Fine Food At The 10 Best Restaurants In Utrecht The Netherlands

The city of Utrecht was constructed around the iconic Dom tower, which thrusts upwards to the Dutch sky at its very center. A beguiling web of canals is woven into the fabric of the city, imbuing it with a watery resplendent grandeur that befits its status as one of the Netherlands’ historic university towns. Utrecht also plays host to a host of delicious restaurants, here’s our guide to some of the best.

1. Restaurant Podium

Restaurant, Contemporary

Restaurant Podium is one of the most popular eateries in the whole of Utrecht, serving an array of creative dishes, all designed and constructed by their young, passionate team of chefs. The restaurant is richly decorated with a red velvet interior, giving the dining space with class and warmth. The dishes served are traditional with creative twists. Restaurant Podium, known as Podium Onder De Dom, is featured in the Michelin Guide of excellent restaurants, an acknowledgement of prowess that is reflected in the restaurant’s popularity. Guests should book a few weeks in advance.

2. Meneer Smakers

Bar, Restaurant, American, Pub Grub

With its simple and stylish interior, artisan burger bar Meneer Smakers is an ideal destination for both a hearty feast and an aromatic cup of coffee on a cozy couch. The restaurant specializes in gourmet burgers made from the finest artisan Dutch meat, freshly sourced from the verdant Holland fields. One of the restaurant’s menu specials is the Aunt Tamara special burger: a burger smothered in luxurious truffle mayo and finished with a helping a sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and arugula. Meneer Smakers does not take bookings so guests are encouraged to come and have a leisurely drink while they wait for a table to become available. Take away orders are also an option. Courtesy of Meneer Smakers

3. Blauw

Restaurant, Indonesian

The Blauw restaurant is widely regarded as the foremost establishment for excellent Indonesian food in Utrecht. The authenticity of the Indonesian fare on offer is what startles and entices guests of Blauw, something reflected in the restaurant’s rampant popularity and diverse menu. The menu offers dishes such as the ikan bali jimbaran: fried fillets of red snapper with jimbaran sauce. Blauw also offers a mixed plate, or tasting menu.

4. Cest Ca

Restaurant, French

Fresh restaurant C’est Ça offers a flamboyant flavoring of French cuisine right in the heart of the Dutch city. Guests can enjoy the newly devised five course dinner assembled from the most succulent organic meat, fish and seasonal produce. Watch the frenzied passion of the chefs in the open kitchen as your French fare is crafted in front of your very eyes. Each morning, the chefs will be presented with surprise ingredients that have been selected for their freshness and high quality, which they will then decide how to use for that evening’s menu.

5. India Port Tandoori Restaurant

Restaurant, Indian

For the best Indian food in all of Utrecht, slink down to the India Port Tandoori Restaurant, nestled in the heart of the cozy old town of Utrecht on Oude Gracht 144. Begin the evening with one India Port’s special cocktails, such as ‘On Fire’: vodka, amaretto, fresh strawberries, sugar syrup and lime juice. The impressively broad menu offers a wide variety of superb Indian dishes. Highly recommended are the Tandoori specialties, all of which are made in the tandoor: a cylindrical clay oven using for cooking in Southern, Central, and Western Asia. Enliven your sense with the extra hot Seekh kebab – spiced minced lamb meat with garlic, ginger and red paprika.

6. Olivier

Cafe, Pub, Restaurant, Bar, Dutch, Coffee

Olivier Utrecht offers frequenters the chance to sample exemplary Belgian cuisine in the hallowed confines of the former Maria Minor church. The restaurant is modeled on the traditional Belgian beer cafe and the rich history the building’s architecture is matched only by the splendor of the Belgian food offered on Olivier’s exciting lunch and dinner menus. All main course are served with traditional Belgian “Vlaamse frites” and mayonnaise. Try the ample ‘Gent Waterzooi’ dish, which is guinea fowl, bacon, vegetables and roseval potato in a luxuriously creamy sauce. The menu offers suggestions of which beers to drink with each dish to bring the flavors to life.

7. Vaartsche Rijn

Restaurant

Vaartsche Rijn

Hunkered down on the Vaartsche Rijn is the eponymous ‘modern Western’ restaurant, Vaartsche Rijn. Head chef and co-owner Stijn Knaapen devises an entirely new menu every three weeks putting an emphasis on freshness and seasonal produce. All meats served are free range and the restaurant is careful to source on sustainably sourced fish. The modern Western theme means simply that the dishes are inspired by flavors and cooking styles from all over the contemporary West. An example dish might be succulent mackerel, cooked and served with fresh rhubarb and tangy ginger.
Vaartsche Rijn, Westerkade 27, Utrecht, Netherlands, +31 30 265 7910

8. Mas

Restaurant

Mas

French and international fusion restaurant Mas offers diners a variety of culinary combinations constructed from a traditional basis. The breadth of Mas’ menu is impressive and changes seasonally, with daily additions always ensuring that each Mas dining experience is different. Guests have the option of choosing three, four or five courses. Highly recommended is the Iberico pork belly, served with rouleau of pig, quinoa and pepper coulis.
Mas Restaurant, Schalkwijkstraat 26-28, Utrecht, Netherlands, +31 30 230 2229

9. Deeg

Diner, Restaurant, Dutch

With an emphasis on fresh, organic and seasonal foods, Utrecht restaurant, Deeg is a choice destination for the calorie-conscious fine diner. Located in the elegant Museum Quarter on Utrecht, Deeg is located in the vicinity of a multitude of attractions. Deeg’s menu is satisfyingly diverse, with a three-course four-course option. An example of one of the sumptuous main dishes offered is the creamy risotto cake served with grilled zucchini, chard and a rich tomato sauce.

10. De Kust

Restaurant, Seafood, Dutch, European

Located only a short walk from the center of Utrecht, the seafood specialists at De Kust offer diners an excellent menu. The restaurant offers a light lunch menu, boasting an assortment of delectable fish and meat dishes. The evening menu is extensive, offering dishes such as langoustines cooked with garlic and fresh herbs. There are also meat dishes such as the hearty Carpaccio of beef, served with pecorino cheese, pine nuts, and truffle mayonnaise.

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