ABOUT US
Welcome to Villa la Vida. We are Jaap, Thomas and Margot, the proud owners of Villa la Vida – a culinary destination where you come to celebrate life. With this motto, we have tried to create a place where you can enjoy a table full of delicious dishes to share with friends and family, a cosy lunch by the water, or an extensive get-together.
At Villa la Vida, you'll embark on a journey around the world. We've drawn inspiration from our travels through countries including Peru, Jordan, and Mexico. The menu features special and delicious dishes, each with its own story. Let yourself be surprised by the dishes on our menu that you might not immediately recognise. We promise you: with our exciting flavour combinations, unique ingredients, and beautifully presented plates, you'll leave Villa la Vida feeling enthusiastic after an evening here!
And there's more. In the morning, you can join us for a pleasant breakfast in our conservatory or green inner courtyard. By the water, you can dream away for hours with a summery cocktail, watching the boats sail by. Did you know that every hour the bridge next to Villa la Vida is opened by hand (!!)? This is always a fun sight to behold. Rent a SUP board or a small boat and head out onto the water yourself. Afterwards, you can join us for drinks with delicious bar bites.
The greatest compliment we can receive:
‘At Villa la Vida, I feel like I'm on a summer holiday destination for a moment.’
At Villa la Vida
Enjoy life!
How it all began….
Our stately villa on the Piushaven has an interesting history. Before the Piushaven was created, an iron foundry stood there. In 1921, the building was used as a temporary church for the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, necessitating the construction of a presbytery nearby. The presbytery was designed in the ‘Amsterdam School’ style by the well-known Tilburg architect Jos Donders. It served as a presbytery until the new Lourdes Church on Ringbaan Oost was built in 1965. In 1998, the presbytery became vacant and was acquired by the municipality of Tilburg, which used it as a project office for the redevelopment of the Piushaven area.
In 2012, the property was purchased by owners Michel and Hanneke. With this purchase, the property underwent a wonderful transformation. It acquired a friendly atmosphere and the perfect ambiance: the Villa Pastorie! The living room of the harbour area. When Jaap and Thomas were tipped off in 2022 that the Villa Pastorie was quietly for sale, there was not a moment's hesitation. The sale was completed within two weeks. We took six months to experience what makes the Villa Pastorie so successful. After that, everything was overhauled, we gave the property a completely different look, and Margot joined us as a proud owner.
What Michel and Hanneke have made Villa Pastorie great is: Stop time and celebrate life, and we will continue to celebrate life: Villa la Vida.
