Visiting Bierhuis De Klomp, The Oldest Bar in Delft

Last Updated on 6th October 2023 by Sophie Nadeau

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Delft is a beautiful Dutch city famed for its meandering canals, prestigious university, and Delftware pottery (also known as Delft Blue). While in the city, you’ll want to dedicate a couple of hours to wandering around, snapping photos, and seeing where your feet take you. And, if you’re a fan of all things beer-related, then you should definitely check out Bierhuis De Klomp, the oldest bar in Delft.

The University city of Delft: home to Delftware Pottery

If you’re visiting Southern Holland, then you’re in luck. This part of the Netherlands is home to plenty of incredible scenery, as well as a number of stunning cities: the beach resort city of The Hague, and the university city of Leiden to name but a couple.

So after you’ve seen the must-sees in the Netherlands, then take yourself on a day trip to Delft. The city can be found just forty-five minutes via train from Amsterdam and just a fifteen-minute journey from The Hague city centre. Once in Delft, there are a number of typically Dutch sites you’ll want to discover…

Should you feel so inclined, you can go to see a free demonstration of the creation of Delft pottery at the De Delftse Pauw. This fifteen minute guided tour gives you a glimpse into how the clay is moulded, the firing process, how the vivid colours are created, and even allows you to see some of the Delftware being painted.

In the heart of the city, the Oude Kerk (old church) is a Gothic Protestant Church with a famous leaning tower, while the City Hall is one of the most beautiful buildings in this area of Holland. For those with no fear of heights, the New Church (Nieuwe Kerk) can be found in the very heart of the old part of the city and its impossibly high tower of 85 metres offers the best viewpoint of Delft.

The climb up to the top comprises of 376 wooden steps and allows for 360-degree panoramic views over the city. From here, it’s possible to spy the canals, Dutch architecture, and even the city’s iconic windmill, that of de Roos Windmill.

A history of Bierhuis De Klomp

First founded as a café and beer house back in the 17th-century, the Bierhuis now touts itself as the oldest beer bar and café in Delft. Although the building dates back much earlier, to 1538, the café itself has been open for all manner of drinks since 1652.

Up until the 1980s, beer was only sold from jugs as the taps were not installed until this time. De Klomp is quite literally translated into English as ‘the clog,’ and of course, along with the windmills, the wooden shoe is one of the most iconic symbols of the Netherlands.

Address | Binnenwatersloot 5 2611BJ Delft Netherlands

Visiting Bierhuis De Klomp

It was a crisp autumn afternoon as we rode our bikes into Delft. The leaves had turned that beautiful golden hue and were rapidly dropping from the trees, blanketing the entire city in a carpet of orange. The sky was blue and the sun was starting to droop down towards the horizon.

We parked up, just outside the city centre, and made our way into Delft on foot. Incidentally, once you’ve arrived, the sheer compactness of the city (as well as lack of bicycle parking spaces during certain periods), means that the best way to explore Delft is on foot.

After meandering through the many cobbled lanes and eating a particularly large portion of fries, we made our way to the oldest bar in Delft.

Set across three rooms, the Bierhuis lies alongside one of the more beautiful canals of the city and has a bar area, lounge area (complete with couches and low tables), and a more informal games room out the back.

And so, we made our way into the dimly lit bar (it’s all candlelight in here) and were told to make ourselves comfortable as we perused the menu.

There are dozens of things to choose from; including soft drinks, non-alcoholic hot beverages, some forty varieties of bottled beer, and a number of draught beers. Safe to say, should you opt to visit Bierhuis de Klomp, you certainly won’t be stuck for choice!