Restaurant Lutum

Three friends, one mission: working with the most beautiful products nature has to offer, provided they come exclusively from the local area. Zero waste, creative thinking, delivering surprise and refinement—all within a welcoming environment that is second to none. Chefs Rik Veen and Roy Schipper and sommelier Toby Sadettan have turned their dream into reality in the historic fortress town of Wijk bij Duurstede. Upon arrival, we are cheerfully greeted by the entire team and invited to take a seat on the terrace, which evokes scenes from a Southern French village. Over a sparkling rosé cava, Toby, our host for the evening as well as a gifted sommelier, briefly and concisely explains Lutum’s sustainability philosophy. We see this reflected right away in the first amuse-bouche: in a bowl covered with a bed of marigolds, we sip a refreshing soup with a touch of chili pepper and marigold through a straw. The tone is set. Throughout the evening, we are blown away by the ingenuity, individuality, and taste sensations the dinner delivers. And not least by the genuine enthusiasm of the team, which radiates such joy for their craft. Rich in flavor is the creamy, lightly spicy-dressed brook trout tartare, topped with a crispy sweet-and-sour yellow zucchini compote, crispy zucchini flower tempura and sauce, Thai basil, and a granita made from fresh and fermented plums. The accompanying Pascal Jolivet Sauvignon Blanc Édition No 2 2022 is spicy and aromatic. Roasted river crayfish sprinkled with freshly ground coffee, served alongside a small salad of fresh pea pods and peas plus a Noilly Prat sauce with citrus marigold oil, is another absolute hit. For the main course, lamb belly prepared in three ways with black garlic and endive, you can choose between two red wines: a José Gil Rioja 2021, elegant and fruity with subtle notes of black olives, or a Barolo Bussia 2020, layered, earthy, and floral. The latter wins out. Lutum is breathtaking and well on its way to the top of Dutch gastronomy. Rises to position 55.

Restaurant Lutum is the new name for the former restaurant 't Klooster, which has undergone a major renovation and been transformed into an elegant and inviting atmosphere. Passionate chefs Roy Schipper and Rik Veen, alongside the skilled and warm-hearted maître and sommelier Toby Sadettan, continue their philosophy that fine dining and fine wine should leave a lasting impression. They work in an open kitchen without wasting a single thing, using exclusively seasonal produce from like-minded local partners such as Telers van de Put, de Wijkse Moestuin, and the food forest. Quite lovely, indeed. Tension and refinement are at the core, and it is their mission to provide guests with a unique experience and amaze them with regional flavors. Toby is constantly searching for small-scale, preferably organic wine producers. Lutum offers a choice of three surprise menus: Essentie (four courses), Ontdekking (six courses), and Etherisch (eight courses). Alongside the aperitif—a 2019 Spanish rosé, Vins el Cep Mim Natura Brut—comes a special amuse-bouche: watermint and marsh spirea ice on barbecued lettuce and chili crunch, accompanied by a homemade 'perfume' of watermint and marsh spirea that reminds the owners of De Lek, where they used to go fishing. Very original. Freshly baked sourdough bread—also house-made—follows, served with piccalilli made from abundant summer vegetables. Delicious. We sample a salad of river crayfish from the Merwede, served with potato galettes and brunoise of fresh celery with pickled mustard seeds. The accompanying mayonnaise is crafted from crayfish heads, which are also blended into the surrounding sauce. The entire dish is presented beautifully. Slow-cooked lamb shoulder follows, accompanied by cabbage, New Zealand spinach, and green curry foam. Toby pairs this with a French Bordeaux, Les Jardins D'Édina 2022, which he first invites us to taste. A wine from the Gironde that has body but doesn't overpower the lamb. Spot on. A nice touch: on one of the friandises served with the Earl Grey-Darjeeling tea in a sleek black teapot, there is a QR code that displays the menu when scanned. And what a lovely gesture, upon departure we receive a small bottle of the watermint and marsh spirea perfume to take home. To savor later. It works perfectly! The score rises to 68.

