De Haan

Owner and head chef Dennis de Haan has it all figured out: you need to plan your visit well in advance, as De Haan is packed every night. Dennis employs a simple yet effective DIY dining concept. There is a five-course surprise menu, but no table service. At the self-service bar, you help yourself to drinks and freshly baked bread, adding them to your own bill. Alongside our aperitif—a Crémant de Bourgogne from the Loire—four amuse-bouches are served. A dill and cucumber sorbet ice cream with seaweed immediately whets our appetite for more. The burrata with fermented and pickled rhubarb, tomato, chili oil, crispy puffed rice, and black onion could have been a bit more exciting. For the starter: white asparagus with elderflower, cauliflower salad with tonburi, cream of pickled white asparagus, crispy fried elderflowers, and yuzu kosho cream. Beautifully presented and bursting with flavor. Just as delicious is the beekridder farmed in the Betuwe region, which melts in your mouth. The combination of slowly cooked barbecued lamb neck with eel in the intermezzo is surprising yet utterly delicious. The elegant Negroamaro, Azienda Agricola Marilù 2021 from Puglia, is an excellent pairing. The cheese board features, among other things, a Fiore—a creamy Dutch red-rind cheese made using an Italian taleggio recipe—alongside a delightful Saint Agur, a French blue cheese with a creamy texture and a mildly sharp character. De Haan is a must-visit for any food lover. Still, we miss one thing: hospitality. While self-pouring drinks fosters a relaxed atmosphere, receiving a hefty bill afterward feels a bit off.

At De Haan in Groningen, trust is the guiding principle. There is no serving staff; guests keep track themselves of what bread and drinks they take. This works surprisingly well and strengthens the family-like atmosphere in this cozy establishment, where close...

Het is een gezellige drukte bij De Haan aan de rand van het centrum van Groningen-stad. En dat komt door het DIY-systeem dat hier gehanteerd wordt. Patron en chef Dennis de Haan, geassisteerd door chef Mart Buikema en Arthur Dijkstra, kookt een vaststaand menu en Dennis heeft daar wijnen bij geselecteerd. Zij serveren deze gerechten zelf uit. De gasten zorgen zelf voor hun aperitief, de wijnen, het water en brood, koffie en thee, dat allemaal klaarstaat op een buffet. Op tafel ligt een vel papier waarop je zelf bijhoudt wat je gegeten en gedronken hebt. Op de wijnen staat helder vermeld bij welk gerecht ze geschonken moeten worden. En op de glazen geeft een bescheiden streepje aan tot hoever ze gevuld mogen worden. Er ontstaan leuke gesprekjes aan het buffet. De gerechten van het menu zijn doordacht, maar er wordt wel gebruikgemaakt van veel ingrediënten waardoor soms niet alle smaken tot hun recht komen. Zoals ceviche van kortgebrande rode mul op tapenade van zeewier, plus een rolletje koolrabi gevuld met multartaar, Hollandse garnalen met jalapeño-mayonaise, limoen en specerijen omringd door kokosvinaigrette met kombucha. Daarna lamsfilet met lamsgehakt, spinazie en peterselie, een kroketje met lamsgehakt en lamsniertjes erin verwerkt, stoofvlees van lam, geroosterd op de BBQ, met gezouten amandel. Van het karkas is een klassieke jus gemaakt, schuim met ras-el-hanout-specerijen, crème met sinaasappel, abrikoos en specerijen, polenta en asperge en een crème van zwarte knoflook. Heel veel ingrediënten, less is more, maar het gerecht is mooi, lekker en het idee dat er niets verspild wordt van het lam, spreekt ons aan. In het glas een Vistalba Corte B, 2021, een krachtpatser uit Argentinië. De koffie is goed, het lekkers erbij slaan we over. We zijn verzadigd!

