The story
At Locals, the name is a promise. Located in Hotel Haarhuis, directly across from Arnhem’s central station, this restaurant is built around the idea of local food and local people. The kitchen team, led by chef Rafael Surie, works with produce from a vertical farm on the hotel’s first floor. There, they grow sprouts, herbs, and microgreens – basil, nasturtium, mustard cress, marigold, oyster leaf, and more – without soil, using only water, controlled light, and energy. It is an unusually direct connection between farm and plate.
Surie took over the kitchen in 2024, bringing experience from restaurants such as MANNA in Nijmegen, The Green Rose in Arnhem, and Gin Neo in Amsterdam. His cooking focuses on purity and simplicity, letting the ingredients speak. The kitchen is advised by Niven Kunz, a chef who earned Michelin stars at two different restaurants and now runs Triptyque, which holds a Green Star. Kunz’s expertise in vegetable-focused cooking is evident in the dishes.
Locals is a proud member of the Dutch Cuisine movement, which promotes cooking with seasonal, regional ingredients and minimal waste. The menu changes regularly, featuring meat, fish, and dairy from nearby producers, and vegetables from the own farm. The wine list is exclusively European, with a strong Dutch presence – including a local gin, vermouth, and whiskey. The restaurant has also reduced food waste by 50% through a participation in the “Restaurants van Morgen” program and operates CO2-neutrally, thanks to solar panels and an all-electric kitchen.
Lunch is served in two or three courses, dinner in four, five, or six. There is also a High Wine – four savoury dishes paired with wines – and a Chef’s Table held in the vertical farm itself, where guests enjoy a seven-course menu with wine pairing, introduced personally by chef Surie. The atmosphere is warm, with plants and soft colours, as described by the Michelin guide, which added Locals to its selection in 2026. The inspector noted “a international vibe” and highlighted a curry of Dutch lentils with herbs from the farm and seasonal vegetables. It is a restaurant that lives up to its name, in every detail.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
For over a hundred years, Hotel Haarhuis by Q Hospitality Group has been located in the heart of Arnhem, directly opposite the station. Following a thorough renovation a few years ago, the in-house restaurant has embraced a new food concept alongside its new name, LOCALS, and Chef Rafael Surie champions Dutch cuisine. Surie draws upon ingredients from the Vertical Farm (the cultivation of food in stacked growing layers within a fully controlled environment: energy, light, and water are regulated to grow as efficiently and sustainably as possible, free from external influences) located on the first floor. The result is evident on beautifully plated dishes that deliver deep and intense flavor enjoyment. As a greeting from the kitchen, we enjoy a vegetarian version of steak tartare made from red carrot, steak mayonnaise, and cornichons. The tone is set. To start, a take on caprese: Dutch honey tomato, stracciatella di bufala (from a farm in Zevenaar) with basil ice cream and twelve-year-old balsamic vinegar. Ostensibly simple yet excellently balanced and incredibly beautiful in presentation. Next, Dutch red prawn with honey tomato, basil oil, and Dutch 'nduja cream (from Livar pork) in prawn bisque. A modestly portioned tender lamb from the Veluwe, served with lamb jus and pink peppercorns, potato millefeuille, and a salad of radish, shallots, and purslane, makes up the main course. Freshness leaps off the plate. Paired with it is a Chianti Superiore from Villa Salette, Italy. A rather heavy wine for this dish, served slightly too warm. The dessert is just as sublime as all the preceding courses: poached rhubarber with strawberry and rhubarb gel, fresh strawberry, served over granola with a scoop of house-made elderflower, pear, and nettle ice cream. Accompanied by a fine classic: Brachetto d'Acqui from il Falchetto, Piedmont, Italy. Delicious. Such beauty deserves a place in this guide. Welcome!
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