Brasserie Prinsenhof

Brasserie Prinsenhof is located at Martinikerkhof 23 in the center of Groningen. The brasserie is part of the broader Prinsenhof complex, which boasts a long history. Its origins date back to a residential and church building from 1436, linked to the Brethren of the Common Life. As such, the brasserie is housed in a building with a distinct historical layer, although its current function as a hospitality venue is more recent.

In 2012, the complex was repurposed as a hotel with two restaurants. Following the renovation, the building became open to the public. That same year, it was reported that Groningen hospitality entrepreneurs Jacques Muller, Frank Verbeek, and Wessel Zijp were involved in the opening of the hotel-restaurant. Muller and Verbeek were previously associated with Hotel de Ville, restaurant Muller, De Pauw, and the Groninger Museumcafé. Zijp was mentioned as the founder of Four Rose’s, ’t Feithhuis, and Melkema in Huizinge.

The exact opening date of Brasserie Prinsenhof as a standalone brasserie or coffee spot is not publicly recorded in the available information. The current concept focuses not only on coffee, but also on breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and cocktails. Hotel guests and passers-by stop in for coffee. In favorable weather, the terrace is used for lunch, afternoon tea, drinks, and dinner.

For its coffee drinks, Brasserie Prinsenhof uses the Buscaglione label. This is listed on the drinks menu from July 2025. The menu includes coffee, espresso, double espresso, cappuccino, café latte, flat white, espresso macchiato, cortado, latte macchiato, and decaf. Additionally, the menu features coffee specialties, including Irish, Italian, Spanish, French, and Dutch coffee.

The menu also mentions a surcharge for oat milk for drinks marked with an asterisk. The lunch menu features an affogato with vanilla ice cream, espresso, and caramel. This makes it clear that espresso is a staple of the drink and dessert offerings. Specific manual brewing methods, such as filter coffee, pour-over, AeroPress, or batch brew, are not publicly documented in the available data.

The available menu information names Buscaglione as the coffee supplier or coffee roaster for the hot drinks. The menu text states that Buscaglione roasts various single origins separately and then blends them according to an Italian recipe. This is information regarding the roaster and not a specific internal process of Brasserie Prinsenhof.

Buscaglione states that they work with specialized importers. According to this information, a portion of the sourced coffee is Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance certified, or traceable via NKG Verified Sustainable Sourcing. This remains supplier documentation. A separate sustainability or procurement policy for Brasserie Prinsenhof has not been publicly recorded in the provided data.

In addition to coffee, other suppliers and products are mentioned on the menus. Examples include Newby’s tea, Schulp juices, and croquettes from Cas Spijkers. These mentions provide insight into some of the names behind the assortment, but do not inherently reveal the broader procurement structure of the brasserie.

Brasserie Prinsenhof serves more functions than just regular hospitality. The space features a bar and an elevated lounge. The brasserie is also mentioned as a venue for larger gatherings and receptions. Suitable formats include private sit-down dinners, walking dinners, promotional celebrations, drinks receptions, and conference dinners.

In 2023, a lunch arrangement surrounding the Schnitgerfestival was linked to Brasserie Prinsenhof and the Prinsenzaal. Coffee and tea were part of that arrangement. Additionally, an M&A Dinner by the Financial Study Association Groningen was announced for December 4, 2025, with Brasserie Prinsenhof as the location. ABN AMRO, Van Lanschot Kempen, and Deloitte were mentioned as participating companies.

There are no publicly documented indications that Brasserie Prinsenhof organizes specific coffee workshops, tastings, or exhibitions. The documented activities are primarily focused on lunches, dinners, receptions, and corporate or cultural packages.

Brasserie Prinsenhof is listed by Visit Groningen with its address, opening hours, website, social channels, and dining functions. In 2018, De Smaak van Stad published a review of Grand Café Prinsenhof. That text described a visit to hotel-restaurant Prinsenhof and the Grand Café located in the former fraterkerk.

In 2014, De Zwarte Hond reported that Hotel Prinsenhof had been named Hotel of the Year by Gault & Millau. This recognition pertained to the hotel and not specifically to the brasserie. In 2025, Misset Horeca reported that Hotel Prinsenhof had become the first five-star hotel in Groningen. In that report, Brasserie Prinsenhof was mentioned as one of the two restaurant concepts within the hotel.

For coffee lovers, Brasserie Prinsenhof is primarily relevant as a hospitality venue where coffee is part of a broader brasserie concept. Available materials point to an espresso-based offering with Buscaglione as the mentioned coffee label. There is no public documentation regarding a separate specialty coffee program, house branding, filter methods, or coffee training. The significance of the brasserie therefore lies mainly in the combination of coffee, hospitality, architectural history, and multifunctional use.