Restaurant De Burgemeester

High quality cooking

Chef-owner Sander Spruijt, recently inaugurated as an SVH Master Chef, has together with his partner and maître d' Anne Spruijt Hövels established a solid restaurant in the former town hall of the picturesque village of Linschoten. The seating is comfortable within a luxurious interior where warm colors set the tone. In Sander’s kitchen and that of his team, traditional cooking techniques are enriched with innovative applications, resulting in refined dishes that are also beautifully presented. The wine list, which has won a prestigious international award, features no fewer than over 600 labels, including French classics, New World wines, and discoveries from local producers. A true feast for wine enthusiasts. Alongside a daily changing lunch menu, dinner guests can choose between the 'Menu Expertise' and a fully vegetarian menu, both available in multiple courses. We sample a dish featuring crab as the star, accompanied by spicy chermoula, kohlrabi, and parmesan. Melts in the mouth. Truly impressive is the brined sea bass fillet perfumed with lemongrass and kombu, served chaud-froid with vadouvan, Zeeland mussels, and barbecue-grilled broccoli. The complex flavors are perfectly balanced and delight the palate. Add to this a well-equipped professional kitchen brigade and excellent value for money. An excellent restaurant.

Since 2016, the young and passionate couple, chef Sander and maître d' Anne Spruijt, have owned the charming, home-style restaurant De Burgemeester. The name refers to the building's former use as the old town hall of Linschoten. The interior is pleasantly chic, featuring warm tones, comfortable leather wall benches, marble and wooden tables, and cozy chairs. The wine cork wall is a fun and eye-catching feature. In 2020, a completely new kitchen was installed, where Sander and his team blend traditional techniques with innovative technology, as they describe it. This results in exceptionally balanced dishes, full of dynamic contrast and excellent flavor harmony, often highlighted by bright acidity, each presented with stunning visual appeal. We begin with a fruity Bollinger Champagne PNVZ16 made from 100% Pinot Noir, and are soon served trout fillet from a farm in Emst, accompanied by white grapes, fennel, and a robust vin jaune. A true feast for the taste buds. Equally impressive is the succulent chicken served with a concentrated sauce based on tsuyu (a foundational sauce in many Japanese dishes), kumquat, and carrot. Kudos to hostess Anne and her team for ensuring a relaxed evening out, with genuine attention paid to every guest. The passion for the craft shines through in every aspect of the dining experience. A fantastic venue.

An elegant living-room-style restaurant by chef-owner Sander Spruijt and hostess Anne Spruijt-Hövel, located in the center of Linschoten. The former mayor's house features a chic, modern interior; tables are adorned with supple leather cowhide runners, the chairs are comfortable, and the atmosphere is calming. On summer days, guests can dine on the beautiful terrace. Upon arrival, the menu card, tucked into a blue paper sleeve, is already waiting on the table, and how thoughtful—we are personally welcomed by name printed on it. Sander comes to the table to present the menu and discuss any special requests. With the aperitif, a robust champagne—Bollinger Special Cuvée—no fewer than four amuse-bouches arrive, including a crispy horn filled with pea compote and a curry macaron with a mildly spicy curry and mango gel mousse. Exquisite. A celery root salad with Zeeland yellowtail, salted cherry, and an olive oil, buttermilk, and laver sauce opens the meal. Pure flavors, beautifully balanced. This is followed by a modestly portioned soft-cooked turbot glazed with anchovy, served with shavings of Utrecht canal cheese, crispy pancetta, and a silky butter sauce made from fish bones. Superb. Maître Kiki Bult pairs it with a perfectly matching Vouvray 'Arpent' 2022 from Domaine Sébastien Brunet. Applause for the perfectly cooked veal escalope with tripe, morel mushrooms, and nettle crisps. We close with sticky rice, caramel mousse, a raspberry galette, and a separate dish of raspberry granita that has been given a refined tartness thanks to the addition of goji berries and sushi vinegar. Colorful and delightfully flavorful. De Burgemeester enters at position 00 in this guide's Top 100.

