Eight more Dutch restaurants win Michelin's Bib Gourmand award

Eight more Dutch restaurants were given the prestigious Bib Gourmand award on Wednesday. The selection includes two restaurants in Amsterdam, and one each in Hattem, Hoorn, Nijmegen, Rotterdam, Veeningen and Zwolle.

The Bib Gourmand awards will be presented to the restaurants formally in two weeks during a ceremony where the guide will hand out its prized Michelin Star. As opposed to the Stars, which are given for outstanding cooking, quality, mastery and consistency regardless of cost, “Restaurants with a Bib Gourmand guarantee an excellent price-quality ratio." the Michelin Guide said. "All cooking styles are eligible, as long as generosity and rich flavors are in the DNA of the restaurant.” Before this week's announcement, the Netherlands was home to 109 restaurants with a Bib Gourmand, and 124 with either at least one Michelin Star or the Michelin Green Star for sustainability. It remains to be seen if all of those restaurants will maintain their distinction.

Not even open for two years, the primarily vegan restaurant Rotonde in Rotterdam was one of the Bib Gourmand newcomers. Their chefs earned high praise for their “sustainable vision” which “is translated into plates full of creativity and surprise.” It is the only restaurant on this year's newcomers list to feature a menu where every dish is vegetarian. The restaurant itself pledges transparency in how their ingredients are grown and acquired, with a mission statement focused on having enough food for everyone without harming animals.

"We ourselves really enjoy doing what we do: creating a fun night out with great food and drinks in the most sustainable way possible,” said Jord Corée, one of the owners and chefs at Rotonde. "We can only do what we do because of the wonderful collaborations with farmers and other producers. In our restaurant, we are strong because our team shares our sustainable mission."

There was a "striking" level of diversity in the restaurants selected for a Bib Gourmand this year, the Michelin Guide said. Still, three of the restaurants use more Western influences in their cookery. Wils Bakery Café in Amsterdam and Bistrot Regent in Nijmegen both feature classic French dishes and ingredients on their menu. Lazuur, another Amsterdam restaurant, brags about its own French cooking with Portuguese influence.

The latter said on Facebook that Lazuur was "proud" to be the first restaurant to win a Bib Gourmand in Amsterdam-Noord.

De Voorburcht, located in part of a castle in Hattem, was described as being “creative with tradition,” using ingredients like wasabi or miso in more Western fish dishes. Veeningen restaurant Poortman was also praised for its creativity. Their vegetarian dishes include eggplant with miso and sesame, or cold tomato with ginger and orange, as well as a wider variety of meat and fish dishes, including a generously sized “Cordon Bleu for two.” The owners of the restaurant also expressed immense pride that they were added to the list.

“HAVN in Hoorn, on the other hand, chooses to bring together influences from all corners of the world on the plate,” Michelin said. Their menu includes several main dishes that are barbecue grilled, featuring spring chicken, ribs, or eggplant in some of their main dishes.

Another restaurant featuring cuisine from outside of Europe is Senang in Zwolle. The restaurant says its dishes are influenced by “the Near East, the Middle East and the Far East,” based on the owners’ travels with their children over the past two decades. Their menu ranges from Wagyu wonton and char siu pork belly to Börek, lentil curry, and muhammara.

"The inspection team and I are well aware that it is a challenge today, in 2023, to run a restaurant that offers excellent value for money. It is therefore with great satisfaction that I note that our Bib Gourmand selection is still impressive. In addition to the eight newcomers, there are more than a hundred restaurants that have once again earned this award," said Werner Loens of Michelin Guides Benelux.

The restaurants will be handed the Bib Gourmand award on April 24 at the DeLaMar Theater in Amsterdam ahead of the presentation for new Michelin Star winning restaurants.