Taste Groningen: local restaurants

Anyone who thinks you have to be in the city for a culinary adventure is mistaken. The province boasts an enormous variety of restaurants, often less than half an hour’s drive from the city. Whether you’re looking for a night of indulgence in a chic setting or a tasty, simple bite to eat, the surrounding countryside is the perfect place to go. These are the restaurants where you can really get a taste of Groningen.

De Basiliek | Fairytale-like beauty

Appingedam – Restaurant de Basiliek in Appingedam is housed in Appingedam’s St Nicholas’ Church. A unique location. The menu offers something for everyone, including a selection of locally sourced dishes, under the heading ‘Dutch cuisine’. The ingredients for lunch don’t have to come from far afield either. For example, the menu also features Zoutkamp prawns and the traditional Groningen mustard soup.

Piloersemaborg | Pure, organic and local

Den Ham – Just a fifteen-minute drive from the city lies the stately farmstead De Piloersemaborg. Head chef Dick Soek cooks with seasonal ingredients. He discovered local suppliers during his drives through the Groningen countryside. His style? Groningen cuisine prepared Italian-style: pure, organic and local. An idyllic spot where you can dine and stay overnight – which makes the picture perfect.

Bij Hammingh | Enjoying Groningen with a view over the Reitdiep Valley

Garnwerd – It’s easy to pop in, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the food tastes great. The core of Bij Hammingh is Dutch-French cuisine in all its simplicity. Wicher & Fons Werk cook with regional produce, clearly seasonal. Such as fresh fish from the Lauwersoog auction, roe deer from the Nimrod hunting club, dairy from Jansma, fish from Lauwersoog, beef and lamb from Kroon butchers, duck from Hans, cheese from Winsum, eel from Zoutkamp, and strawberries, raspberries and asparagus from Meinardie.

De Amshoff | Mediterranean cuisine featuring local produce

Kiel-Windeweer – The cuisine at De Amshoff is difficult to summarise. The kitchen uses local produce and the finest ingredients from French and Mediterranean cuisine. As a guest, you can choose a three- or four-course menu featuring fresh produce that the season has to offer at that time. There’s no set menu; instead, you can be surprised anew every month by the creative selections of head chef Jan Stams.

Gasterij Natuurlijk Smeerling | Lunch featuring local delicacies

Onstwedde – Lunch surrounded by greenery. De Gasterij is committed to a healthy environment and lifestyle and therefore makes extensive use of sustainable, regional produce. This includes fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables, vegetarian options and organic products. Every day between 12.00 and 14.00, you can enjoy whatever’s on the menu.

Herberg Onder de Linden | Creative with local produce

Aduard – Just a 10-minute drive from the city of Groningen, you’ll find Herberg Onder de Linden. In this beautiful listed building dating from 1735, you’ll be treated to old-fashioned hospitality with creative, contemporary dishes. Building on the foundations of classic French cuisine, chef Steven Klein Nijenhuis surprises guests with the finest local produce and exciting combinations, into which he loves to incorporate flavours and cooking techniques from the Far East. This restaurant proudly holds a Michelin star. Definitely worth a visit!

Herberg Restaurant Molenrij | Fresh, regional & mostly organic

Molenrij – In the rural village of Molenrij lies a lovely restaurant with a three-room inn, serving coffee, tea, lunch and dinner. Hospitality is a top priority here; everyone is welcome. Do pop in to enjoy all sorts of delicacies from Groningen. For instance, they use cheese from Klein Wetsinge and Broek, vegetables and lettuces from the Eemstuin in Uithuizermeeden, and beers from Het Zotte Kalf in Winsum. So it’s all very local.

Restaurant De Oude Sluis | Gastronomic Hogeland

Zoutkamp – Not just a quick cook-up and a plate of food, but gastronomy. That’s what you’ll experience at De Oude Sluis, where Sytze and Famke show you and let you experience what the Hogeland means to them – all on a plate. Enjoying mainly local, seasonal produce naturally means Zoutkamp prawns and fish from the auction in Lauwersoog, but also Hans’s ducks, yoghurt from Waddenmax, cheese from Kleikracht, potatoes and vegetables from the van der Spek family, sea buckthorn from De Fledder, meat from Menno Hoekstra and much more…