Somm

Located on the edge of Uden's city center, Somm sits right next to its own wine shop. Owner Bram van Grinsven, head chef Antonie van Vliet, sommelier Sanne van Uden, and their team ensure a particularly pleasant evening with inventive dishes and perfectly matching wines. The interior is warm and the atmosphere unpretentious, yet with an effortless elegance where both couples and larger groups feel right at home. The kitchen follows a classic French style with modern influences and makes generous use of regional products. Somm is celebrating its eighth anniversary with a special anniversary menu, alongside the familiar à la carte list and the chef's menu of three to seven courses. The wine list features over 350 labels. Soon, an amuse-bouche of goat cheese foam with ginger, roasted broccoli, and purslane vinaigrette arrives at the table. Exceptionally flavorful. Both the sourdough bread and the Japanese brioche with wasabi butter are delicious. Without being asked, we receive a second portion, which later turns out to be charged twice on the bill to our surprise. The watermelon tataki is first pickled and then seared. A dish full of umami, beautifully complemented by a Gewürztraminer from Geierslay in the Mosel region. The beautifully yellow wine has hints of elderflower and roses, with spicy notes of clove on the nose. For the main course, a chicken roulade stuffed with mushrooms. Served with green asparagus, potato fondant, a poached onion filled with onion compote, chicken liver cream, and broad beans. A fine combination of earthy and rich flavors. Afterward, there's a beautiful plate of Dutch cheeses. My dining companion enjoys a refreshing dessert of blueberries and kaffir lime. While some dishes could be slightly more refined, the quality of what's served and the friendly waitstaff ensure a highly enjoyable evening. We would gladly return to Uden.

At Restaurant Somm in Uden, the youthful enthusiasm of the black brigade immediately stands out. We are welcomed into and guided through the evening in a friendly and cheerful manner. Last year, a chef departed and a new one took over, but you wouldn't know it, which is a good sign. A sommelier has also left and been replaced, yet Chef Antonie van Vliet and Sommelier Leon Aben have clearly found their footing and form a highly skilled trio with owner and host Bram van Grinsven. After an alcohol-free aperitif and four flavorful amuse-bouches, our first course arrives: a roulade of duck liver and chicken wrapped in savoy cabbage, accompanied by sweet-and-sour white asparagus, herring roe, lavender and baharat cream, all tied together with a manzanilla dressing. The liver is tender and melts on the tongue, complemented by delicious chicken. Next comes a plaice fillet with a tarragon herb crust, Rijpel eel (from Helmond), eel foam, white asparagus, cresson cream, samphire, and sea beet. It’s a beautiful piece of fish with light charring, soft in both flavor and texture, with the salty, rich eel providing a perfect contrast. When we are then served a slice of monkfish fried in beurre noisette, morels, wild garlic, crispy chicken skin, and poultry jus, it becomes evident that Leon’s wine pairing is spot-on: an Alsace Pinot Blanc Tradition from Emile Beyer (2020). The wine seems to evolve alongside the dishes and flavors. The main course also features numerous elements, as does the sweet dessert starring Lambada strawberries. We are not entirely convinced by the sheer abundance of ingredients in every single dish. It looks stunning, undoubtedly, but sometimes we struggle to see the purpose or added value. But hey, those are minor details. Still a wonderful place to dine.

The name Somm of this modern living-room-style restaurant seems to be a reference to the no fewer than three sommeliers, host and co-owner Bram van Grinsven, Leon Aben, and Pierre van der Zee. Here, however, the focus is not primarily on the wine, but equally on the pairing with the exquisite international dishes from the kitchen of chef Werner Croymans. The menu offers choices from several multi-course options, such as the market menu or seasonal menu. The first course of raw corvina prepared à la minute with fermented kohlrabi and dill, apple gel, little gem lettuce, goat yogurt foam, dill oil, and tomato broth is an immediate success. Paired with a glass of Lavradores de Feitoria Douro Branco 2021, made from local Portuguese grape varieties, it forms a match made in heaven. The centerpiece of rose-roasted lamb fillet, featuring components of pea and spring onion alongside a water mint sauce, presents a classic English flavor combination that is here elevated to new heights, perfectly supported by a glass of Blauer Spätburgunder from Weingut Knipser in the Palatinate. With around 250 selections, the wine list contains many original finds, offering ample choice for the ideal wine-and-food pairing. Refinement is the consistent thread running from the aperitif and amuse-bouches to the petits fours served with coffee. A fine address.