Restaurant De Haan, led by Dennis de Haan, does away with menu cards. He serves a multi-course tasting menu including amuse-bouches, which can be extended with a cheese course. A suitable wine has been paired with each dish. Dennis also foregoes traditional table service. You help yourself to bread – supplied by Bakkerij Haafs from Haren, a well-known establishment in the wider region – as well as drinks, coffee, or tea. On the tables sits a card where you keep track of your own consumption. It leaves you wanting more, as the place is packed every evening and booking well in advance is essential. On the day itself, you can drop in between 6:30 and 7:00 PM. The dishes of the surprise dinner are served by the kitchen brigade. We begin with smoked brook trout on a salad of red beets and red cabbage, dressed with ponzu vinaigrette and dill oil. The Riesling Dry Villa Wolf Pfalz 2022 handles the dish's fresh acidity beautifully. An excellent pairing. The modest portion of red pikeperch in the next course arrives with a delicious hollandaise sauce based on bouillabaisse and saffron, broccoli cream, Indian cress, a round slice of radish with fennel compote, and a gochujang oil. Plenty of ingredients, yet in perfect harmony. Next comes a vegetarian feast. Roasted cauliflower in beurre noisette topped with lime and cucumber, cauliflower cream with fermented cardamom, black rice, and a foamy lime sauce with spices. Intensely flavorful. A real standout. The pièce de résistance features three preparations of veal: a bitterballen filled with veal ragout, veal tongue, and veal tenderloin. Accompanied by a deeply layered sauce of bay leaf and green pepper. The herbaceous quality of the dish pairs exceptionally well with the peppery notes in the wine, the La Bastide Saint Dominique Côtes du Rhône-Villages 2021. The cheese board could offer more variety; there are simply too many hard cheeses. The petits fours with coffee are heavenly. We do come back down to earth when the bill arrives. It is quite steep.

Owner and head chef Dennis de Haan expanded his kitchen brigade in 2022. Alongside Ian Nieswaag, Mart Buikema is also working the line in the open kitchen. They prepare beautiful, refined dishes inspired by French cuisine. A six-course tasting menu is offered. There is no table service; drinks and bread are available at the self-service bar, and you simply note your selections on the pre-printed bill. The decor of the reasonably sized restaurant is classic, creating a cozy atmosphere. The North Sea crab tartare with avocado is served with a buttermilk sauce flavored with celery, jalapeños, and dried green apple. Paired with it is a bottle of Les Équilibristes Picpoul de Pinet 2020, an organic wine known for its richness and body, often referred to as the "Chablis of the South." The next dish is a quintessential umami bomb. Pan-seared monkfish is served with XO sauce, braised red cabbage, and beetroot jelly. Another perfectly executed dish is the quail breast fillet, accompanied by almond and onion purée, morel jus, barbecued mini eggplants, eggplant purée, and a roll crafted from confit quail legs. Unfortunately, we had to skip the Groningen Blaarkop beef loin as it was too tough. An invisible, tough membrane was the culprit. As compensation—and quite thoughtfully—we were treated to the house’s friandises, which were absolutely delightful. Restaurant De Haan remains a charming, refined establishment in the city of Groningen, though the prices are certainly on the higher side.

Executive chefs Dennis de Haan and Ian Nieswaag follow a simple yet effective concept. There is a single multi-course menu, with an optional cheese board. There is no waitstaff. You help yourself to (free) freshly baked warm bread, coffee, and tea. And you pour your own wines that you can pick out from a cabinet. They come with information on which dishes they pair well with. A surefire hit, as it turns out, because this cozy little spot is packed night after night. The interior is atmospheric, featuring a wooden floor, tree-trunk tables, small bouquets, and dried grains on the walls. Dishes from the open kitchen follow French culinary traditions, infused with international influences. They are prepared using local, mostly organic ingredients that often come directly from the farmer or grower. We taste roasted smoked mackerel on sauerkraut (unusual for a summer day), dressed with a vinaigrette of olive oil, ginger, and yuzu plus ponzu cream, a bread croquant, and a quenelle of cucumber brunoise, radish, and kohlrabi. The plating is visually stunning. Next, twenty-four-hour-cured and then slowly cooked chicken thighs from Twentse Blauwe Veldhoeve chickens. Served with crispy chicken skin, garden cress, and marigold, accompanied by a ratatouille tartlet. Surrounding it is a carrot and tomato sauce seasoned with shakshuka spices. Many flavors on the plate. In the glass, an Iby 2018 Zweigelt from Burgenland, Austria. This red summer wine pairs excellently with the chicken. We settle our itemized bill at the open kitchen counter. And are enthusiastically waved goodbye. Until next year!

