THE STORY OF ML IN HAARLEM

ML is located in the former printing house and type foundry of Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé. Izaak Enschedé and his son Johannes established their printing house and type foundry in the city center of Haarlem in 1703. The company remained active there until 1992. After its establishment, Enschedé quickly gained recognition, including for printing the Oprechte Haarlemsche Courant, the second-oldest newspaper in the world. In addition to printing, the company was also involved in type casting and the production of matrices and stamps.

In the early 19th century, Enschedé began printing banknotes for the newly established Nederlandsche Bank and received the first commission for printing postage stamps from the Nederlandsche Posterijen. Later, they printed stamps for 65 other countries.

After Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé moved in 1992, the monumental building stood neglected for several years. However, in 2005, it was purchased by two enthusiastic entrepreneurs well-known in Haarlem's hospitality industry. After an extensive renovation, preserving the original details and interiors as much as possible, the monumental building became a charming and modern hospitality establishment. The business, named Stempels, became a well-known name in Haarlem for 12 years and was acquired by Mark & Liane Gratama in March 2018.

Following a two-month renovation, preserving the history of the building, the hospitality establishment continues under the name ML. Restaurant ML started in a small building on Lange Veerstraat in November 2004. After a period of 3.5 years, ML moved to the beautiful listed monument at Kleine Houtstraat 70, the former pawnshop. On November 23, 2010, ML was awarded the coveted Michelin star. After a decade, ML now resides in the most beautiful location in Haarlem, with a magnificent view of the St. Bavo Church.