Jachtslot de Mookerheide

A lovely spot to stop after a hike or bike ride, or just enjoy tea, coffee, beer, or a snack. The place has been renovated recently and looks very pretty. The food is good, though service is slow and the waiters are nothing special.

The location is obviously perfect, and the service was friendly enough. But the coffee was really bad: my espresso was so watered down it was almost a lungo. At €4,50, that's quite steep for such a low-quality drink.

The jachtslot is a beautiful building, and we had a great dinner there. I started with delicious carpaccio, then had seabass cooked to perfection. We were a large group, but the service was quick and everyone on staff was attentive and very friendly.

The upstairs room hosted the annual concert, which we were lucky to attend, and we'd highly recommend the annual het NMF Kamermuziekfestival bij Natuurmonumenten. We're also looking forward to touring this unusual building in December. There was even a seal living inside. The cafe and its terrace are a unique place in an extraordinary monument, surrounded by forest and natuurbegraaf. Natuurmonumenten is maintaining the building. It was a little expensive, but supporting a place like this felt worth it. The terrace could use some plaids, as it gets chilly at this time of year. Staff could be more attentive: we asked for the dinner menu, then had to ask for the bill before anyone remembered. The stacks of plates and other things on the table in the middle of the terrace didn't look appealing either.