De Librije named Dutch restaurant of the year

The Librije restaurant in Zwolle has been voted the best restaurant in the Netherlands by culinary magazine Lekker. The magazine listed the restaurant as number one when it published its top 500 list of restaurants in the country, the Lekker500. Three-star chef, Jonnie Boer, had his restaurant finish in third place last year.

A jury member told broadcaster NU.nl that Boer’s kitchen performs on an almost un-European top-level, and that everyone was once again a step ahead. This is the first time in the restaurants guides’ 38 years that there is very little mutual difference between the top three.

Last year’s numbers one (Inter Scaldes) and two (De Leest), each fell one place down the list to make way for the new pack leader. Belluga saw itself move into the top ten, up to number seven from eleventh last year. FG Restaurant dropped two places from seven to nine, while the rest remain in the same positions as they found themselves in last year.

“Chefs in our country are so very good that they are growing much closer together, there is almost no distinction anymore. It is like having to choose between Beethoven, Mozart and Bach.” chief editor Annelies Pijper told NU