Restaurant Zuyd

Dining at the establishment run by hospitality couple Stefan and Wendy Dirkx is an indulgent treat for the palate. It begins with the shrimp crackers made from tapioca pearls and sesame, served as an appetizer. Paired with a spicy sauce, your senses immediately awaken. Chef Stefan prepares classic French cuisine but loves incorporating ingredients from around the globe. Accompanied by a generous pour of Cava Brut Elvia, we sample three varieties of Zeeland oysters dressed in a Balinese vinaigrette with shallots. Our first course features house-smoked salmon with fennel, pear, dill, sweet potato purée, tapioca pearls, and a dressing made from tiger milk and fish stock. Rich and creamy, with a pronounced salmon flavor. Next comes a cod loin paired with Holsteiner beef, a mini shrimp cracker, mushroom foam and mousse, potato mousseline, and a leek and onion salsa. The skin-on pan-seared fish is cooked to perfection, and the thin slice of beef complements the dish beautifully. The sweet salsa and creamy mousseline pair wonderfully with a glass of Godello Pazo das Tapias from Finca Os Cobatos. The main course features beautifully medium-rare Pluma Ibérico (Iberian pork shoulder), accompanied by pumpkin elements, crispy potatoes, and a house-made jus. The meat is beautifully marbled, making it incredibly tender. Served medium-rare, which works perfectly. Seasoned simply with jus, pepper, and salt—nothing else is needed. To accompany it, we pour a generous glass of Portuguese red wine: Segredos de São Miguel Alentejano Grande Escolha. Aged in oak, it boasts an intoxicating aroma of cherry, plum, blackcurrant, vanilla, and licorice. We enjoy this full-bodied wine alongside a well-curated cheese board featuring exclusively Dutch varieties. Simply delicious. What a wonderful spot. Meanwhile, following a lengthy renovation, Restaurant Zuyd has relocated to Pasbaan in Breda. This move will bring some changes to the dining experience, including the preparation of certain cold dishes behind the bar. We look forward to seeing how it unfolds!

They operated for well over fifteen years in a popular pipe lane on the outskirts of Breda's city center, but recently relocated their 'Zuyd' to a brand-new location in the – ironically enough – north of d...

Located on the popular Ginnekenweg in Breda-Zuid. Chef-owner Stefan Dirkx and hostess Wendy Dirkx-Michielsen have everything perfectly in order in this elegantly furnished restaurant in pastel tones, featuring a large bar, designer leather sofas, comfortable armchairs, and tables set with exquisite crockery, gleaming polished cutlery, and sparkling glassware. Since 2009, this ambiance has been filled with guests coming to sample Stefan’s richly flavored cuisine. He works with daily fresh ingredients rooted in classic French cooking and does not shy away from international touches. The multi-course surprise menu changes regularly. During the aperitif, a glass of De Sousa Tradition Brut champagne with a fine mousse and a round, soft finish, we indulge in a plate of freshly sliced Jamon Ibérico Bellota, which makes for a delightful start to a culinary surprise evening. We are then served beautiful amuse-bouches, including an 'Oreo' cookie made from black olive, parmesan, and tomato. An absolute flavor bomb. Also delicious is the Belgian Mechelse Koekoek chicken, served with mushrooms, sesame, savoy cabbage, and pommes dauphine. Just as good is the sliced duck breast, accompanied by an artfully arranged plate of carrot, apricot, hazelnut, and bonbon. Almost too beautiful to eat, but the plate ends up completely clean. With the coffee comes a madeleine unlike many we've tasted: warm, crisp, with caramelized edges, still just a touch sticky. Those are the best. At Restaurant Zuyd, you get excellent value for your money. Coupled with welcoming and highly skilled service. Bravo.

Entrepreneurial couple Stefan Dirkx and Wendy Dirkx-Michielsen have been running their fine dining restaurant on Ginnekenweg in Breda-Zuid since 2009. The elongated dining room is atmospherically furnished with a large bar, a long wall bench, beautiful pastel tones, and comfortable armchairs. The tables are set with linen napkins and exquisite tableware. Chef Stefan cooks with bold flavors, which we immediately notice in the welcome appetizer of crispy seaweed crackers with sesame seeds. Salty and spicy. Just like the Korean BBQ dip served alongside it. The menu changes regularly, featuring surprise menus of four to seven courses. The modest wine list is carefully curated to taste, offering both Old and New World wines. As a starter, pre-roasted lukewarm langoustine on puffed rice grains with pumpkin mousse, pumpkin rounds, carrot slices, and dill tops. This is followed by gently cooked sea bass fillet with a bean salad, white asparagus, and a foamy coconut yogurt sauce that once again delivers a spicy kick through the use of Balinese herbs. Paired with this is a Rosé de la Solitude 2021 from French Bordeaux. It is fruity and fresh with notes of strawberry and raspberry, and pairs beautifully with the Oriental flavors in the dish. Next up, grilled and pink-centered fillet of Spanish Duroc pork (the close relative of the Iberico breed). Served with chipotle jus and smoked jalapeño pepper. Accompanied separately by a homemade mini-taco filled with a vegetable salsa. To finish, a yogurt panna cotta with strawberry bavarois, a strawberry salad, and syrup, served in a classic glass dessert coupe. Beautiful and delicious!

