Tante Koosje

High quality cooking

Chef Roland Veldhuijzen, Fries van oorsprong en ervaring opgedaan bij onder meer De Bokkedoorns in Overveen, is de drijvende kracht achter het succes van Tante Koosje. Alweer een aantal jaar kookt hij hier een pure en klassieke keuken met moderne toevoegingen. Sauzen bereiden is zijn forte. En daar komen de gasten op af. Er zijn twee menu's in oplopende gangen te verkrijgen: het menu Tante Koosje en een vegetarisch menu. Daarnaast specialiteiten van de chef. De wijnkaart geeft mooie klassiekers naast wijnen uit de Nieuwe Wereld, voor elk wat wils. Het zit gerieflijk in de voormalige boerderij die omgetoverd is tot een gezellig huiskamerrestaurant waar door de jaren heen weinig verandering in te bespeuren valt. Maître Robert-Jan Smeding brengt al snel ons aperitief en fris kraanwater dat we niet op de rekening terugzien. We snoepen van handgesneden tartaar in bouillon van passievrucht afgetopt met langoustinestaartje. En moeten vervolgens (te) lang wachten op het hoofdgerecht van lamsfilet, met stoof van de nek, courgette en paprikacrème, vadouvan en een krachtige lamsjus. Gelukkig is de topkwaliteit van het gebodene het wachten waard. En we gaan niet naar huis voor we het signature van Roland hebben geproefd: eendenlever op gebakken Fries suikerbrood met ananas. Plezierig adres.

Restaurant Tante Koosje takes its name from Koosje Edema, a former resident of the historic building in the picturesque Loenen aan de Vecht. The restaurant is idyllically located next to the village church, in an area that since 1966 has had the statu...

At Tante Koosje, situated in a countryside farmhouse with a lovely sheltered terrace, you always feel right at home. The place is bustling with guests, from younger couples and groups to older ones, creating a cozy and cheerfully noisy atmosphere. Chef Roland Veldhuijzen serves pure, versatile dishes cut along French lines, and diners can choose from a frequently changing multi-course menu that is also available in a vegetarian version. The extensive wine list focuses heavily on French selections, though the New World is well represented as well. Service is professional, the pacing is spot-on, and there is ample time for conversation. After receiving crisp sourdough bread accompanied by Italian olive oil infused with basil and smoked sea salt, tempting amuse-bouches arrive: a spoonful of cauliflower mousse, a tartelette with smoked salmon, and a bonbon of aged cheese with poppy seeds. Next comes a beautifully plated starter of lobster with rhubarb, pak choi, tandoori wrap, spicy mango, sesame, and lobster jus. Nothing wrong with that. The monkfish with Ibérico de Bellota pancetta, al dente lemon risotto, green asparagus, and French dressing is equally appealing. In the glass, a De Wetshof Limestone Hill 2022 Chardonnay from Robertson, South Africa, pairs seamlessly. For the main course, superbly cooked beef fillet arrives with an oxtail spring roll, chanterelles, and a potato millefeuille, accompanied by a sambal vinegar jus that provides a subtle tang. The carafe stays on the table so we can pour ourselves another glass. So far, everything is excellent. The only point of concern is the pricing. It is not cheap. Having to pay nearly the same amount for a bottle of water as you would for a decent supermarket wine is simply excessive.

At the cozy, living-room-style restaurant Tante Koosje, chef Roland Veldhuijzen has been running the kitchen since 2006. His culinary style is rooted in French cuisine and can best be described as pure and unpretentious. Sauce-making is his forte. The atmosphere here is warm and lively, and although parts of the service staff are quite young and inexperienced, guests are treated like royalty. We enjoy a selection of amuse-bouches, including an eel tartelette, salmon mousse, furikake crunch, and a phyllo pastry cone filled with veal tartare and hoisin mayonnaise, finished with mustard seeds. A generous welcome. However, the accompanying non-alcoholic prosecco aperitif is hardly worth writing home about, as it tastes more like overly sweet lemonade. Better alternatives could easily be found. The North Sea crab tartare, wrapped in radish, is served alongside lightly poached langoustine in dashi broth. The shellfish has a pleasant texture. The scallop roll is accompanied by green asparagus, pan-seared scallops, lamb ear, caviar, and a champagne vinaigrette. The flavors are somewhat muted. Fortunately, this is more than compensated for by the main course: roasted lamb fillet served with black garlic, crispy pandan rice, poivrade-style artichoke, lamb jus, and vadouvan spices. The meat delivers an authentic lamb flavor, which isn't something you encounter all that often. Paired with a well-matching 2020 Mon Coeur Jean-Louis Chave Côtes-du-Rhône. We still have plenty of room for dessert, which is just as well, because the bread-and-butter pudding made with Frisian suikerbrood, fresh strawberries, strawberry sorbet, and caramel sauce is simply outstanding.

