Merlot

Located in a stylish building on the Grote Koppel in Amersfoort for well over twenty years. Hostess and sommelier Zdenka Kroutvorova is already waiting for us at the inner door, offering a warm welcome. Inside, it's pleasantly busy with guests of all ages, and the generously spaced, neatly set wooden tables provide plenty of privacy. The highlight is the open kitchen. Chef Michael van Manh Mo cooks based on French cuisine with Vietnamese influences. We start with a Cava d’Arciac from northern Spain, accompanied by three amuse-bouches: brioche with white truffle and Swiss Tête de Moine sets the tone. Next up is bapao with Japanese chashu made from slow-cooked belly pork. Lightly sweet and full of umami. The black tiger prawn bisque is an absolute home run. Rich and briny in flavor. We are offered a choice of a five-, six-, or seven-course menu and go for the first option. The wine list takes a moment to arrive; we have to request it ourselves. For the starter, swordfish with a lemongrass sauce, purple mustard, and crispy ginger. The pale yellow 2023 Rheingau Riesling pairs seamlessly. A pity, as a non-alcoholic alternative is unfortunately dismissed rather abruptly. The salad of fermented vegetables, fig leaf oil, and aged cheese is fantastic. The main course is duck with orange, cashews, and a miso jus. The description is somewhat brief, but that is more than compensated for by a robust glass of French Les Nobles Pierres 2019 from Languedoc. The dessert of pomelo with hazelnuts, milk chocolate, and pistachio ice cream is a perfect hit. We are surprised when four homemade friandises arrive at the table alongside a really strong espresso. But having them appear so casually on the final bill feels a bit out of place. All in all, a venue we will gladly return to.

Merlot is located in an old building that is warmly and stylishly decorated. The restaurant offers an intriguing French cuisine with Vietnamese influences. The menu of up to eight courses is an excellent choice, as the wide variety of flavors and textures bl...

Merlot has long been a firm favorite in this guide. Located since 2003 in a carefully restored monumental building on the Grote Koppel in Amersfoort. The interior is chic and atmospheric, and as a guest, you feel the hospitality immediately upon entering. Owner and sommelier Vincent Thomassen leads us to our table, which offers a view through the tall windows onto the terrace and surroundings. The real eye-catchers are the no fewer than nine climate-controlled wine cabinets. With an aperitif of lightly sparkling cava d'Arciac from northern Spain, we receive amuse-bouches including a delightful foam of lime and mint leaves topped with parsnip panna cotta, smoked mackerel, black sesame seeds, and kohlrabi foam. Chef Michael van Manh Ho offers a choice of multi-course menus and a modest à la carte menu. Crispy cavolo nero arrives on a bed of almonds with gratinated miso panna cotta, over which Belper Knolle cheese is shaved tableside. Savory and fresh. This is followed by Amsterdam-style beef sausage with nori, sweetbreads, beetroot rolls, and a coconut and pepper sauce. Exciting and refined with a clear Eastern undertone. In the glass, an Italian Roero Arneis 2022. A subtle and complex white wine with floral aromas. Tenderly cooked pheasant with laverbread, Jerusalem artichoke, and an armagnac and orange sauce follows. The meat is somewhat flat in flavor, but the dish is rescued by a fantastically aromatic, syrupy sauce. The small jug left on the table is emptied completely. The portion sizes are ample and the presentation is of a high standard. We finish with a delicious dessert of pear ice cream with miso (a product frequently used by Van Manh Ho), hazelnut, and Thai basil. Excellent!

