I'll be honest with you. I prepared part of this blog before I headed to Proeverij de Dames for dinner tonight. I figured it would be a mediocre dinner experience with mediocre vegetarian options. But they surprised me - and I was impressed!

They offer three main options: meat, fish, or vegetarian. Take your pick, and then you are presented with a large rotating tray (a Lazy Susan) with four small plates that match your selection. Being vegetarian, it was clear which one I chose, and I was delighted with the selection. Vegetarian lasagna, mushrooms with goat's cheese, and two other unidentifiable cheeses along with a great mix of olives and bread. (Some of the options in the photo are fish as I was eating with a large group). Yum! They also have more than 100 wines, and 15-20 of these wines are available by the glass. I'll definitely be back.

Proeverij de Dames is open seven days a week, starting at 10am. They are located right in the center of Leiden, at Nieuwe Rijn 37. You can reach them by phone at 071-5126066 or by email, proeverijdedames(at)gmail.com.