Owner-chef Sander and hostess Anne Spruijt have long been the hallmark of a high-end gastronomic experience in their charming mayor's house. They can therefore boast a loyal following of guests who truly appreciate the cuisine and pleasant atmosphere. We are comfortably seated in a modern, calming setting, and it is pleasantly busy on the weekday evening of our visit. How lovely that maître Kiki Bult presents us with the menu at the table, personalized with our names. Original and very welcoming. For an aperitif, a glass of sparkling Bollinger Champagne Special Cuvée, and then we get started with the four-course menu. Slices of fresh tuna accompany dill and horseradish, and served separately, a lightly warm oyster with hollandaise sauce. A fine start. We continue the menu with slices of juicy stewed and then lightly pan-seared octopus with basil, tomato, and parmesan cheese. Packed with pure flavor. The centerpiece is lamb, served in slices with a rouille so delicious you will want to lick your fingers. Unfortunately, the portioning is rather modest. On recommendation, we order a glass of Pinot Noir from the Mosel region from the wine estate Haus Klosterberg. Young, lightly chilled, and wonderfully refreshing with the lamb. To finish, a caramel and cherry soufflé, dark chocolate mousse, and cherry ice cream. The eye-catcher is the beautiful tableware. Each dish is served on a differently colored plate. A wonderful place!

In the completely renovated lower floor of the former municipal office in Linschoten, owner-chef Sander Spruijt and hostess Anne Hövels continue their journey toward the top. The space has been expanded with an outdoor terrace, but the low ceiling means the acoustics are less than ideal. However, what’s served is fantastic: we taste dishes that almost knock us off our chairs. It begins with four delightful amuse-bouches, followed by memorable starters. Such as paper-thin sliced scallop with green curry, cauliflower rosettes, pandan, and parsley: sim-ply de-li-cious! The other plate is equally beautiful: raw sea bass prepared as ceviche and presented with carrot, mussel, and vadouvan. And both feature lovely acidity. Clear case: calculated flavors and textures here, from a kitchen operating at a star level, served by well-dressed, highly competent ladies. We drink Soave Capitel Croce with it (Anselmi, 2019), not so much because we insisted on that choice, but because it’s practically the only affordable wine (well, €42.50!) available. To our complete satisfaction, by the way, that Italian. The main courses bring us back down to earth. Tasty, but a bit more 'ordinary' than the starters. The dry-aged (45 days) Wagyu beef with artichoke, Roseval potatoes, aubergine, and white onion is delicious, albeit very modestly portioned, accompanied by a wonderful jus in a small jug that thankfully stays on the table. Beside it, the Barbary duck, pan-fried on the fat edge, served with pak choi, lapsang souchong, goji berries, and radish. Perfectly cooked, tasting of, uh, duck breast. Fortunately, there’s also a small jug of deeply reduced sauce alongside it. Finally, tasty local cheeses. De Burgemeester remains a sympathetic, refined, and well-priced restaurant in the heart of a village where parking is virtually impossible.

In this atmospheric restaurant, located beneath the former town hall of Linschoten, head chef Sander Spruijt (born in Montfoort) has been preparing refined cuisine since 2013, focusing on pure flavors and fresh seasonal produce. Wherever possible, they work with regional ingredients, and half of the vegetables come from their own garden. Hostess Anne Spruijt-Hövels, a true Twente native, adds a heartfelt touch with her genuine hospitality. Guests feel right at home in this relaxed and thoroughly renovated space, highlighted by a cork wall as a striking focal point. The venue is bustling with couples, families, and friends of all ages. Sander notes, “The pandemic was a time of reflection for us.” The dishes are beautifully plated, and Anne and her team serve complementary wines upon request. The wine list is exceptionally extensive and organized by flavor profiles and experiences. They also utilize a Coravin system, allowing rare and special wines to be ordered by the glass. De Burgemeester now also offers private dining for both business and personal occasions. Since September 2019, guests can enjoy the beautiful conservatory, which accommodates up to twenty-four people. To adhere to pandemic guidelines, tables have been spaced slightly further apart, but otherwise, the team remains fully prepared to welcome guests as usual. Great news: it’s now open on Sundays as well.

