El Mercat

The place fills up quickly on the weekday evening of our visit, and the atmosphere is excellent at the informal Spanish restaurant El Mercat (Catalan for market) on the Hooikade in The Hague. Here, owner-chef Guillermo Aguirre Schicht, together with his charming and modest hostess Marijn, runs the Spanish kitchen, drawing on their extensive wine expertise to expertly recommend delightful pairings. The menu offers dishes meant for sharing or keeping all to yourself. Daily specials are listed on a small card propped up on a stand at each table. Accompanying a glass of sparkling Vilarnau Brut Reserva is a large platter loaded with freshly sliced paletilla and lomo de Bellota, along with a bowl of paper-thin mojama (tuna ham) simply garnished with olive oil, chives, and dried olive crunch. It doesn't need anything more. The highlight of the meal is the roasted artichoke. Served with anchovy strips, foie gras shavings, a dollop of caviar, and truffle cream. A flavor palette to die for. For the main course, we get perfectly cooked squid swimming in a slightly too generous portion of squid ink sauce. Following Marijn's recommendation, we pair it with a surprising blend of Viognier and Pedro Ximénez: the 2023 Celler Pasanau Priorat Les Myriams. Round, smooth, yet undeniably powerful. We wrap up with a hot cortado and say: gracias, El Mercat.

Stepping into El Mercat (Catalan for 'the market'), the place instantly lights up. On the one hand, this is thanks to the cheerful interior decor and the warm, unpretentious hospitality of hostess Marijn. But not least because of the delicious Spanish cuisine served here. The owner, head chef, and sommelier, Guillermo Aguirre Schicht, previously worked at the renowned El Bulli, once ranked as the world’s best Spanish restaurant. El Mercat is situated in one of The Hague’s most charming neighborhoods, along the Hooikade. Parking can be a bit tricky if you drive there, but there are plenty of parking garages in the area. Shared dining is the order of the day, but if you’d rather enjoy your ordered dishes entirely on your own, that’s perfectly fine too. You’ll certainly feel that inclination with the starter of mojama, or dried tuna loin, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with chopped olives. It’s velvety soft and absolutely delicious. A plate of freshly sliced Cecina de León, a succulent cured beef ham, goes down just as easily. Guillermo works exclusively with first-rate quality products, and you can both see and taste the difference. We continue to feast on prawns in garlic oil, wiping the plate clean with crusty bread. In the glass, a Spanish Optimum Chardonnay with fresh acidity and a soft, rounded structure. Do not forget to try the grilled octopus from the plancha either. Rich and juicy all at once. We finish with crema catalana, feeling transported to a southern ambiance. It is not exactly cheap, but the bill is definitely worth it.

A Spanish gem on the edge of The Hague’s city center. Owner, chef, and sommelier Guillermo Aguirre Schicht serves pure Spanish cuisine here, and the fact that the restaurant is always fully booked proves there are plenty of fans for it—if you blink, it could easily be in Seville, Valencia, or Malaga. A pleasant atmosphere fills the warmly decorated dining room, featuring petrol-blue walls, high and low tables, and a long eating bar with stools. Guests of all ages are cheerful, and animated chatter fills the air. The menu offers dishes to share or simply devour on your own. The latter especially applies to the plate of delicious mojama (cured tuna) sprinkled with chopped dried olives and chives, and drizzled with fragrant olive oil. In our opinion, that dish should stay on the menu forever. But the plate of slightly thicker slices of Cecina de León, Spanish ham at its finest, also disappears clean. We also enjoy small but oh-so-nice pimientos de Padrón generously topped with coarse sea salt. From the specials menu handed to us, we choose merluza (hake) in salsa verde, a Basque dish. The fish is gently cooked and accompanied by plump mussels. We dip bread into the lightly thickened sauce made with garlic, onion, and parsley until the plate is completely spotless. We pair it with generous glasses of a full-bodied, rich Spanish Optimum Chardonnay aged in oak barrels, and count our blessings. To finish, a cup of strong cortado with a nice thick layer of foam. El Mercat is a place you’ll gladly return to!

New to this guide last year and certainly retained for this year. At El Mercat, which means 'the market' in Spanish, Spanish chef and sommelier Guillermo Aguirre Schicht serves a beautiful and authentic Catalan cuisine where freshness is paramount. The dining room exudes a homey and warm atmosphere, featuring low and high wooden tables, petrol-blue and rough-hewn stone walls lined with countless empty wine bottles bearing labels from prestigious wineries, and a long dining bar with tall stools. The menu features dishes designed for sharing, while additional daily specials are available off-menu. The dried tuna ham served with shaved truffle is absolutely delicious and can be ordered in either small or large portions. Our advice? Go ahead and order the larger portion. Next comes a dish of crisply pan-fried mushrooms tossed with Pata Negra ham, which we happily finish clean. For the main course, we enjoy flavorful and tender veal cheeks braised in a rich, aromatic house jus, served as a generous portion with two pieces. It’s refreshing to see how versatile their offerings truly are. Chef Guillermo pairs it with a 2018 Spanish Secret del Priorat, a blend of five red grape varieties that is silky and velvety smooth. We still manage to save room for cheesecake, accompanied by a glass of Jorge Ordonez Moscatel. On the bill, however, only one glass is listed. Our charming hostess assures us it’s no error; it was simply the last bottle, and she felt the glasses hadn’t been filled generously enough. Gracias!

For two years now, Guillermo Aguirre Schicht has been hosting his guests in his Catalan-Mediterranean restaurant El Mercat in the Dennewegkwartier. The square room with a central bar features colorful walls adorned with photos, wine racks, and wine crate lids, creating a pleasant, homely atmosphere. The menu is very Spanish, featuring dishes familiar from tapas culture complemented by regional specialties. All this deliciousness is meant to be shared, following the contemporary 'sharing' principle. We taste a pleasant Otto Bestue Chardonnay paired with crusty bread and creamy aioli that is very garlicky (and therefore delightful). Next up come boquerones (marinated anchovies), fried Padrón peppers with sea salt, cured tuna ham, and pata negra (available in large and small portions). The small plates from Chef Guillermo, who combines classic and modern Spanish recipes, come from the land – confit artichokes, fried mushrooms, and patatas bravas in spicy sauce. Fish from the sea, such as squid, fried or grilled, and prawns, cooked in garlic oil or meat jus. And then it's time to indulge in cod with cuttlefish ink sauce, alongside grilled salmon with eggplant. Everything is equally well-prepared and surprisingly flavorful. To finish off, there's the house's deconstructed cheesecake and, on another plate, crema catalana, the Spanish version of the well-known crème brûlée. This all gives us a distinct holiday feeling. What a wonderful place!