Van Gogh Café sits on the Nieuwmarkt with a terrace that's prime people-watching real estate — and that's about where the appeal ends. With a Google rating hovering around 2.9 from over 2,400 reviews, it's the textbook definition of a tourist trap: big paella pans on display, Van Gogh-themed décor, and prices that don't match the quality. You're paying for the square, not the food.
A Nieuwmarkt terrace with paella pans and a Van Gogh theme — prime location, but 2,400+ reviews call it a tourist trap.
Skip the food entirely — grab one drink on the terrace for the Nieuwmarkt people-watching, then eat at any brown café nearby.
A Nieuwmarkt terrace that's all location, no substance
Let's be honest: Van Gogh Café is the kind of place locals walk past with a knowing smile. Sitting right on the Nieuwmarkt, it's got location going for it and absolutely nothing else. The Google rating of 2.9 across more than 2,400 reviews tells you most of what you need to know — reviewers repeatedly call it a "piège à touristes" (tourist trap), and the food, when it arrives, rarely justifies the bill.
The big draw on the terrace is the paella — massive pans are set out on display to lure passersby, and it's mentioned in hundreds of reviews. But the execution is mass-catering quality at restaurant prices. The kitchen turns out standard café fare (breakfast, lunch, drinks) that you'll find done better at literally any brown café a few streets away. Tripadvisor reviewers have complained about how tourists are treated, and the Yelp crowd calls it "no means a spectacular eatery" — which is generous.
If you absolutely must sit here, do it for a beer on the terrace when the sun's out and the Nieuwmarkt is buzzing. Treat it as a people-watching tax, order one drink, and eat literally anywhere else. There are too many great spots in this neighborhood to waste a meal here.