) A-2,
Boomstraat 85, tel. (+31) 135 36 39 39. You’ll find this
sports centre with four squash courts along the picturesque
Boomstraat. QOpen 09:45 - 24:00, Fri, Sat 09:45 - 18:00,
Sun 09:45 - 13:00. J
tilburg.inyourpocket.com
SPORTS & LIFESTYLE
Tannning salons
SummerTan C-2, Telegraafstraat 13 - 15, tel. (+31)
135 42 47 09, info@summertan.nl, www.summertan.
nl. You don’t need an appointment to take advantage of this
state-of-the-art tanning salon. QOpen 08:00 - 22:00, Sat
10:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00. (€4 - 9). PJG
Useful addresses
GWK Travelex B-1, Spoorlaan 39, tel. (+31) 900 05
66, www.travelex.com. This is a handy address to buy
or cash traveller’s cheques, exchange foreign currency,
send and receive money from abroad or purchase calling
cards. QOpen 08:00 - 20:00, Sat 09:00 - 17:00, Sun
10:00 - 17:00. JA
Lowie Kopie B-3, Schouwburgring 18 - 20, tel. (+31)
135 43 70 31, www.lowiekopie.nl. Printed textiles and
mugs, as well as photocopying and printing. QOpen 09:15
- 18:00, Sat 10:00 - 17:00. J
Wasknijper I-6, Korvelseweg 132, www.wasknijper.
com. Six washing machines, four dryers and a selection of
magazines is all you need to get the laundry done. And 45
minutes of your precious time. QOpen 08:00 - 21:00. J
Water parks
Recreatiebad Stappegoor I-6, Stappegoorweg 1,
tel. (+31) 135 32 59 00, www.sportintilburg.nl. The
Stappegoor swimming pool is small for a city like Tilburg, but
children want for nothing here with whirlpools, steam cabins
and and the wild rapids slide, which is fun for adults, too. It
offers a pool for competitions, one for recreation and a small
outdoor pool. QOpen 07:00 - 21:30. TGBKC
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E47

