Entertainment
Food, drink and nightlife on Texel
Texel is also perfect to enjoy the nightlife.
The perfect end to a long walk on the beach: relaxing with a drink and a bite to eat at a welcoming beach cafe. A bicycle tour or shopping trip is made even more enjoyable by a break at one of the inviting terraces. Fortunately there are terraces to be found over the whole island. Good food is available in each of the seven villages. Local products such as the world famous Texel lamb, delicious asparagus, fresh fish and oysters are inspirational ingredients for every self respecting chef on the island. The inhabitants of Texel also organise a surprising number of entertaining events for young and old.
Beach party
The Round Texel is spectacular for sailors and non-sailors alike. It is the largest Catamaran race in the world, with more than 600 participating boats and top sailors travelling all the way from Australia to take part. The event is covered by both national and international media. In a party tent near De Koog various artists perform: great fun!
Island Samba
The vast Texel beach is occasionally the setting for fantastic parties. Tickets for Island Samba are popular amongst dance music lovers. The best Dutch DJs play at this event, famous for its relaxed beach atmosphere. The Blues Festival also attracts music lovers from home and abroad with its combination of friendly atmosphere and high quality music.
Premières
There are pleasant terraces and cafes dotted across the whole island and there are good restaurants in every village. Most discothèques are to be found in the beach resort of De Koog, they are open until late. In the theatre restaurant in the picturesque village of Den Hoorn you can be entertained by both up-and-coming and tried-and-tested Dutch stand up comedians.
7 tips for culinary delights
1. Slow Food: honest food, produced on the island with emphasis on quality and respect for the environment. Famous Texel lamb is a firm favourite on the menu when Queen Beatrix is holding a banquet for foreign heads of state. The shrimps peeled on the island have a more refined taste than those sent abroad for peeling. Local produce is the main source of inspiration for cookery book author Annette van Ruitenburg, well known for her book ‘Onvergetelijke groenten'(Unforgettable vegetables): "I love the way in which all fresh ingredients for a delicious meal can be found from the grower in a radius of a few kilometres from my house. This is the height of local and sustainable cooking".
2. The better restaurants on Texel are keen to use the abundance of local quality produce in their dishes. The chefs make it seem easy to conjure up innovative creations with local ingredients. This creativity results in various restaurants being mentioned in the yearly top restaurant lists in Dutch culinary magazines.
3. Looking for a child friendly restaurant? Then enjoy a meal at one of the many beach cafe/restaurants. The children can play in between courses in the 30 km long ‘playground' while you enjoy the romantic sunset view.
4. The best place for a fish meal is of course the harbour of Oudeschild. From the fish restaurants in the harbour you'll have a good view of the fishing boats coming in on Fridays from a week at sea.
5. An interesting way to get to know the local specialities is a visit to one of the islands culinary events. Texel Culinair is held yearly in the second weekend of September in De Koog. A completely different kind of chef is to be found at the Havenvistijn fish festival at the harbour of Oudeschild. Here chefs prepare dishes on handmade smoking barrels.
6. Asparagus tip: you can eat asparagus on Texel between mothers day and fathers day. Visitors to the island during this period should not miss the chance to try this delicacy. Even the growers from the south of Holland admit that the Texel asparagus is of exceptional quality.
7. Go out and about, for example by bicycle, and enjoy Texel produce on location. Taste the cheese from cheese farm Wezenspyk, the prize beer from the Texel brewery, an ice cream at ‘IJsboerderij' farm Labora and a Texel herbal bitter or liquor at the traditional Wijnhuis Oosterend. At many producers you'll also be able to take a look behind the scenes.