Tuincafé Noordertuin

Tuincafé Noordertuin is located at Steck Utrecht on Gageldijk 3 in Utrecht Overvecht. The venue is part of a broader development around the former Tuincentrum Overvecht. Publications describe Steck as a green urban hub, offering space for gardening, hospitality, work, socializing, and events. Noordertuin fits into this environment as a café with a clear connection to its immediate neighborhood.

Noordertuin is mentioned in public sources as an initiative by creative agency Triomf and Steck. Triomf states that the café was launched in collaboration with Bob Scherrenberg. Scherrenberg is described in the media as the owner of Steck and as someone who was born in Overvecht and still lives there. This local background plays a role in how Noordertuin is presented in the sources.

The café opened in May 2021. Misset Horeca published an article about the opening on May 14, 2021. Triomf describes the concept as a garden café where people meet, drink coffee, consult, read, and work. The guiding principle is described as “local & vegetarian”. The name and interior design align with its location between the garden, greenhouse, and urban food initiatives.

Available information about coffee at Noordertuin is limited, but some details have been publicly documented. According to Steck’s page, the coffee served with lunch comes from Nordkapp Coffee, a roaster from Utrecht. This makes the coffee supplier locally documented. Public sources mention espresso, cappuccino, and flat white as the available coffee drinks.

It is also noted that various milk options are available. Specific manual brewing methods are not publicly confirmed in the consulted information. There are no documented mentions of filter coffee, V60, AeroPress, batch brew, or cold brew. For a profile of the café, this means the coffee menu can factually only be described based on the mentioned espresso-based drinks.

Noordertuin is linked in public descriptions to the idea of “feeding Utrecht from its own soil”. The emphasis is on sourcing ingredients as locally as possible. The sources mention collaborations with local suppliers and entrepreneurs. Documented names include Nordkapp Coffee, Pluktuin Glitter Gladiool, Voedseltuin Overvecht, De Clique, Stekkers, Oogst, Oscar Circulair, and Steck.

The Voedseltuin next to the terrace plays a visible role in the description of the café. According to public information, vegetables, fruit, and herbs are grown there by residents or volunteers from Overvecht. RestauPlant noted in 2024 that the menu is vegetarian and organic, and also includes vegan dishes. Mentioned examples include seasonal soup, bread with garden pea hummus, and roasted oyster mushrooms, as well as salads with vegetables from Voedseltuin Overvecht.

Circularity also appears in the available information. Oyster mushrooms are described as products that grow on used coffee grounds. These coffee grounds are collected by De Clique from Utrecht hospitality venues, the city hall, and Noordertuin. Furthermore, according to Ontdek Utrecht, Noordertuin is connected to the “Biodiversity on your Plate” program by Dutch Cuisine. Participating ambassadors must ensure that at least 50 percent of the dishes meet biodiversity-friendly criteria.

Noordertuin is not only described as a hospitality venue. Public sources also mention it as a place for gatherings, presentations, events, workshops, and group use. Makelpunt Utrecht links the location to activities such as education, entrepreneurship, gardening, neighborhood activities, meetings, and flexible working. This places the café within a broader social and practical function in Overvecht.

Makelpunt Utrecht also mentions workshops in collaboration with nearby partners, including Steck, Voedseltuin Overvecht, Pluktuin Glitter Gladiool, De Clique, and Stekkers. The kitchen organizes circular workshops, such as preserving and fermenting, according to that information. Steck’s agenda also includes courses, lectures, creative workshops, and other activities. These details show that the location is regularly used for more than just hospitality.

In 2025, Greater Venues reported that the greenhouse next to Noordertuin had been converted into a multifunctional market square. This space is described as suitable for markets, workshops, fairs, and gatherings. This further expanded the event capacity around Noordertuin within the same grounds.

For coffee enthusiasts, Noordertuin is primarily relevant due to the combination of local coffee, vegetarian hospitality, and a green urban context. The available sources do not provide a deep technical picture of branding, origin countries, or brewing profiles. However, they do document the collaboration with Nordkapp Coffee and the presence of well-known espresso drinks.

As a result, the profile of Noordertuin lies less with specialized coffee techniques and more with the connection between coffee, lunch, local cultivation, and neighborhood use. The location has been described by various media and platforms, including Misset Horeca, Ontdek Utrecht, RestauPlant, Flow Magazine, Greater Venues, and De Buik van Utrecht. Together, these sources show a café that has been operating since 2021 within the development of Steck and Overvecht as a green urban environment.