The restaurant was comfortably full with guests of all ages, couples, small groups, for both business and private occasions, on the evening of our visit. And that is hardly surprising, as owner and sommelier Vincent Tomassen has been running this trendy restaurant in a beautifully restored historic building for years with consistent quality. The interior is chic and atmospheric, the wooden tables are carefully set and generously spaced. There is ample privacy and the atmosphere is relaxed and extremely pleasant. Wine plays a special role here, and the selection from both the Old and New Worlds is fantastic, including by the glass. The welcome from the knowledgeable hostess and sommelier Zdenka Kroutvorova is most cordial, and she remains attentive and anticipatory throughout the meal. Everything just falls into place here. Chef Michael van Manh Ho prepares French cuisine with Eastern influences, and his dishes are creative and refined. The amuse-bouche of pickled and roasted mackerel on crispy beetroot whets the appetite for what is to come. We pair it with an aromatic and fresh Entre-Deux-Mers from Château Turcaud in Bordeaux, France. Raw and lightly crushed langoustines follow, served with sea fennel, oyster cream, crispy chicken skin, and fermented tamarind for a refreshing touch of acidity. My dining companion enjoys sweetbreads with seaweed, pesto, and crispy rice. Excellently cooked and accompanied by a delicious beurre blanc with marrowbone, along with a glass of organic Johannes Zillinger Revolution White Solera from Austria, complex and smoky. The slow-cooked veal shank is the pièce de résistance, served with a robust jus featuring Vietnamese curry prepared by the chef’s mother. The vegetable garnishes need some attention. A single small quenelle of Savoy cabbage with pistachio does not leave us particularly enthusiastic. And please do not reduce the portion sizes any further, otherwise the value for money will suffer.

For just over twenty years, Merlot has been situated at Grote Koppel in Amersfoort, right in the heart of the new Het Eemkwartier district alongside the Eem river. Soft music fills the atmospherically modern dining room, which features wooden tables, comfortable upholstered chairs, a view of the open kitchen, and no fewer than nine wine climate cabinets to keep the more than a hundred labels at the correct temperature. Chef Michael van Manh Ho cooks as much as possible with ingredients from Dutch soil, but he prioritizes top quality even when they must be imported. French cuisine forms the foundation, complemented by contemporary and international influences. Marinated mackerel bonbons are served in a Peruvian sauce with strawberries, celery, and coriander. Light as a feather and wonderfully appetizing. Next comes shortrib slow-cooked at low temperature with green potato mousseline and a brunoise of gherkins and kohlrabi. Beautiful and well-balanced, though bordering on skimpy. The main course, roasted bavette, is served quite rare inside—you have to like it that way. It arrives with sides of grilled endive, chanterelles, and celeriac purée. Paired with a fine glass of Tempranillo from Torres, Bodega Elias Mora, Toro D.O., Spain, 2018. Very good. One point of attention concerns the portion sizes. They could be more generous, especially for the amount we’re paying.

Beautiful wooden tables, comfortable bucket chairs, white napkins, and small slate cutlery rests. A nice blend of elegant yet casual. The place is filled with well-dressed guests at this trendy spot by Vincent Tomassen, housed in a beautifully restored old building. This creates a cozy atmosphere, but the acoustics aren't very pleasant when it's busy. There is a multi-course tasting menu, with matching wines available to be poured in half or full glasses. You can also choose from a beautifully curated wine list featuring over a hundred labels, stored in one of nine climate-controlled cabinets. From the kitchen of chefs Koen Kaldenbach and Michael van Manh Ho come dishes with a classic French foundation, though they do not shy away from putting an innovative spin on them. Paired with the aperitif, Casamaro Rueda (which is also the house wine), comes a cannelloni with a cream of goose liver, almond, and sunflower seeds. A pleasant start. We taste pickled and steamed kohlrabi with peas, green asparagus, a sauce of goat cheese, citrus, and chive oil. The dish is garnished with a pink cornflower. The kohlrabi was frozen, altering its texture into a meaty consistency. In a word: delicious. Applause too for the steamed cod with coffee and vanilla beurre blanc, topped with a crisp made from dried cod. Perfectly cooked and in supreme flavor balance. The service staff is young and although not yet highly experienced, full of enthusiasm. And that's what counts!