At Tante Koosje, you feel right at home. This picturesque living-room-style restaurant sits on a nostalgic little square lined with old pollarded trees, offering a welcome that feels like meeting long-lost family. The kitchen has been run by Frisian chef Roland Veldhuijzen since 2006, who knew from a very young age that he wanted to become a cook. His cooking style is pure and refined, rooted in classic techniques with a modern twist, always guided by the seasons. His specialty? Sublime sauces! Tonight, our cheerful and highly skilled sommelier is Ilkay Tinmaz. On request, she pours an aperitif: an elegant Luxembourgish Champagne-method rosé brut from Caves Gales. Accompanying it are delightful palate-setters such as a tartelette with albacore tuna tartare and a paper-thin crispy pastry cone filled with duck liver pâté and cranberry jam. While the standard Tante Koosje menu features meat and fish, our curiosity about vegetable preparations leads us to opt for the Vegetarian Menu, paired with matching half-glasses of wine. A beetroot mosaic with chive oil and macadamia crumb is served alongside a beautifully matching Australian wine: Yirram Threesome, Murray Darling 2019. Next come glazed asparagus with fennel cru, wild spinach, softly cooked egg yolk, sesame pods, and sesame vinaigrette. We nearly lick our plates clean. Small potatoes from Opperdoes accompany a ragout of peas and mushrooms, leek, and flat-leaf parsley oil. We share a delicious selection of domestic and international cheeses brought out on the cheese trolley. It is paired with a special fortified wine: Marvin from Domaine des Carlines, 2018. Aged for two years on oak, with a distinct hint of Marc de Jura. To finish, piping hot coffee accompanied by a tin of Tante Koosje’s own friandises, featuring four delicate pastries. A lovely memento of a fantastic evening. Useful to know: for larger parties, Tante Koosje also offers private dining rooms.

Tante Koosje is a household name in Loenen aan de Vecht and far beyond. This is due in no small part to the welcoming hospitality of maître-sommelier Robert-Jan Smeding and the pure, versatile cuisine of chef Roland Veldhuijzen. A friendly vibe fills the homey, burgundy-style dining room, which buzzes with lively energy. The bread brought to the table—baked specially for Tante Koosje—is served alongside Italian olive oil infused with basil and smoked sea salt. For the starter, there is king crab tartare with crispy snow crab, seaweed, and a ponzu vinaigrette. In our view, the tartare could have been slightly less rich. Paired with this is a 2018 Torrontés from Los Bandidos La Rioja, Argentina, which complements the dish beautifully. Next comes seared tuna with Canadian lobster, accompanied by tandoori mayonnaise and black olive crumb. Delicious. This is followed by a dry-fried plaice fillet, smoked eel, round opperdoezer peas, and a rich eel cream sauce. We would gladly return just for that cream sauce, as Veldhuijzen truly has a masterful touch when it comes to crafting sauces. Alongside a cup of piping hot espresso, no fewer than five friandises are served; they all disappear quickly. The pacing of the service is brisk, perhaps even a little too fast. The establishment could certainly use a touch more calm. See you next year!

In the heart of the picturesque village of Loenen aan de Vecht, on a small square with pollarded trees, lies Tante Koosje. The building owes its name to the iconic village figure Koosje Edema, who lived there until her death in 1958. After a thorough restoration, a bistro was opened in the space. Today, Tante Koosje has grown into a culinary destination that both passersby and regular guests find effortlessly. On summer days, you feel as though you are in Southern France simply by sitting on the flower-lined terrace. Highly experienced head chef Roland Veldhuijzen prepares a pure cuisine, classic with modern influences, where sauce-making is his specialty. As he maintains, these sauces must always be prepared from the bones or fish bones of whatever is being served. Maître and sommelier Robert-Jan Smeding guarantees a visit where hospitality takes center stage, assisted by assistant maître Sanne van Nijnatten. A wonderful place to enjoy life.

Tante Koosje, housed in a charming building with a low ceiling and colorful walls, leaves nothing to chance. The service staff, led by host-sommelier Robert-Jan Smeding and assistant maître Sanne van Nijnatten, work professionally and make time for a personal chat. The timing is perfect, and we feel pampered throughout the evening. There is plenty of choice on the menu, and since we visit during lobster season, we are tempted to order the lobster menu. It must be said, however, that this menu is recommended with great confidence. After delicious appetizers served on a slate tray—including a potato cylinder with a juicy chicken thigh and apple compote, and a seaweed krupuk with freshwater shrimp—the first course arrives: steak tartare made from veal, accompanied by steamed lobster, barbecued watermelon, and ponzu vinaigrette. Presented on a black plate, it is beautiful to look at and just as delicious. This is followed by pan-fried red mullet with lobster, lamb’s ears, artichoke, green beans, pleated tomato, and a reduced lobster sauce. Again, a visual treat that is beautifully balanced in flavor. For the main course, there is polder chicken with a lobster medallion, potato cylinder with peas, fried mushrooms, and poultry cream sauce. Paired with a glass of Pinot Noir from Collovray & Terrier, Pays d’Oc 2017. What delights all around! Chef Roland Veldhuijzen truly knows his craft. Dessert features red fruits with caramel mousse, lemon, sea salt, and vanilla ice cream.

During our visit, three amuse-bouches accompany the aperitif, with the horn filled with Armagnac-soaked prunes, topped with duck liver mousse and garnished with bronze-colored corn pearls, standing out in terms of flavor. Chef Roland Veldhuijzen’s menu features both à la carte options and set menus. We begin with a duck liver terrine served alongside a granola bar of tropical fruits and rhubarb compote. Delicious, but somewhat sparse. The barbecue-braised oxtail with raw duck liver, Iberico Joselito Pata Negra ham, gnocchi, a parmesan sphere, and oxtail jus is also well received. In the glass, a Vago Rojo, Bodega Altocedro 2015 from Mendoza, Argentina. The main course is a perfectly cooked, crispy veal escalope in its own jus with Roseval potatoes, topped with Zaanse mustard and morels. Paired with a glass of robust Chardonnay Gran Reserva, Viu Manent 2016 (Colchagua Valley, Chile), which harmonizes beautifully. The dessert is a spekkoek marble cake with banana cream and yuzu jelly, tempura-fried banana, yogurt ice cream, and caramel. Good heavens, what a dessert. The service is friendly and attentive, and the quality of the offerings is good.