MEI

The story

MEI Amersfoort – Danish Cuisine with Michelin Recognition in the Netherlands

MEI in Amersfoort

In the heart of Amersfoort’s autoluwe (car-free) centre, MEI brings a quiet, deliberate approach to dining. The restaurant is a project of chef Marco Blok, who runs the kitchen solo, and Ingeborgh, who together have built a place that feels both personal and purposeful. The cuisine is Danish, but the ingredients are thoroughly local: seasonal vegetables, wild fish, and game sourced from nearby producers, prepared with a lightness that lets the produce speak.

Nature Sets the Menu

“De natuur bepaalt het menu” – nature determines the menu – is the guiding principle. Marco Blok works with high-quality, local ingredients to create dishes that are sustainable, simple, and exceptional. On weekdays, guests can choose from a four- or five-course menu or order à la carte; on Fridays and Saturdays, only a fixed five-course menu is served. Starters include a Gillardeau oyster with cucumber and onion vinegar, or calf’s pâté with mustard and Amsterdam sour. Mains might feature red cabbage with goat’s yoghurt, Jerusalem artichoke, and halibut, or sauerkraut with pike-perch and smoked bacon. Dessert is a pear with tarragon, hazelnut, and caramel.

Michelin Recognition

The consistency and clarity of the cooking have not gone unnoticed. MEI is included in the Michelin guide and holds a Michelin Recommended badge for 2026, a recognition that underscores the restaurant’s commitment to honest, ingredient-driven cooking. The guide praised the way Marco Blok embraces sustainability – a philosophy that runs through every course.

A New Chapter

In early 2026, after a cycling accident, Marco Blok stepped back from the kitchen to focus on rehabilitation. The restaurant has since opened as a pop-up concept called “dichtbij mei”, run by chef Tom Göbel and host Jord Hassink. They carry forward the same spirit of quality and welcome, ensuring that MEI remains a vibrant spot for Danish cuisine in Amersfoort.