For the latest trends and coolest places you have to be in the big cities. But where cities like Rotterdam and Amsterdam excel in trendy places where everyone wants to be seen, I have a soft spot for the province; where you will find unexpected and hidden pearls where craftsmanship is still central – and not which sneakers or bag you wear. Restaurants where you come for the food and no one cares if you have been spotted there.
Brabant stands out in my list, but the Netherlands is big and I have no doubt that there is still a lot to discover. With all the criticisms I have of the hospitality industry – a lot of poor quality, outrageously expensive, inconsiderate service, generic dishes you’ll find on almost every menu – it’s clear to me that we’re also lucky to have great restaurants and talented chefs. Authenticity and individuality are important to me.
And of course, every visit is a snapshot, tomorrow the weather may be different, but the talent of the chefs below is undeniable. In that light I recommend three more restaurants outside the list: the previously discussed Atelier Feddan in Almere from the promising Jalil Bekkour, melt-in-your-mouth sushi from Hokkai Kitchen in IJmuiden and the new and very elegant Odile in Sint-Oedenrode by chef Casimir Evens and Lotte Bloem.
€ 35-50 euros
Tilburg (North Brabant)
Sarban Afghan
They still exist, restaurants where you can eat for less than 100 euros for two. You can eat well. Family restaurant Sarban demonstrates it. More than a restaurant, Sarban is a cultural meeting place where guests can experience the rich culinary culture of Afghanistan in a welcoming environment. Classics such as qabeli palauw (generously filled browned rice), dahl (lentils), kofta (minced meat) and borani badenjan (eggplant) are served. Tasty dishes made with love and knowledge, generous portions and a casual atmosphere.
Read the review from 2022: Afghan at restaurant Sarban: pure nostalgia for a reasonable price
Malden (Gelderland)
Lime modern, worldly cuisine
When a chef impresses with a dish that sticks in your memory, you know you’re dealing with a talent. In Malden, chef Ysbrandt Wermenbol won our hearts with an impressively delicious dessert in which asparagus plays the leading role, accompanied by vanilla, white chocolate and lavender. His kitchen is modern, light and worldly with Asian and Mediterranean influences. The restaurant has a pleasant terrace for warm days.
Read the review from 2022: At Lime in Malden, an original dessert reveals the talent of the chef
The Hague (South Holland)
Zheng Sino-western gastronomy
Like stepping out of a time machine and ending up in imperial China, that’s Zheng by chef Han Ji. There are several courses on the menu with small, regal dishes from Chinese cuisine, inspired by those ancient times. Special combinations, beautiful presentation; with the delicious conclusion of the Peking duck that is cut at the table, after which you make it soldier with pancakes and garnish. The dim sum in the menu makes you want more; maybe one day Chef Ji will delight us with a dim sum restaurant.
Nuth (Limburg)
Reua Thai Modern Thai
We were there on a cold, windy and wet day and Chef Pattama Simons’ food brought us back to life. Fantastic Thai dishes that are deeply rooted in tradition but prepared in a contemporary way, highly refined and bursting with flavour. The Massaman curry melted in our mouths, the chicken with chilli jam was delicious and the fish curry so good that we forgot about the bad weather for a while. All this elegantly presented by Simons who stands imperturbably behind her stove, no matter how busy it is. I wish Nuth wasn’t so far away.
Read the review from 2022: For the chef of Reua Thai, the stove is her turntable
Harlingen (Friesland)
‘t Havenmantsje Fine dining, high tea and bites
While you look out over the harbor on one side and the picturesque, historic canal houses of Harlingen on the other, beautiful dishes with a proudly beating Dutch heart appear on your table, made with local ingredients and many international influences. What makes ‘t Havenmantsje so attractive is that everyone can enter. You can choose from the different menus, but also simply sit down for just a drink or coffee and cake. An atmospheric place that exudes history.