Just a little different from the usual" states the website of this spacious restaurant. And that is an undeniable truth at De Haan. You are not served here, after all. Executive chefs Dennis de Haan and Ian Nieswaag serve the dishes of a full-evening surprise menu – optionally extendable with a cheese platter – from the open kitchen. Wines and glasses are ready at the wine bar; you can pour your own. You also help yourself to the bread, just like coffee and tea. On the pre-printed menu and drinks list on the table, you keep track of what you’ve eaten and drunk throughout the evening. It turns out to be a winning concept, as the place is packed every night, and booking well in advance is an absolute must. During the crisis, Dennis and his team didn’t sit idle: “We completely revamped the style and created a more luxurious atmosphere. New crockery, new tables, new decor.” Fun fact: when pushed together, all the tables once again form a single tree trunk. De Haan works primarily with organic suppliers, where meat and vegetables often come directly from the farmer or grower. For example, the chickens served come from poultry farm De Lankerenhof in Voorthuizen. Specialties such as lamb and pork ham, as well as salami and nagelhout (beef), are traditionally dried in the rafters of the barn at Restaurant De Haan. And for all this quality, you don’t even pay top dollar. Class!

Let's get this out of the way first: you need to plan your visit to De Haan well in advance, as it is packed every single evening. Walking in spontaneously is out of the question; making a reservation is essential. The concept is simple yet effective: there is no waitstaff. Owners and executive chefs Dennis de Haan and Richie Badal personally deliver the dishes they prepare from the open kitchen straight to your table. You pour your own wine. A pre-printed slip on the table allows you to keep track of your orders. Along the side is a bar stocked with wines, where you can help yourself to bread and brew your own coffee or tea. Every item is clearly labeled, so you know exactly which wine pairs with each course and which glass corresponds to it. There is no set menu; instead, you choose how many courses you'd like, ranging from three to six. To start, a salad featuring various tomato varieties, served with watermelon, pesto, olives, crispy focaccia, buffalo mozzarella, and a clear tomato consommé. Beautifully presented and a refreshing start. Next comes a cauliflower cream, spaghetti with beurre noisette and mushrooms, roasted cauliflower, cauliflower and lemon risotto, and a ponzu oil. An absolutely delightful combination of flavors. Paired with a 2016 Pinot Gris 'Les Prélats' from Domaine Paul Ginglinger. The main course features two preparations of guinea fowl—a roulade and a juicy pan-seared fillet—which are equally captivating. Bravo for the dessert and its accompanying wine: a shortbread tart with dulce de leche, buckwheat cream, buckwheat crumble, Swiss cream, goat's milk ice cream, blackberries, and raspberry gel. Served alongside a 2016 Jurançon from Domaine Castéra, which boasts a perfect sweet-tart balance. For the exceptional quality offered here, you don't even have to pay top dollar. No wonder it's always so packed!

Dennis de Haan has made quite a splash in Groningen in a short time. His restaurant is packed night after night, and you need to book months in advance. The secret? You dine exceptionally well here at an affordable price thanks to a unique concept: there is no waitstaff. The chefs serve the dishes, and you do the rest yourself. That means cutting your own bread, pouring your own wine, and making your own coffee and tea. This creates a relaxed atmosphere where you quickly strike up a conversation with fellow diners. You can choose from fixed menus of four, five, or six courses. With a glass of Vouvray Brut, we sample two amuse-bouches, including a black olive sponge cake with roasted pepper mousse and a sweet little tomato bite. Next comes a salad of green asparagus, artichoke, and haricots verts served with a thin bruschetta topped with vadouvan mousse, chives, and slices of house-smoked raw ham. Very flavorful Argentine scampi arrive with a cauliflower purée, salami powder, saffron rice, braised radish and chicory, and a crispy allspice element. A perfect pairing here is the Muga Rioja Rosé 2016. Expertly prepared duck filets and duck croquettes are served with a two-beet mousseline, garam masala, and ginger, alongside potato gratin and green pods. Six special cheeses and a beautiful strawberry composition round off this dining feast perfectly. Welcome to Lekker!