Located just near the old city center, right in the heart of the new Eemkwartier, Restaurant and Wine Bar Merlot has been located in a beautiful old and restored building since 2003. The interior, designed by Haarlem-based architect Bart Verwey, is understated, stylish, and comfortable. Owner and sommelier Vincent Tomassen runs a thriving establishment here alongside passionate chefs, namely Koen Kaldenbach and Michael van Manh Ho, sommelier and host Dann van Beek, and a well-oiled young kitchen brigade. The menu features flavorful, French-inspired dishes built around fresh ingredients, preferably sourced from Dutch soil, though produce from other regions is used whenever it enhances quality. The rotating wine lists are impressive, boasting dozens of distinctive varieties stored at optimal temperatures in no fewer than nine climate-controlled cabinets. Many wines originate from relatively obscure wine-growing regions, such as Czech Moravia. Two separate lists are offered: one for wine-by-the-glass selections and another for bottles. Merlot rightfully ranks among the finest wine restaurants in the country. It is a highly enjoyable place to linger, and the favorable price-to-quality ratio contributes greatly to that experience. Due to coronavirus measures, the restaurant was forced to reduce its capacity from sixty covers to forty-two. However, this worked out so well that it was decided to permanently cap service at fifty covers to optimally guarantee quality and intimacy.

Merlot, the grape variety known for its reputation as a crowd-pleaser, could not have been a better choice as the namesake for this restaurant. Owner Vincent Tomassen confidently leads a jovial yet well-trained young service team that enthusiastically presents the creations of chefs Michael van Manh Ho and Koen Kaldenbach. There are two wine lists: one featuring selections by the glass and the other offering full bottles. The amuse-bouche, "chicken and egg," features roasted chicken skin served with plum compote and herb mousse, alongside a delicate egg mousse presented in an eggshell and topped with herb croutons. These delightful bites deliver bold, immediate flavors. We begin with grilled langoustine atop a pea purée, accented by subtle notes of wasabi and Chinese cabbage. Rich in flavor with earthy and fresh undertones, it is beautifully plated. The 2018 Riesling from the Rheingau, with its robust citrus character, provides an excellent counterbalance. Slow-cooked and glazed veal sweetbreads rest in a generous pool of beetroot jus, accompanied by a side salad of beef tongue, apple, and pickled leek. Simply delicious. The beef bavette served with mushroom brunoise and a robust Madeira jus is also well-received, though the duck liver croquant garnish should have been omitted, as its flat flavor adds little to the dish. The espresso is wonderfully strong and hot, and conveniently, we can choose whether or not to accompany it with small pastries. A fine establishment.

The atmospheric, historic, and restored premises belonging to Vincent and Andrea Tomassen are very busy during our visit. After a warm welcome from host and sommelier Dann van Beek, we take our seats at a table by the window. For our aperitif, we enjoy the delightful 2016 Falaris Hill Chilean Chardonnay from the Leyda Valley. We are served amuse-bouches including sesame kletskop rolls topped with a ras el hanout, mint, and pomegranate mousse, alongside cubes of zucchini accompanied by miso foam, popped quinoa, and a chive garnish. Absolutely delicious. The first course, prepared by chef Almer Idenburg, features pan-seared duck liver with a duck liver cream sauce, artichoke, and leek. It is the best we have tasted in quite some time. Crispy on the outside and wonderfully rich and creamy on the inside. Simply outstanding. For the main course, we have duck breast lightly seared, paired with its confit leg, May potatoes, bergamot, and parsley root, all served in its own jus with Oloroso sherry. Paired with this is a fine French Syrah from Louis Chèze, the 2015 Collines Rhodaniennes IGP from the Rhône region. The entrecôte and beef stew, both featuring (once again) duck liver, along with pumpkin preparations, pickles, and a hollandaise sauce with brown butter, are also flawlessly executed. The plating is truly stunning, and the bill is entirely in line with the offering.