The best restaurants in the Netherlands

Once again this year, Lekker sent its reporters and inspectors to the Dutch culinary landscape to assess the best restaurants in the Netherlands. It resulted in the 45th anniversary edition of the Lekker500. 49 restaurants enter the guide as new and the top 10 represents no fewer than seven different provinces. MASTERS will go through the culinary list with you.

First of all, the editor-in-chief of the restaurant guide mentions that over the past three years, thanks to remarkable time isolation, inflation, corona, high energy rates and staff shortages, the catering industry has made many sacrifices, among other things. But they are pleased to see that the vibrancy is returning to the catering industry and that there is an increasing focus on hospitality again. 

Top 10

Jonnie and Thérèse Boer are once again in first place of the Lekker500. The culinary couple from Zwolle has been among the absolute top with the iconic restaurant for more than 30 years De Liberije. Their love for each other and for the catering profession drives them to the limit. 

The gastronomic Pure C. has risen to number four this year. According to Lekker, top chef Syrco Bakker continues to refine and they tasted supreme balance in his dishes.

The Lindehof in Nuenen retains a beautiful sixth place in the guide. He has been fearless since he was seventeen years old Sunil Bahadoer an unusual cuisine with which he broke through to the top of Dutch gastronomy. Soenil's cooking style is characterized by accents from Surinamese cuisine. According to Lekker, Hindustani-Mediterranean dishes excel in creativity and an extremely refined taste balance. 

Sidney Schutte cooks delicious food in the basement of the renowned Waldorf Astoria Hotel. Spectrum rises one place this year and ranks seventh in the restaurant guide.

With his Rotterdam hospitality and quirky, creative cuisine, chef Fred Mustert is rising with his restaurant of the same name Fred to ninth place. The chef is known for his fabulous, beautiful dishes on a classic basis with high-quality and rich ingredients. 

The young Limburger Bas van Kranen Restaurant Flore comes in tenth place. The young Limburger moved to Amsterdam and succeeded Richard van Oostenbrugge at Bord'Eau at the time and introduced his concept conscious fine dining where sustainability, the use of local biodynamic seasonal products and pure taste are key words.

Restaurant M*

A nice bonus: all top chefs from restaurants in the top 10 above will be present at MASTERS EXPO in Restaurant M*. This year, the most talked-about gastronomic concept in the Netherlands has received a record number of 54 Michelin stars. It is the only place where all the great top chefs – this year 34 in total – celebrate the joy of their profession together. Shoulder to shoulder, evening after evening. This year because of the great success in 2021, now also afternoon after afternoon. Here you can enjoy the best dishes and good company together with relations and friends.

Host Carsten Klint welcomes you. Order your tickets here.