Bar Olaf

At Bar Olaf, an evening doesn't have to be planned in advance. You can walk in for a single cocktail, order something to eat, and then discover that you are still sitting at the same table a few hours later. The bar on the Hooigracht combines cocktails with bar food, craft beer, and wine, and deliberately keeps the atmosphere informal.

Cocktails are clearly the focus, but Olaf doesn't want to be a place where you need to know a thing or two about spirits before you can order anything. Tell them what you like, try something new, or simply choose a cocktail that sparks your curiosity.

Cocktails as a specialty

Behind the bar, various spirits, bitters, acids, and other flavorings are used to create cocktails of diverse styles.

This allows you to choose something fresh and light in one round, and then opt for a more powerful or pronounced cocktail in the next. Those who prefer not to drink cocktails can also choose beer and wine.

The most important thing is that the drinks menu is not separate from the rest of the evening. Olaf is not just a place where you grab a single cocktail after dinner, but rather a bar where you can also stay for a meal.

Bar food to order on the side

In addition to drinks, Bar Olaf serves various bar food dishes. The idea is simple: food that goes well with an evening of drinks and that you can easily share with your table companions.

This means you don't have to plan a traditional dinner with three fixed courses. Order something whenever you get hungry, put multiple dishes on the table, or stick to a few bites alongside your drink.

That relaxed way of ordering suits the character of the bar. The evening determines naturally how much ultimately appears on the table.

Behind the bar yourself during a cocktail workshop

If you want to go beyond just drinking cocktails, Bar Olaf organizes various cocktail workshops.

During a workshop, you will get to work behind the bar yourself and learn, under guidance, shaking, building, and working with various cocktail techniques, among other things.

There is also a more extensive workshop where more attention is paid to various spirits, bitters, and pronounced flavors such as smoke or spiciness.

That also makes Bar Olaf suitable for a group of friends, a bachelor party, or any other occasion where you don't just want to have drinks, but want to do something together.

Tasting during a tasting

In addition to cocktail workshops, Olaf organizes various tastings. These are not just about drinking, but also about discovering where different drinks come from and how they differ from one another.

There are tastings featuring whisky and Mexican spirits such as tequila and mezcal, among others. The Leiden tasting, on the other hand, puts drinks and stories from Leiden center stage.

For those who normally order the same thing every time, this is a nice way to step outside the usual choices for a change.

A place for drinks that also works for groups

Bar Olaf also welcomes groups and parties with something to celebrate. For drinks, a birthday, or other occasions, the possibilities can be coordinated directly with the bar.

Moreover, the location on the Hooigracht makes Olaf easy to combine with the rest of an evening in Leiden. From here, you can easily walk on towards the Nieuwe Rijn, the Hooglandse Kerk, and other cafes in the city center.

But of course, there is also a chance that you won't get any further at all. With cocktails, food, and plenty of time at the table, Bar Olaf can perfectly well become the entire evening's program itself.