E48 VENUE INDEX
English
Index
Aan Tafel! E24
Alt Wien E32
Anvers E20
Appartement Henk
Perdijk E18
Auberge du Bonheur
E22
Auberge Du Bonheur
E16
Babbus E34
Bastion Hotel Tilburg
E16
B&B Winterresidentie
E18
Berlijn Cafe E29
Bet Kolen E32
Bistro St. Sjaak E22
Blend E25
Boekanier E35
Boerke Mutsaers E21
Bolle E34
Bommel Beer E21
Bosporus E23
Brandpunt E34
Breexz E29
Buitenom E18
Burgemeester Jansen
E34
Café Hoegaarden E35
Café Zomerlust E34
City Hotel Tilburg E16
Clancy's E30
Old town street register
Aartestraat, Jan D3
Acaciastraat A1
Akkerstraat A3
Alexanderstraat C3
Annahof, Sint A4
Annaplein, Sint A4
Annastraat, Sint A4
Antoniusstraat B2
Atelierstraat C1
Barkstraat D4
Besterdring D1
Bleshof B3
Bodehof C2
Boomstraat A2
Bouwmeesterplein,
Louis B4
Brabantlaan, Hart van
A1
Bredaseweg A3
Brokxlaan,
Burgemeester A1
Burgerijpad A2
Buxusplaats A1
Capucijnenstraat A4
Catamaranstraat E4
Cavaleriestraat D3
Clercxstraat D4
Damsstraat D3
Dionysiusstraat A2
Dondersstraat,
Professor=3 E2
Dunantstraat E2
De 2 Linden E19
De Bisschop E21
De Burgerij E29
De Druiventros E19
De Heeren Van
Tilburg E34
De Keer E19
De Kievitshoeve E25
De Kleine Indo E24
De Korenbloem E30
De Lamme Goedzak
E30
De Ouwe Stokerij E22
De Pannekoekenbakker
E27
De Plaats E35
De Popcorn E33
De Postelse Hoeve
E16
De Prins E30
De Reunie E23
De Reünie E28
De Ritz E27
De Rooi Pannen
E16, E25
De Slijterij E30
De Spaarbank E25
De Triangel E32
De Wijn E33
Easy Wok & Go E20
Eataly E26
Een der
Koningshoeven E18
Efteling Bosrijk E19
Efteling Hotel E19
Elzenhof A2
Elzenstraat A2
Emmapassage C3
Emmastraat D3
Enschotsestraat E1
Esdoornstraat=4 A2
Fabriekstraat A2
Fleminghof E3
Flemingstraat E3
Fraterstraat A1
Galeipad D4
Galjoenhof E4
Galjoenstraat E4
Gardiaanhof A4
Gasthuisring A1
Girostraat C3
Goudenregenstraat E1
Harmoniepark B2
Helga Deentuin C2
Hendrikhof C3
Heuvel D2
Heuvel, Achter de E2
Heuvelpoort=1 D3
Heuvelring D2
Heuvelstraat B3
Hoogvensestraat E3
Huzarenstraat E3
IJzerstraat C2
Jasmijnstraat E1
Jolstraat E4
Josephstraat, Sint E3
Kapelhof B3
Enjoii E26
Etenstijd E20
Extase E30
Faja Lobi E28
Gastenverblijf
Koningshoeven E18
Gember & Sereh E24
Gust van Dijk E18
Havana E30
Het Dorstige Hert E34
Het Elfde Gebod E35
Het Huys van Voskens
E21
Het Wapen van
Tilburg E18
Heuvel 15 E35
Hoeve de Mertel E19
Hofstede De Blaak
E22
Hoppie E31
Hotel Central E16
Hotel Gilze-Rijen E19
Ibis Tilburg E16
Il Calatino E26
Intermezzo E24
I Pin Ke E20
Jack's E31
Jack's Cuisine E25
Jade E20
Joris E35
Kandinsky E32
Karel E31
Karnak E33
Klein Tilburg E21
Koi E26
Karrestraat C2
Kazernehof E3
Kerkpad C3
Klipperplein D4
Kloosterstraat B4
Koestraat D1
Koggeplein E4
Koningsplein C4
Koopvaardijstraat D4
Korte Schijfstraat A2
Korte Tuinstraat B3
Korvelseweg A4
Kotterstraat E4
Kurassiersstraat E3
Laagstraat A2
Lanciersstraat E3
Landsteinerstraat E2
Lange Schijfstraat A4
Langestraat B2
Leliestraat E1
Lochtstraat A1
Madeliefstraat E1
Magazijnstraat C2
Mariastraat B3
Mattheushof, Frater A4
Mauritshof D4
Monumentstraat C3
Nazarethstraat A4
Nieuwlandstraat B3
Noordhoekring A3
Noordstraat A2
Ns-Plein D1
Kok Verhoeven E28
Kras2 E29
Lambiek E32
Langeboom E21
La Place E22
Le Bistro E23
Le Clochard E31
Lelia en Michel Bakker
E18
Little Devil E31
Lokaal Zeven E21
L'Olivo E26
L'Orangerie E22
Lucebert E23
L!ve Music Bar E33
Mañana E27
Más Tapas Y Vinos
E28
MeesterS E27
Mercure Hotel Tilburg
Centrum E16
Minos Pallas E23
Mugs & Muffins E29
Museumcafe Eten &
Drinken E29
New China Crown E21
New York Pizza E22
Philip E35
Pim's Broodjeszaak E28
Pino's E25
Pinos E18
Polly Maggoo E31
Poolcentrum 4
Friends E34
Prise d'Eau E25
Oranjestraat D3
Ordonnansenstraat E3
Oudedijk B4
Oude Markt B3
Paleisring D3
Pasteurhof E2
Pasteurstraat E2
Paulownahof, Anna C4
Paulussehof, Frater B3
Piushaven E4
Piusplein D3
Piusstraat D4
Poststraat B2
Rankenstraat B3
Roemerhof B3
Romboutshof, Frater A3
Rozenplein E1
Rozenstraat E1
Salkplantsoen E2
Schoenerstraat E4
Schoolstraat A3
Schouwburgpromenade
B4
Schouwburgring B3
Sebastiaanstraat, Sint
D4
Seringenhof E1
Sonstraat, Van A4
Sophiastraat C3
Spoorlaan B1
Stadhuisplein C3
Stadhuisstraat C3
Puur Mercure E22
Riddershoeve E23
Rodeo Grill
Restaurant E24
Saints E34
Sarban E20
Shinzo E26
Sjieque E23
Slagroom E21, E31
Snitz E28
Soups & Shakes E29
Stadscafé Van Gogh
E32
Stoffel E35
St. Petrus E24
Studio Tilburg E32
Suki E26
Sur Plus E25
Sushi Koi E27
Taste! E22
't BuitenBeentje E33
The 7 Hillranch E24
The Talk E26
Tippi Wan E27
T Kwadraat E33
Tortilla's E27
Tribunaal E32
Tuinhuis Culinair E24
't Vaticaan E19, E32
Van Horen Zeggen E35
Waalwijk hotel E19
Werelds E26
Wok Dynasty E20
Yammie E24
Zorba de Griek E23
Stadstraat C4
Stationsstraat B2
Stolbergstraat, Juliana
van D3
Telefoonstraat C3
Telegraafstraat C2
Telexstraat C2
Tivolistraat E2
Tjalkstraat D4
Trouwlaan A4
Tuinstraat B2
Tulpstraat=5 E1
Utrechtsestraat A2
Veemarktstraat D2
Vincentiuspad B3
Vincentiusstraat A3
Vorstenhof D4
Vreedepad, Pieter C2
Vreedeplein, Pieter C2
Vreedestraat, Pieter C3
Vrouweplein, Lieve A4
Wagenstraat D1
Wilgenstraat A3
Willem II Straat C3
Willemsplein C4
Wingerdhoek B3
Zomerstraat B4
Zuid-Oosterstraat E1
Zwaanstraat D3
Zwijsenplein C4
Zwijsenstraat, Bisschop
C4
Tilburg In Your Pocket tilburg.inyourpocket.com

OLD TOWN MAP
E49

NETHERLANDS MAP
Autumn 2012/Winter 2013
E52