The chicest village in Groningen now has an equally chic restaurant. Time to test out Savor in Haren | restaurant review

Where are we?

The fanciest village in the municipality of Groningen, but not one fine dining restaurant? Of course that is not possible, Jaap and Trijntje Braaksma from Assen must have thought. Just over six months ago, the two (who previously ran a good restaurant in Assen) opened Savor in Haren. A place about which we have only heard good things so far, and which today received a mention in the Michelin guide (see box). Expectations are high.

What about here?

Everything exudes chic here: from the enormous cupboard full of expensive drinks, the stiff napkins, the jazzy covers of pop songs, to the large chandelier by glass artist Albert Geertjes from Eelderwolde. There are more works by that artist in the restaurant: Jaap and Trijntje are fans of him. And are happy to tell you about the origin of the works. The way they want to talk about everything. They make the place feel very casual.

That sounds nice

Certainly, the two frolic between the tables and take plenty of time to stop everywhere. When one of them stands at your table, it feels like they are completely addressing you. They ask a lot of questions, explain in detail what goes on in the kitchen and make jokes. Trijntje has been ill and occasionally has to cough a lot. When she has taken some plates from our table, has another coughing attack and withdraws, Jaap comes running to take over the plates. An illustration of how well the two are attuned to each other.

But the two of them don’t do it together. Chef Pascal Louwes also occasionally shows his face in the dining area. When Jaap and Trijntje retire in a few years, Pascal will take over the business.

And what comes out of the kitchen?

At Savor you can eat four, five or six courses on Wednesdays and Thursdays (59, 72.50 or 80 euros) and on Fridays and Saturdays only the six-course menu is available. The vegetarian menu is a few euros cheaper.

We opt for five courses, almost every course of which is an artistic taste bomb. The three appetizers alone – a French cheese puff with dashi, a very nice cauliflower bun with coffee and kombucha glaze and a very light but not watery pumpkin soup with yellow curry – immediately woke us up. The first course, steak tartare with watercress cream and oil, fermented mustard seeds and a Madeira wine jelly, is my least favorite. The classic dish feels like a safe choice, a twist like the jelly (a kind of transparent piece of slime) doesn’t necessarily make it better.

But then the wild sea bass with a very tasty cream based on celeriac (‘wow’, says my dining companion after his first bite), almost blackened, smoky green asparagus and black garlic cream. The whole dish is a beautiful interplay of smoky and sweet flavors, juicy fish and crispy asparagus.

In any case, we are impressed by the sauces: it is an art to capture so much flavor. When the food is so delicious, you start paying attention to details. For example, with the artful kohlrabi ravioli (with vanilla and fermented kohlrabi sauce, hazelnuts and a number of kohlrabi preparations), we would have preferred if the ravioli had been made from pasta. We enjoy it, but we keep thinking about the word ravioli. We miss the soft structure that comes with it.

The veal loin (served alongside delicious barbecued leeks, crispy potatoes and carrots) with my table companion’s main course also looks drab. Fortunately, this does not detract from the taste.

And then of course my fantastic dessert of white chocolate and stewed pears, where the cookie is unfortunately broken. At this level you would expect such a cookie not to leave the kitchen.

Another nice detail: For dessert, my table companion can choose three cheeses from a small menu.

Will we come back?

It will probably take a while, because you save a restaurant like this for once in a while. But yes, without a doubt. I am also curious what Pascal Louwes will do with it when he takes over in a few years.