Modern, relaxed, creative—these are the defining traits of this charming restaurant on Ginnikenweg, run by owner-chef Stefan Dirkx and his wife Wendy Dirkx-Michielsen, who acts as both hostess and sommelier. Inside, the elongated dining room is dominated by a meter-long silver bench at the front and a matching semicircular bench at the rear. From the surprise menu of up to seven courses, we choose four, along with an extra starter of delicious, paper-thin sliced bellota ham and a tasting of Zeeland oysters. The first course, sea bass tartare with jalapeño and avocado sauce, coriander oil, and a quinoa crisp, is perfectly balanced in flavor and texture. It also pairs flawlessly with the wine from the selection: an unfiltered rosé from the Languedoc region by Domaine de l’Arjolle, which carries the character of a spicy white wine. The following dishes are equally original and well-balanced. The squid with black rice and chorizo espuma, accompanied by a Spanish Verdejo from Almansa Albacete, proves highly appealing, just as the gently cooked veal entrecôte with a root vegetable garnish, paired with a Portugieser Alte Reben 2018 from Weingut Zehe-Clauss in Rheinhessen. One point to note: guests who do not opt for the full menu sometimes face long waits when the dishes they skipped are being served. Otherwise, it is nothing but praise.

In 2009, Stefan Dirkx and his wife Wendy embarked on this adventure and opened their own restaurant in Breda. He as the chef, she as the hostess. And there, on the Ginnekenweg teeming with beautiful townhouses, restaurants, and chic shops, they transformed a narrow space into an elegant dining room featuring a long silver wall bench, grey armchairs, copper-colored pendant lights, black tables without tablecloths, and a pleasant terrace at the front. There is a mandatory tasting menu starting from four courses, which can be extended with a few (well-described) signature dishes from the chef. The chef bombards us with welcome bites that are not only delightful but also intensely flavorful: tapioca krupuk with herbs, carrot cake with vadouvan, bitterballen with risotto, and salmon tartare with cucumber and peanut foam. We then start with beef tartare. Dressed with sambal, accompanied by a sweet-and-sour onion compote, and, for texture, crispy brick pastry shards. Delicious, just like the sea bream. The fish, grilled on its skin, cooked to perfection and served on a mousseline base, topped with cucumber, pine nuts, oyster, and herring roe, and drizzled with beurre blanc. A dark red Greek wine, Notios Gaia, accompanies a classic surf and turf dish. Pan-fried turbot atop a finger-thick slice of braised veal. Served with corn cookies, sea aster, and a savory miso sauce. Simply lovely. The service is warm and attentive, the acoustics are excellent, and the bill is perfectly priced. A wonderful spot!

Stefan Dirkx and Wendy Dirkx-Michielsen have owned Restaurant Zuyd on Ginnikenweg since 2009, a location affectionately dubbed Breda’s PC Hooftstraat. This friendly little spot boasts a modern-classic interior, intimate tables, and a standout eight-meter-long silver bench. Stefan and his culinary team serve French cuisine infused with international influences. Working in a semi-open kitchen, they prepare dishes using daily fresh ingredients; from the first amuse-bouche to the final delicate pastries, everything is made in-house. Both the menu and wine lists offer carefully curated selections, yet every item excels in its own right. As Wendy Dirkx-Michielsen puts it: “The dishes are seasonally inspired, blending modern and classic techniques in a contemporary style.” Hostess and sommelier Wendy is always happy to guide you in crafting the perfect wine-and-food pairing. A lovely addition is the option to begin your meal with one of the menu specials, such as a European oyster tasting or the exclusive Spanish Jamón Ibérico de Bellota. The restaurant serves both lunch and dinner, and the price-to-quality ratio is truly exemplary.

In this friendly dining room with small tables, French cuisine with worldly influences is served. Owner-chef Stefan Dirkx and hostess-sommelier Wendy Dirkx-Michielsen guarantee a relaxed and delicious dinner evening. Crispy baked tapioca crackers with cocktail sauce for dipping are already on the table. A warm welcome. Later, several amuse-bouches arrive with our aperitif, including a smoked onion macaron. The menu features a small à la carte selection, a surprise menu of three to six courses, and a Zuyd tasting menu. The wine list is concise and organized by flavor profile. We opt for the surprise menu. For the starter, briefly seared swordfish with a kombucha-based vinaigrette and a sumac crisp. In the glass, a slightly overpowering Mourgues du Grès Fleur d’Eglantine rosé 2018. Next comes turbot on lentils, accompanied by asparagus, peas, vinaigrette, and an eel jus. The turbot is cooked thoroughly, which actually suits this type of fish well. The eel jus is smooth and slightly salty. A truly delicious dish. The dessert, featuring various strawberry and rhubarb preparations, is paired with a glass of Alice Bel Colle Brachetto d’Acqui 2018. Beautiful! The value for money is good, the service is friendly, and the kitchen is highly experienced.

The cozy Ginnekenweg invites you to indulge in luxury shopping, as well as to enjoy a leisurely meal. We are happy to do just that at Stephan and Wendy Dirkx-Michielsen’s restaurant, which features a modern classic interior. The welcome is pleasant, and on the table await crisply baked pretzels made with sea salt, sesame, and tapioca, served with a light peanut dipping sauce. From chef Stefan’s semi-open kitchen—which uses French cuisine as a foundation while incorporating global influences—comes the first course: Holstein veal tartare accompanied by crispy sweetbread and a garnish of beetroot, onion, smoked butter, and a hazelnut-spelt dukkah. It’s a fine opening act; the sweetbread is cooked to perfection with a delightful crisp crust. The only thing missing is a touch of acidity. Next comes the Black Angus flat iron steak, cut from the blade section and arguably the most flavorful piece of meat from the cow’s shoulder. The meat has a firm, satisfying texture. The slow-cooked cod loin is simply outstanding. Its doneness is impeccable. Tableside, the chef grates French goat cheese from the Loire Valley (Chavignol) over the dish. Absolutely divine. It pairs perfectly with a side of spätzle. A sublime dish achieved through elegant simplicity. The surprise dessert of white and dark chocolate with caramel, along with delicious coffee and homemade friandises, brings the menu to a perfect close. No wonder this place is so popular.