The atmospheric, spacious living-room-style restaurant Somm, owned by chef Werner Croymans and host-sommelier Bram van Grinsven, has been located in Uden for five years now. Werner prepares modern French cuisine, unafraid to incorporate worldly influences. Paired with a Cava Brut from L’Alzinar are lovely amuse-bouches such as a crispy chickpea shell filled with pepper cream and basil cream, and fried chicken skin served with cheese cream and a green asparagus salsa. The menu offers both à la carte selections and set menus. The wine list features predominantly Old World labels, with a slight emphasis on Germany and Austria. To start, lightly seared scallops with smoked eel, artichoke hearts, various textures of Jerusalem artichoke, and flash-frozen quail egg yolks surrounded by a delicious eel broth. This is accompanied by a crisp Italian Gavi from producer Nicola Bergaglio. It truly deserves to be served in a more elegant glass. For the main course, an exemplary pan-seared veal entrecôte served with horseradish, celeriac foam, grilled green asparagus, a pea and yuzu cream, and Earl Grey-infused peas. Absolutely delicious. The cheese board, curated by Het Kaasatelier, features goat cheese from the Belgian Ardennes and a red-rind cheese from Limburg. They are accompanied by a light banana brioche, pecans, and mustard fruit. Welcome back to this guide!

A generously appointed living-room-style restaurant featuring dark wooden floorboards, sturdy light-wood tables set with linen napkins, modern upholstered tub chairs and wall benches, peach and cream-colored walls, wood paneling, and contemporary artwork. Two young and talented friends opened Somm – short for sommelier – in 2017. Bram van Grinsven serves as host-sommelier, while Werner Croymans runs the kitchen. The aim is to pair seasonal dishes crafted from quality ingredients with seamlessly matching wines, which are available for purchase in the adjacent wine shop. Werner’s cooking style is fundamentally French, but he incorporates international influences, resulting in dishes that are surprising, unconventional, and refined. Bram van Grinsven: “The coronavirus crisis challenged us to change how we operate. Together, we worked hard to put the finishing touches on the restaurant, while the kitchen team has been busy developing new dishes.” Bram pairs the meals with beautiful terroir-focused wines that are just as distinctive in character. Another feature that truly delights us is the inclusion of vegetarian options on the menu. Far too often an afterthought, but here it’s a real feast on the plate. Somm is a wonderful spot.

Two young, ambitious friends jointly opened their own spacious and modernly designed restaurant in Uden in 2017. Bram van Grinsven serves as host and sommelier, while Werner Croymans is the head chef. The guiding principles here are quality ingredients paired with fine wines, which are also available for purchase in the adjoining shop. We soon enjoy the first greeting from the kitchen: Époisse cheese with a crispy bite of black fermented garlic and a broth made from reduced onions. An absolute hit. We pair it with a lovely L’Alzinar cava brut natura as an aperitif. This is followed by pan-fried duck liver, which is perfectly executed here. My companion enjoys a delicious vegetarian dish: falafel served on zucchini with a baba ganoush cream, forming a perfect match when paired with a glass of Pflüger’s 2017 Riesling Gewürztraminer Biodynamite from the Pfalz region of Germany. At a relaxed pace and in a comfortable atmosphere, we then enjoy crispy fried sweetbreads served with mushrooms, cauliflower, romanesco, and a red wine sauce. Unfortunately, the smaller pieces of sweetbread served alongside are a bit too dry. For dessert, there is marzipan ravioli filled with blood orange, lightly caramelized bergamot ice cream, and chunks of blood orange. A flavorful and creative dish, beautifully complemented by the wine: a 2015 Auslese Muskat Ottonel from Tschida in Burgenland, Austria. A wonderful spot!

In this restaurant, which features a wine shop, the owners—head chef Werner Croymans and restaurant manager and sommelier Bram van Grinsven—aim to revitalize the center of Uden. The name 'Somm' was chosen not without reason, serving as a direct nod to the sommelier profession. Wines from the shop are poured in the restaurant, and if guests enjoy them, they can purchase bottles after their meal. A standout feature of the interior is the glass pitched roof that fills the space with natural light. A charming starter presents crispy asparagus with hollandaise sauce in a half eggshell, artfully displayed in a bowl with asparagus peels. We then move on to a course of juicy scallop slices accompanied by an array of flavorful green vegetables and herbaceous salsa verde. Perfectly paired with this is the 2016 Grüner Veltliner from Tom Dockner in Ried (Traisental), Austria, poured by sommelier Bram van Grinsven. The next course features beautifully tender roasted lamb neck, partially glazed. It is served with lightly sweet Cevennes onions, yes, more asparagus, cherry tomatoes, zucchini cream, and lamb jus. An excellent wine choice for the lamb is the 2010 Touraine from the Loire Valley, a blend of three grape varieties. Finally, we are treated to a delightful dessert of strawberries marinated in tarragon and mint, served with yogurt foam and green apple ice cream. Hats off to the knowledgeable and welcoming kitchen and service team. And welcome to Lekker!