Michellin star for a bargain
Good food and not spending a month's salary on the bill is and remains a bit of a thing, I think. You make me very happy with a simple pasta dish and a spit-roasted chicken goes down well too, don’t get me wrong, but I also appreciate a nice six-course dinner presented with little paintings on your plate. Unfortunately, there often hangs a price tag on it. Think about it. Yet there are those gems where you only spend a few tens without a plain carpaccio or a bland pastry being put in front of you. And I would like to share those with you.
Amsterdam – Restaurant 212
Unfortunately, you have to wait a little longer, but then you can at least put it on your list. A dinner at 212 is what you want. Restaurant 212, which will open in mid-January, refers to the house number on the Amstel in Amsterdam where the restaurant will be located. 212 will be run by chefs Thomas Groot and Richard van Oostenbrugge, who previously cooked up a storm at restaurant Bord’Eau**. Reserving a table costs you fifty euros as a deposit, but then you are one of the twenty-five lucky ones who gets to sit at the countertop of the two chefs.
Haarlem – ML
The Haarlem restaurant ML is located in a beautifully renovated national monument from the 17th century at Kleine Houtstraat 70. Here you will find a mix of classic and modern, and they create beautiful little paintings on your plate with exclusive products and many flavor sensations. Chef Mark Gratama cooks excitingly and boldly and is not afraid to experiment with flavor combinations.
Amsterdam – de Compagnon
A restaurant that just barely reaches for the stars. One of the oldest and most special restaurants in the city is hidden in a très touristy spot, namely between the Beurs van Berlage and the Central Station. The cuisine is French modern with a high truffle content. The food is heavenly, but the wines surpass everything.
Eijsden – Vanille
If you decide last minute to head to Maastricht for a weekend, don’t linger in the bourgeois city, but drive on to the southernmost village of our country: Eijsden. Here lies restaurant Vanille where chef Peter van Rooij cooks the stars from the sky. From surprise menus to a ‘we will amuse you’ on Sundays and from three to eight courses.
Breda – Restaurant Zuyd
For a culinary evening, you must go to Zuyd on the cozy Ginnikenweg, which is definitely one of the nicest streets in the snug Breda. Together with the kitchen brigade, chef Stefan Dirkx processes fresh daily ingredients into creative and refined flavor explosions. The menu changes with the seasons and every month there is a new surprise menu. A day of shopping in Breda? Then this is the perfect ending.
Linschoten – Bij Mette
Sometimes you hear a name of a nice little place, but somehow it just doesn’t happen to visit it. Restaurant Bij Mette is one of those. Forgive me my lack of geographical knowledge, Linschoten sounded familiar to me but pointing it out on the map, no way. The restaurant is just as cozy and homely as the village itself, the dishes on the menu seem simple but the opposite is proven. If you flop down here, at least don’t skip the crème brûlée. The classic dessert has a hint of star anise and deserves a trophy.