Read the review from 2022: At restaurant ‘t Havenmantsje in Harlingen we are impressed by all the goodies
€€ 50-75 euros
Helmond (North Brabant)
The Rosario French Indian with a edge
The young, tough chef Jermain de Rozario works together with loose cannon and sommelier Edgaras Razminas and the result is a nice cheeky and unconventional star restaurant where fun and culinary craftsmanship effortlessly go together. De Rozario serves French cuisine enriched with Asian and especially Indian and Indonesian influences. Its roots lie in Indonesia and you can taste the love for that culture in its dishes. I would like to have his rendang delivered in containers.
Read the review from 2023: At De Rozario in Helmond you eat culinary eye-catching precision work
The Hague (South Holland)
Sushi Morikawa Osaka style sushi and sashimi
In Japan it is common for the best restaurants to be hard to find. As if they want to impress on you that you have to make an effort for quality. So it is not surprising that the excellent Sushi Morikawa is unobtrusively located on the atmospheric Balistraat in The Hague. Chef Morikawa serves the famous nigiri sushi, but also, as the only one in the Netherlands, the Osaka-style hakozushi and saba sushi with pickled mackerel. À la carte prices are steep, but the menu is very reasonable. You can’t get in without a reservation.
Read the review from 2023: At Sushi Morikawa you experience the beauty of sushi
Roermond (Limburg)
Rura Casual fine dining
Asian and light, French and rich, Low German and heavy. Modern and classic. It all comes together on the plate at Rura by chef Joey and hostess Naomi in a historic building in the heart of Roermond. The chef is clearly at home in different culinary traditions and I am very curious how he will find his own style in this.
Read the review from 2022: Rura’s young chef passed the test
Hilvarenbeek (North Brabant)
pikar casual fine dining
The future of Dutch gastronomy is young, fresh and confident. Cas Pikaar had only recently opened when it was rightly awarded a star. His style is contemporary with both Dutch and international influences, inspired by the travels he makes. The presentation is beautiful and the flavors dance in your mouth. I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from him.
Read the review from 2022: Light on the stomach, rich in flavour
$$$From 75 euros
Goes (Zeeland)
code Casual fine dining
The sea and its treasures are central to Codium in Zeeland. The captivating young chef Wouter Kik, maître sommelier Jean Luc Etienne and the kitchen brigade take turns at the table to explain the special and tasty dishes. Kik plays with color, but also serves dishes in fifty shades of white where the layering is in the taste and structure. With a mischievous smile, he presents an amuse-bouche in the colors of his club Feyenoord. That’s what’s great about Codium, by the way: they are so generous with tasty amuse-bouches.
St. Willebrord (North Brabant)
R&D Oriental gastronomy
I have two big favorites that I dare to recommend to everyone. The first is Restaurant O&O in St. Willebrord in Brabant, which exudes vinex dullness until you enter the home of the lovely Tsang family; father Danny, mother Helena, daughters Monica and Wendy and son Mike. You will be immersed in the friendliest atmosphere and warm hospitality and showered with spectacular French-Asian dishes. Think excitingly delicious ‘Balinese style’ oysters that are an aphrodisiac, or delicious razor clams with spicy noodles. And then the lobster. Oof. My kingdom, my kingdom for their Singapore chilli lobster with brioche.
Read the story behind R&D: From babi pangang to take away to lobster with a Michelin star
Nuenen (North Brabant)
Lindehof French-Surinamese gastronomy
The second restaurant I recommend without hesitation is the Lindehof. Sure, I made two books with star chef Soenil Bahadoer, but before those books there was already my love for his irresistible cuisine, in which he unparalleledly integrates Indian and Surinamese-Hindu culinary traditions with French and international gastronomy. He has developed his own style in which he playfully navigates between street food and haute cuisine. Bahadoer doesn’t care about boxes and rules and surprises every time with his endless creativity and fantastic dishes. The absolute top of the Netherlands.
Read Joël Broekaert’s review: At the Lindehof in Nuenen you eat at one of De Groten in the Netherlands