Tante Blanche

A longstanding favorite spot for dinner and now also for lunch on Thursdays and Fridays, Aunt Blanche by Charles Ek is located in the heart of Brummen, housed in a beautiful old building. French cuisine reigns supreme here, though it is certainly enriched with modern additions. Hostess Eleonora Kerkhoven serves a crisp, dry rosé brut, De Pró Cava made from 100% Trepat grapes from the Barcelona region, as an aperitif. Accompanying it is a crispy horn filled with goat cheese and yogurt-honey foam, finished with balsamic pearls—a truly festive start. Rather than a standard menu, guests are presented with a regularly rotating fine dining 'Indulgence Menu'. To begin, there is a combination of kimchi chutney with green apple and fennel, alongside a rose-shaped arrangement of kohlrabi and turnip served with Dutch new herring. At the table, the dish is drizzled with a buttermilk emulsion featuring a verjus vinaigrette and herring roe, creating an absolute flavor bomb. The watermelon tataki has been cooked, dried, and charred, giving the flesh a texture remarkably similar to tuna. A beurre blanc crafted with Dutch soy further elevates this sensory experience, paired perfectly with a crisp, dry AIX 2025 rosé from Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence. Next follows a roulade of poached guinea fowl, served with lemon stuffing, celery root cream, green herb oil, and a ginger jus. It is juicy and incredibly tender, surrounded by a garnish of caramelized red onion, a mini brioche cake with black olive and parmesan, pine nuts with mustard seeds, and a marbled celery root preparation. The light red Kracher Zweigelt 2020 from Austria’s Burgenland region complements rather than overwhelms the delicate flavor of the guinea fowl. Portions are generous, and so are the wine pours. All of this comes at an excellent price-to-quality ratio. That is exactly what we enjoy.

The contemporary restaurant with a pleasant open design facing outwards is located in an authentic, atmospheric building, situated in the heart of the beautiful, green town of Brummen. Owner and chef Charles Ek cooks with a French foundation, in which he uses many cu...

Tante Blanche, named after the great-aunt of owner-chef Charles Ek who pampered him with delicacies during his youth, has been a widely recognized name since 2012 as the premier destination for a delicious meal out. A few years ago, the intimate, home-style restaurant, housed in a charming building, underwent a complete renovation: a new, larger kitchen was installed, the dining room was refreshed, and the furniture was updated. The result is a pleasant and relaxed space equipped with every comfort. Charles prepares a rotating indulgence menu featuring seasonal ingredients, which can also be ordered in a vegetarian version. His culinary style is “what you see is what you get”—pure and straightforward, without frills. The wine list boasts a refined selection curated in partnership with various wine suppliers, and thanks to the Coravin system, the finest bottles can be enjoyed by the glass. For our aperitif, we enjoy a fresh, nutty Ruinart Brut. The standout dish is the succulent pike perch, pan-seared until the skin is crisp, served with garlic, crispy bacon, nuts, and potatoes. It offers a delightful balance of subtle sweetness and the savory richness of the bacon, complemented by beautiful textures. The plating is elegant. Paired with it is a perfectly matching South African Cederberg Elim, which is generously refilled free of charge. Life is good at Charles Ek and Tante Blanche, and Aunt Blanche would certainly approve.