Restaurant 't Klooster, run by chefs Roy Schippers and Rik Veen and hosted by maître d' and sommelier Toby Sadetten, is located in a beautiful 16th-century building in the city center. Upon entering, historic elements immediately catch the eye, such as the wooden beams of the high ceiling, stained-glass windows, and the old stone floor. Open jars filled with various vegetables and other pickled ingredients line the walls. Here, cooking is done (sometimes overly) creatively while respecting nature. Fresh ingredients are sourced daily from the Wijk Vegetable Garden, the Wijk Food Forest, and local suppliers, resulting in a highly frequently changing surprise menu. Host and sommelier Toby Sadetten pours us a lovely glass of Les 3 Terroirs Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne with flair. We are surprised by the first amuse, a 'painter's palette,' where you can first 'paint' the 'canvas' (a vegetable krupuk cracker) with different colors of 'paint' made from edible plants before eating everything. Playful, but bordering on taking itself too seriously. We start delicately with a cucumber cream and a strained goat yogurt cream, topped with a homemade sourdough crunch, finished with horseradish ice cream and ribbons of confited cucumber. At the table, a cold broth of barbecued cucumber is poured over our plates. This is followed by juicy river crayfish from the Merwede on a fennel salad dressed with aioli and crispy fennel. The spectacle dish of the dinner is lamb, consisting of three preparations: a taco with lamb tartare, egg yolk cream, and pickled smoked kohlrabi; a cylinder filled with lamb rillette accompanied by an elderberry and caper salsa; and barbecued lamb fillet with a jus made from fermented saddle mushrooms, chard, and blackberry compote. This is the real deal. It is paired with a wonderfully fresh French red wine, the Le Combal Cahors 2018. Make sure to bring a well-stocked wallet, as dining here is not cheap. It ranks at number 69.

Chefs Roy Schipper and Rik Veen, along with host-sommelier Toby Sadettan, opened 't Klooster a few years ago, creating a seventeenth-century ambiance in the historic center of Wijk bij Duurstede. Their philosophy: pure cooking using what Mother Nature has to offer, crafting a beautiful tension and harmony of flavors. Every morning, the ingredients for the menu are freshly harvested and picked from the local kitchen garden and food forest. The menu changes daily, and creativity leaps off the plate. Accompanying a surprisingly delicious aperitif—an alcohol-free mocktail featuring elderflower, basil, tonic, and ponzu foam—are elaborate little palate treats. We use the courgette plant’s stem as a straw for a chilled courgette soup, which is then used to dip into a courgette cream topped with hazelnuts. Truly special! The freshly baked sourdough bread is served with an exceptional butter; the added koji delivers a fantastic umami flavor. Eel from the Merwede river is smoked and lacquered for no less than four hours with a light spice blend. It is accompanied by raw mizuna, purslane leaves, and fermented elderflower. For the main course, venison roasted on the bone is served atop a crumble of sulfur tuft, pickled blackcurrants, a reindeer moss crisp, and a black tea-based sauce. The 2018 Le Combal Cahors, Cosse Maisonneuve offers a lovely freshness that cuts through this somewhat richer dish. The 2020 Coteaux du Layon, Domaine Cady, with its honeyed aroma, pairs perfectly with the dessert of caramelized Jerusalem artichoke, honey, and a mousse made from bee pollen and thyme blossoms. We are thoroughly impressed by what this young and ambitious trio has achieved here! Sharing the same philosophy is one thing, but executing it at such a high gastronomic level is truly remarkable.

A great surprise on the picturesque market square of Wijk bij Duurstede. Through the gate, across the courtyard, and you’re in the 17th-century ambiance of ’t Klooster. With high ceiling beams, stained-glass windows, and a natural stone floor. Chefs Rik Veen (from De Lindehof, Nuenen) and Roy Schipper (from Coco Pazzo, Houten) run it together with host-sommelier Toby Sadettan, and they aim to “bring tension and purity back into the food.” To achieve this, they use produce from the Wijker Vegetable Garden and The Wijker Food Forest. Our amuse-bouches demonstrate this: nettle crisp with dipping sauce and Chinese chives, stuffed radish, a ‘pancake’ with Indian curry and pickle marmalade, and warm flaxseed-saffron brioche with wild garlic oil. Accompanying a glass of Provence rosé (Henri Bonnaud Steff, 2020), come beet balls braised in Pedro Ximénez with verjus gel and a beet rouleau with mushroom cream and hop oil. Another rouleau follows: made of kale with smoked eel, oxtail, and ham with horseradish and spinach. Delicious! In the glass: Spätburgunder Tradition (Theo Minges, 2017). The main course features barbecued duck breast wrapped in walnut leaves that aged for three months in whiskey and honey. Served with a sauce of plums, dark chocolate, and cinnamon, plus kohlrabi and fermented walnut. Beautiful! Now for the red wine: Le Mistral from Grenache and Syrah grapes (Domaine de Ferrand, 2016). Finally, apple cream and compote, nutmeg mousse, liquorice plant ice cream, and apple crumble. Simply superb!