Restaurants in Enschede: student favourites

The best thing about eating out in Enschede is that it does not feel like one single scene. There are polished restaurants, cosy hidden spots, international kitchens, and restaurants that simply excel at making an ordinary night feel a little more special. Here are some of the best restaurants in Enschede to try as a student.

Fusion Wok – the objective best

Surprisingly, not a ton of people know about this Chinese place, and if I’m being honest, I’d like to keep it that way. Fusion Wok is a restaurant near the Vue cinema in the city centre, and let me tell you, if their menu consisted only of their peking duck, they’d still make the list.

Yeah. Actual peking duck in Enschede. Kind of astonishing to hear, I would say, but it’s true. And it’s delicious, and I also like to get fried rice with it for a euro extra. Every milestone I’ve had – modules ending, projects finished, birthdays, and the like – I’ve celebrated here, in this little Chinese restaurant that’s run by a couple with their kids doing homework on a table and running around the floor. It’s about as authentic as you can get.

Frank & Charlie – the date place

Incredibly cosy-looking with some pretty good food to complement it, Frank & Charlie is a lively, colourful restaurant that’s always packed with a dozen couples trying to go on the perfect date at a cutesy place. And for good reason: the place really IS pretty.

Come here with a date, come here with your friends – you can’t really go wrong with Frank & Charlie. Just know that, even if the restaurant is classified as within the student budget, it’s a bit on the pricier end.

Het Paradijs – the delicious vegetarian option

Het Paradijs is one of Enschede’s most distinctive restaurants. It has a cosy, almost whimsical atmosphere that makes it feel very different from a standard dinner spot. It is especially known as a good option for vegetarian-friendly dining, but even people who are loath to vegetables are likely to find something interesting here.

This is the place to go to when you want dinner to feel a bit more personal and atmospheric. It’s not just about eating: if you go here, you’ll be sure to remember it.

Nyonya Meneer – the Indonesian spot

I had to shout out my country at some point. Nyonya Meneer is a wonderful place that offers some of Indonesia’s finest recipes, from rendang to satay to Dutch rijsttafel. It tastes exactly like homemade cooking, and that’s the finest compliment I can give.

Dutch and Indonesian culture are very closely intertwined, and it really shows in the food. There’s a reason why it seems that every city in the Netherlands has at least one Indonesian restaurant in it, so take the plunge and eat some good old-fashioned rendang and find out why.

Indian Summer – the Indian spot

Two words: mango lassi. One sip of it and you’ll be begging for more. It also doesn’t hurt that Indian Summer has a fantastic selection of famous Indian food, from butter chicken to lamb-based curries. Fantastic to get with friends.

Again, mango lassi. I really shouldn’t need more to convince you.

Top N Tasty – the quality kebab place

One of the many perks of living in Roombeek in Enschede is that you have access to a bunch of nice restaurants, of which only Top N Tasty has made this list (most things are expensive). I’m either extremely uncultured about Middle Eastern food, or maybe my standards are low, but I haven’t had better kebab and shawarma in Enschede than in this place, and that’s saying something. I’ve had a LOT of kebabs.

The chicken is delectable, the meat is just mwah, and the owners are incredibly nice. Their garlic sauce is also incredibly good.

Twentsche Foodhal – the place for indecisiveness

Sometimes, the best restaurant is not one restaurant at all. Twentsche Foodhal is ideal for groups who cannot agree on what to eat. One person wants Asian food, someone else wants warm comfort food, someone just wants drinks, and absolutely nobody can agree to a single place to go to. So where do you end up going? A food hall, obviously.

It’s casual, social, and good for a low-pressure evening. It’s also one of the better options when you care more about hanging out rather than having a perfectly-rated, three-course dinner. Not that any student is getting that, anyway.

Final thoughts

Contrary to popular belief, our little city does have some pretty great options when it comes to food. Just remember that the best restaurant in Enschede depends on what kind of evening you want. If you want fine dining, then don’t even bother going through this list, because you’ll see Restaurant Joann* pop up on some Michelin lists with their obnoxious star next to their name (though probably well-deserved). For cosy and atmospheric dinners, Het Paradijs and other places, such as Café Coberco, make for good options. For some great Asian food, the ones listed above will get you far.

Enschede’s food scene may be smaller than Amsterdam’s, Rotterdam’s, or Utrecht’s, true, but that’s also part of its charm. The city does not overwhelm you with endless choices. Instead, it gives you a handful of genuinely good places, each with its own reason to visit.

Whether you’re celebrating something, avoiding your kitchen, showing guests around, or just trying to make a normal evening feel better, Enschede has more than enough good food to offer.