Tante Blanche, run by the passionate owner-chef Charles Ek, is located in the quiet village of Brummen on the Veluwezoom. Ek presents a rotating tasting menu crafted primarily from local seasonal produce. You only decide the number of courses yourself; if you dislike certain ingredients or have vegetarian preferences, simply pass them on to the waiting staff. The staff enthusiastically describes the wine selection, curated by various wine suppliers. The chosen paired wines prove to be of a high standard. Individual beers are also available to order. Tante Blanche boasts a cozy and colorful interior featuring a herringbone parquet floor, wooden tables, comfortable upholstered chairs, and beautiful wall murals. Opting for a white house wine as an aperitif, we choose the Viognier Intelligence Serre de Guéry—a glass brimming with fruitiness and a round, rich mouthfeel. For the starter, we receive a salmon variation: three pieces of confit salmon and a mousse, served with Dutch shrimp, a tarragon and dill dressing, and white toast. The dish arrives beautifully plated on a white dish. A glass of Château Viranel Intuition from the Languedoc complements it seamlessly. We have to wait quite a while for the main course. However, whenever our glasses run dry, they are generously refilled without any charge appearing on the bill. Paired with a powerful, deep-red Passagem Reserva 2018 from the Douro, the lamb is served. It features skewered grilled lamb kebabs threaded onto a sprig of rosemary alongside tender lamb fillet. Accompanying it is a crisp, tangy tzatziki with fresh peas, along with couscous. The portion sizes are more than generous. The service team is large, and we notice a mix of familiar and new faces, ranging from seasoned veterans to newcomers. Yet everyone gives it their all, and their genuine enjoyment is evident. Tante Blanche has every reason to be satisfied.

At Tante Blanche, you can only select the number of courses from the pampering menu – vegetarian or non-vegetarian – after which owner-chef Charles Ek and his team get to work for you. There is a fine wine list, but since the kitchen’s daily offerings aren’t known in advance, choosing a set arrangement makes sense. There is no sommelier on staff; the wine selections are curated in consultation with suppliers, and this approach yields surprisingly good results. We begin with a crisp, refreshing Grillo from Sicily by house producer Tononia, paired with a two-part mackerel starter. The brioche with mackerel salad offers primarily a bread-focused experience, but the tartare tastes excellent, and the briefly grilled watermelon with basil cream perfectly rounds out the dish. The main course features ribeye from the grill with a five-spice jus, accompanied by crispy polenta with peas. Not particularly groundbreaking, but flawlessly executed. For dessert, Wiener cake with raspberries, lemon curd, cream, and elderflower ice cream. The atmosphere is cozy, and the young, friendly brigade works tirelessly, but we do find the long waits between courses problematic – an area for improvement. Fortunately, the complimentary bread basket, generously filled and served with garlic mayonnaise and lemon butter, comes to our rescue.

Tante Blanche underwent a transformation in 2020 and is now a stylishly appointed dining room with significantly improved acoustics. The culinary standards of owner-chef Charles Ek have remained consistently excellent. There is no à la carte menu here; instead, guests can choose from a multi-course tasting menu, available with or without vegetarian options. The wine list is not extensive but offers sufficient variety, featuring quite a few German wines. Since we do not know what the menu will bring, we opt for a wine we enjoy: a Chenin Blanc from the Cederberg wine estate in South Africa. We drink this as an aperitif, accompanied by several tasty amuse-bouches. The crispy dumpling filled with cabbage, carrot, and peanut sauce leaves a pleasantly lingering impression. As a starter, there is a fried tiger prawn in kataifi, served atop a scallop carpaccio with avocado sauce and beetroot. Exciting and very flavorful. I give a perfect ten to the beef tartare with a soft-cooked egg, parmesan, and summer truffle. The veal ribeye with sweet potato and spices is also lovely, which we pair with a 2017 American Zinfandel from Hess Winery. We conclude with a marshmallow made of fennel, honey, thyme, and melon, served with vanilla ice cream. Everything here is crafted with love, great dedication, and expertise. One point for improvement: it is difficult to choose wine when you do not know what you will be eating. It would be helpful if more guidance could be offered in this regard.