In the thoroughly renovated restaurant beneath the former town hall of Linschoten, situated by a picturesque little river, we sample what chef-owner Sander Spruit and hostess Anna Spruit present at the table alongside their teams. The standard is exceptionally high. Accompanied by a glass of house champagne, Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut, we are served beautifully crafted amuse-bouches, including a pastry horn filled with horseradish and celeriac cream, and wong tong with chicken curry and black grape. We also enjoy the 'bottle post' selection: bites such as razor clam with shallot, dashi, curry and herring roe, and lobster with bell pepper and coriander. Delicious! The starter features sea bass with tomato, basil, brioche crisp, chanterelle cream and salmon roe. Alongside it sits a tartare of Waards beef with beef tongue, artichoke, curry, and an artichoke and parsnip ice cream. A wonderful combination of diverse flavors, elevated by a glass of the 2012 Bulgarian Katarzyna Der Traminer. An excellent wine selection by Anna. For the main course comes Waards lamb with morels, asparagus and hyssop. Featuring saddle, neck, and loin, with the neck slowly braised at low temperature. The meat is beautifully tender and perfectly pink, pairing wonderfully with a robust Italian red, the 2016 Terra degli Osci. An outstanding dish. On the other plate, monkfish with octopus and yellow carrot offers a perfectly soft-cooked piece of fish, complemented by a delightful coffee caramel. The octopus is also expertly cooked, adding further depth to the flavor profile. Once again, the presentation is visually stunning. To finish, a chocolate tart with caramel, vanilla and hazelnut. Accompanied by a chocolate ganache infused with mango and passion fruit. A beautiful dish with a truly delightful flavor. Throughout the meal, the service remains friendly, professional, and attentive. De Burgemeester climbs two spots to reach a score of 86.

A lovely spot in the Green Heart, situated beneath the old town hall and therefore featuring a low ceiling. Where needed, the restaurant has been refreshed by chef-owner Sander Spruit and hostess Anna Hövels. We enjoy a selection of amuse-bouches, including crispbread with Jerusalem artichoke cream made with celery root and coffee. We are then surprised by a branded wooden box filled with smoke, revealing a small quiche of sea urchin and liquorice. The starter features shrimp with feta jelly, various carrot preparations, coconut foam, passion fruit and lemon. The interplay of textures, along with the savory, sour and salty notes, makes it a truly special dish. We pair it with a Rheinhessische Leopold from Grüner Silvaner grapes by Battenfeld Spanier, 2015, which complements it beautifully. This is followed by an intermezzo of cod with leek, saffron potato and beurre blanc, served alongside the same white wine. Simply beautiful. Equally delicious is the main course of beef loin and calf cheek, served with lemon kohlrabi, puffed rice and black garlic jus. Exquisitely flavored, though we would have appreciated just a slightly more generous portion. Paired with it is a rich Spanish Pavina from Tempranillo and Pinot Noir grapes from Valladolid, 2015. For dessert, sweet and spicy are combined in a surprising manner: fried banana in casino bread, clove, basil ice cream and chocolate kefir. The cheese trolley also looks impressive, offering a wide selection of predominantly regional products. To finish, a surprising 'golden weeping willow' serves as a Green Heart confectionery. Hospitality is highly prized here. Details are carefully attended to, and there is a constant drive to delight and surprise the guests. The Mayor comes in at a solid €88.

The entrance is the service entrance beneath the former mayoral residence in this beautiful municipality, centrally located in the Green Heart. Once inside, we are led to our table in the dining room with its relatively low ceiling, which gives it a slightly lively atmosphere. Hostess Anna Hövels serves us the aperitif, a fresh prosecco cocktail with mint, along with a selection of amuse-bouches. The roasted celeriac cream with molasses pearls is delightful and beautifully textured. The dishes are works of art, meticulously plated with sprigs of watercress, herbs, edible flower petals, jellies, tuiles, mousses, ice pearls, sesame crisps, mini vegetable rolls, and meringues. Executive Chef Sander Spruit is a master. We savor his langoustine with burrata cream and avocado, as well as lamb kidneys with a deliciously chilled, gel-like tarragon and chervil broth, perfectly seasoned. Also lovely is the hamachi with sesame and Jerusalem artichoke mousse, paired with bergamot in a mushroom jus. What balance! We were less impressed by the bluefin tuna with kohlrabi and the slow-cooked pork cheek with ginger. However, the classically prepared black angus beef shin, seared pink, served with Pont Neuf potatoes and a rich veal jus makes up for it. Sommelier Rodney Bottenberg pairs it with a spicy, ruby-red Passito Salice Salentino (Li Veli, 2015) made from Negroamaro grapes from Puglia: a perfect match. Finally, the refreshing dessert with Green Heart accents and buttermilk sorbet is delightful, and the cheese trolley is an experience in itself. And the sweets served with coffee: it’s impossible to leave just one behind. De Burgemeester is a top-notch establishment with excellent cuisine and outstanding hospitality. It does come with a price tag, though. Steps back to 88.