![]() ![]() Photograph: Jorg Greuel/Getty ImagesĪnother must – as long as climbing 465 narrow, winding steps doesn’t faze you – is the Dom Tower, which still dominates the skyline of the city 637 years on from its completion. Art and cultureĭom Tower and the Oudegracht. The charming and gregarious Andu, son of the owner, gave me a passionate mini seminar on the history and natural wonders of Ethiopia and even taught me a few words of his native language. An even warmer welcome awaited me at Sunshine, where I worked my way through a combination plate of Ethiopian dishes including kitfo (a dreamily succulent mix of raw beef and Ethiopian butter, €17) and gommen wot (kale with peppers, onions, garlic and chilli, €15). I had a memorable and far from bank-breaking dinner at the friendly SYR, where refugees and Dutch staff work together to create Syrian dishes such as mashawi (a lip-smacking mixed grill of chicken and beef skewers and lamb cutlets served with pita and a spicy muhammara dip, €18) and makdous salad (pickled baby aubergines stuffed with walnuts, red pepper and garlic, €5). My attempt to sample a Utrecht lunch institution in the form of the cheese, salami and vegetable-filled Broodje Mario was thwarted by the outlet of the same name being unexpectedly shut, but a bulging Parma ham, Old Amsterdam cheese, rocket and pesto roll (€5.25) from the nearby Broodje Ben food truck proved a satisfying alternative at a similarlylow cost. I found a fresh, punchy and very filling salmon and avocado poké bowl (€11.50) at Poké Perfect and a herby, creamy lamb pita (€9.50) around the corner at the Streetfood Club. The cost of eating out in Utrecht is similar to London, so some knowledge of economical lunch options is useful. Cartesius, to the west, has also been partially transformed by the arrival of various DIY venues, cafes and cultural organisations, among them cinema, cafe and club Filmcafe, art space and cafe De Nijverheid, brewery, bar and restaurant De Leckere and club venue WAS. Rotsoord, a former industrial area south of the centre, has seen an influx of creatives, startups, independent stores, bars and restaurants in the past couple of years. In fact, it’s outside the centre that parts of the city have become hotspots lately, as new businesses look for cheaper rents, and residents and in-the-know visitors look for new hangouts off the beaten track. ![]() Even in high season that is very much relative, however, especially when compared with Amsterdam. It’s three years since my previous visit, and this time I hear some Utrechters complaining that the centre – a picture-postcard Dutch feast of canals, curving cobbled streets and baroque and Gothic medieval architecture – has become a little over-full of tourists.
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