Nestled in the heart of beautiful, green Brummen sits Tante Blanche. In 2020, this intimate living-room-style restaurant underwent a rejuvenation, resulting in a contemporary, stylishly appointed dining room with a relaxed and informal atmosphere. The centerpiece is a large, beautiful antique mirror with a long bench beneath it that originates from a Hungarian village square. Owner-chef Charles Ek prepares a regularly rotating indulgence menu ranging from two to six courses, featuring seasonal produce. Guests can also opt for a vegetable menu, available in various course options. Charles cooks beautifully and does not shy away from unconventional flavor pairings. He sources from a variety of suppliers, ranging from the local greengrocer and Vanilla Venture to a care farm that delivers fruit directly to the restaurant. Recently, the wine list has been expanded again, showcasing fresh and approachable wines, rich and intense selections, refined aromatic reds, and bold, powerful reds. It features additions like a Château Mouton Rothschild 2006, alongside accessible gems such as a lovely, affordable Rías Baixas do Lías Albariño. The list boasts great dynamism, with approximately 70 percent Old World wines and 30 percent from the New World. Charles Ek, who enjoys tennis and cycling in his spare time, reflects: “It has been a strange time for all of us. It did, however, make me think about how to move forward. We used the pandemic period to give our restaurant a complete makeover. The entire interior was refreshed with a new floor, a spray-applied acoustic ceiling, and the restrooms upgraded to modern standards. We expanded the kitchen by eighteen square meters, which we are very pleased with. We also purchased a 3D printer that allows us to create molds and experiment endlessly. My girlfriend secretly appreciated that I was home a bit more often.” The chef’s craftsmanship shines through in every detail. For fry enthusiasts: they are listed separately on the menu and can be ordered in both small and large portions. Given the generous portion sizes served, a small order seems more than enough. The hospitality is equally outstanding. The staff is kind, attentive, and genuinely warm. No wonder the place is so consistently busy.

This is the kind of place where you feel right at home. The living-room-style restaurant isn’t large, and the tables are small. The decor is understated, yet there’s a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. And the young staff is top-notch. When taking our order, they ask if we’d like fries with our main course, so we initially set our expectations at bistro level. That we’re doing the kitchen’s craftsmanship a disservice by that assumption becomes clear immediately with the first dish: cod rillette seasoned with apple, curry, and radish, garnished in the center with a crispy shrimp tempura. Beautifully balanced and extremely refined in flavor. In the glass, a perfectly matching Spanish Albariño. Next comes an elongated brioche bun with deliciously spiced pulled pork, crispy from a parmesan crust, served with shimeji mushrooms and soft fennel purée. Lovely, I must say. We continue with two lamb preparations: a slightly overcooked chop and lamb stew baked in puff pastry. Accompanied by polenta, white asparagus, and pea mousse. The accompanying Flemish fries are excellent but completely unnecessary. The cheese board is incredibly generous. Six substantial wedges, including ash-coated goat cheese, Remeker, Epoisse, and Brie de Meaux, served with slices of fig bread and apple syrup. Two of us would have had more than enough with that alone. We’d call it classic Gelderland hospitality. Because we feel it everywhere. See you next year, Aunt Blanche!

A cozy, unpretentious restaurant in the heart of Brummen with a lovely terrace at the front of the building. Upon entering, the open and airy feel of the interior immediately stands out. The highlight is the turquoise-colored Hungarian bench topped with a beautiful antique mirror. The kitchen of young owner-chef Charles Ek is French-inspired, favoring ingredients from local suppliers. It is fairly busy on the Monday evening of our visit. Host and sommelier Tim van der Linden welcomes us warmly. Alongside the aperitif—an aromatic and fruity Chardonnay-Viognier Grès Pays d’Oc—comes a simple yet delicious crispy papadum with guacamole and a poached tomato. We sample smoked salmon trout with kohlrabi, lightly salted savory fingers, eel mousse, and a fresh carrot dressing. The flavors are beautifully balanced. A crisp, fruity Verdejo from Rueda sparkles in the glass. The grilled lamb rump from the kamado is served with tomato chutney, carrot-mint cream, zucchini, spelt couscous, and—served separately—a spicy five-spice jus. Paired with the Dolcetto d’Alba from Giacosa Fratelli, it makes for a wonderful wine-and-food match. To die for is the delicious nut tart with apple wedges and compote, crispy sponge cake, and apple sorbet, accompanied by a Portuguese dessert wine: a slightly chilled, sweet Moscatel de Setúbal. The atmosphere is vibrant, the team young and full of spirit. Welcome to this guide.