The Harbour Club: a first-class bubbly experience in the Binckhorst
South African Rey Franco is no stranger to the hospitality world. With 36 years of experience, he can talk about unsurpassed hospitality, an excellent restaurant experience and good food and drink. He moved to Bezuidenhout with his Dutch wife and son and has been at the helm of The Harbour Club, location The Hague, since this summer.
DATE
25 January 2024
TEXT
Frank Verhoef
IMAGE
Brian Mul
The Harbour Club: a first-class bubbly experience in the Binckhorst
South African Rey Franco is no stranger to the hospitality world. With 36 years of experience, he can talk about unsurpassed hospitality, an excellent restaurant experience and good food and drink. He moved to Bezuidenhout with his Dutch wife and son and has been at the helm of The Harbour Club, location The Hague, since this summer.
Op this new location of The Harbour Club, on the top floor of BINK36, right next to the railway tracks along which the trains from The Hague travel across the country, is a good place to be. Inside, after you take the lift up, you find a huge open space with the bar in the middle and the open kitchen at the end. Outside, the view is phenomenal, whether you look towards The Hague Central Station and the towers of the ministries or in the opposite direction towards the village of Voorburg. The Binckhorst is blooming and growing and from the terrace you can see and experience it all for yourself.
The Harbour Club's bombastic interior
Not a bad word about the old place in Scheveningen - Encore is a restaurant with partly the same clientele, but that's not the point. This is where The Harbour Club is now, and everyone can know it. This is what tree-length rugby fan Rey Franco exudes. He has been the general manager of this location of The Harbour Club since this summer. "It's a pleasure to work from here," he says with a grin. Above him hangs a life-size golden shark.
Champagne
A grand opening did not happen after the move a few years ago because of corona. Whether there will still be a big party is uncertain. What is certain is that the place is regularly festive. Then the car keys are laid on the table, the finest bottles of champagne - think: a Dom Pérignon from 2008 or other luxurious bubbles from champagne house Moët & Chandon - are brought to the parties and rolls of sushi are eaten.
The impressive stock of champagnes at The Harbour Club
Guests at other tables then think: I want that too. So they ask for just that little bit of extra luxury. A larger or more expensive bottle, say a Château Lafite from 1976. They can get that. Then they are allowed into the glass 'wine cellar', so everyone can see that they mean business. "We are not a cheap restaurant, we know that," agrees Rey, who knows how it works thanks to his hospitality experiences in Cape Town, where it was also a matter of seeing and being seen.
'With us you pay for luxury, a night out with your best friends, a party'
"With us, you pay for luxury, a night out with your best friends, a party. That calls for commitment from my motivated team. My focus is on the quality of service. The experience has to be first-class. True hospitality, because the guest is number one. This is how we want our staff to introduce themselves by their first name."
Wow factor
At The Harbour Club you come for sushi of the highest standard
Another important component of working in service, especially in a restaurant like The Harbour Club, is being able to sell. That's a skill you need to train a lot. This is not only good for the turnover, but also for the guests, who have to deal with a professional service that knows what's on the menu - a lot, that is - and knows what tastes good. And can also present it beautifully, accompanied by a festive star, for example. "The wow factor," as Rey describes it. Speaking of the menu, there will be a new menu with, according to Rey, "exciting new dishes and adjusted prices in line with what the market expects".
On Fridays and Saturdays, it is usually full. On Saturdays, a DJ plays for just that extra bit of entertainment. Then the feet go off the floor. Every last Sunday of the month, they have a bottomless brunch for 49 euros, with bellinis and mimosas. "These Sundays, with many Hagenaars having something to celebrate, are fantastic," he says. Anyway, celebrating a party, such as a birthday, an anniversary or a wedding, is something guests love to do at The Harbour Club.
'The recipe for a successful restaurant is your staff'
Back to service. Rey: "The recipe for a successful restaurant is your staff. I don't believe in micromanagement. I make sure my team is happy, motivated and, of course, well-trained. Then the rest follows naturally. We have a wonderful future here in the Binckhorst. As far as I'm concerned, we'll make it a place where everyone feels welcome, including for an affordable lunch if you work around here. Feel free to speak to me if you see me!"
Ray Franco behind the bar
text Frank Verhoef image Brian Mul
Op this new location of The Harbour Club, on the top floor of BINK36, right next to the railway tracks along which the trains from The Hague travel across the country, is a good place to be. Inside, after you take the lift up, you find a huge open space with the bar in the middle and the open kitchen at the end. Outside, the view is phenomenal, whether you look towards The Hague Central Station and the towers of the ministries or in the opposite direction towards the village of Voorburg. The Binckhorst is blooming and growing and from the terrace you can see and experience it all for yourself.
The Harbour Club's bombastic interior
Not a bad word about the old place in Scheveningen - Encore is a restaurant with partly the same clientele, but that's not the point. This is where The Harbour Club is now, and everyone can know it. This is what tree-length rugby fan Rey Franco exudes. He has been the general manager of this location of The Harbour Club since this summer. "It's a pleasure to work from here," he says with a grin. Above him hangs a life-size golden shark.
Champagne
A grand opening did not happen after the move a few years ago because of corona. Whether there will still be a big party is uncertain. What is certain is that the place is regularly festive. Then the car keys are laid on the table, the finest bottles of champagne - think: a Dom Pérignon from 2008 or other luxurious bubbles from champagne house Moët & Chandon - are brought to the parties and rolls of sushi are eaten.
The impressive stock of champagnes at The Harbour Club
Guests at other tables then think: I want that too. So they ask for just that little bit of extra luxury. A larger or more expensive bottle, say a Château Lafite from 1976. They can get that. Then they are allowed into the glass 'wine cellar', so everyone can see that they mean business. "We are not a cheap restaurant, we know that," agrees Rey, who knows how it works thanks to his hospitality experiences in Cape Town, where it was also a matter of seeing and being seen.
'With us you pay for luxury, a night out with your best friends, a party'
"With us, you pay for luxury, a night out with your best friends, a party. That calls for commitment from my motivated team. My focus is on the quality of service. The experience has to be first-class. True hospitality, because the guest is number one. This is how we want our staff to introduce themselves by their first name."
Wow factor
At The Harbour Club you come for sushi of the highest standard
Another important component of working in service, especially in a restaurant like The Harbour Club, is being able to sell. That's a skill you need to train a lot. This is not only good for the turnover, but also for the guests, who have to deal with a professional service that knows what's on the menu - a lot, that is - and knows what tastes good. And can also present it beautifully, accompanied by a festive star, for example. "The wow factor," as Rey describes it. Speaking of the menu, there will be a new menu with, according to Rey, "exciting new dishes and adjusted prices in line with what the market expects".
On Fridays and Saturdays, it is usually full. On Saturdays, a DJ plays for just that extra bit of entertainment. Then the feet go off the floor. Every last Sunday of the month, they have a bottomless brunch for 49 euros, with bellinis and mimosas. "These Sundays, with many Hagenaars having something to celebrate, are fantastic," he says. Anyway, celebrating a party, such as a birthday, an anniversary or a wedding, is something guests love to do at The Harbour Club.
'The recipe for a successful restaurant is your staff'
Back to service. Rey: "The recipe for a successful restaurant is your staff. I don't believe in micromanagement. I make sure my team is happy, motivated and, of course, well-trained. Then the rest follows naturally. We have a wonderful future here in the Binckhorst. As far as I'm concerned, we'll make it a place where everyone feels welcome, including for an affordable lunch if you work around here. Feel free to speak to me if you see me!"
Ray Franco behind the bar
