De Kop van't land

At the inn situated on the banks of the Nieuwe Merwede, chef Ewout Faase prepares meals without meat or fish. While this might initially seem off-putting, the menu proves that you can enjoy an exceptional dining experience based primarily on vegetables, dairy, eggs, and legumes. Every dish in the six-course menu is flawlessly executed with meticulous attention to flavor. Take the kohlrabi, fermented until it resembles fresh sauerkraut, served alongside potato mousseline, pan-fried shiitake, and a jus made from grilled vegetables and shiitake. It recalls a classic sauerkraut mash, yet feels remarkably light and distinctly summery. This outstanding flavor carries through to the main course of snap peas, butter beans, pan-fried chanterelles, and summer apricots, accompanied by a beurre blanc and finished with shaved raw-smoked egg yolk. A beautiful combination, though it is paired with a red Pinot Noir (presumably out of habit?), whereas a fine Riesling would have done it far more justice. All in all, however, it is a fantastic dinner filled with surprising vegetable pairings, perfectly aligned with the season. Skillfully prepared and crafted with great care. On nice days, you can dine outdoors, though I would strongly prefer an elegantly set table over plastic tablecloths. One final tip: refrain from clearing empty plates and glasses too hastily, as it tends to foster a sense of restlessness.

On the dike along the Merwede near the ferry to the De Biesbosch nature reserve and Werkendam lies Herberg de Kop van 't Land. The place truly feels like the end, in a positive sense. For vegetarians who enjoy creative cuisine, ...

It is almost impossible to find a more relaxing place to completely unwind, given its stunning location on the banks of the Nieuwe Merwede, right at the edge of the Dordtse Polder and National Park De Biesbosch. The inn, run by chef-owner Ewout Faase and hostess and sommelier Liesbeth Kroeze, is designed to pamper guests completely, offering warmth and meticulous care enhanced by large bouquets from their own garden. Pitchers of chilled tap water and crusty bread are already waiting on the table. Ewout prepares a sustainable, plant-based cuisine without meat or fish, using fresh organic ingredients. Pure nature on a plate. They work with a constantly changing surprise menu starting from four courses, and there is also the option to order the Tasting Menu, a “curated selection from the kitchen” consisting of ten smaller dishes. Liesbeth gladly advises on wine pairings from a list that features many organic and natural wines. To start, there is a tartare made from oxheart tomatoes with a velvety dressing of green tomato, artichoke, white coconut, and fresh tarragon, which gives the dish a lovely anise-like flavor. The mushroom bisque is simply divine, served with potato cream, forest carrot, fennel, asparagus salad, leek oil, and a delicious mayonnaise made from roasted peppers. We finish with raspberry sorbet, accompanied by a sweet woodruff infusion, fresh raspberries, strawberries, lavender, and juices of geranium and lemon thyme. You simply have to visit. All dishes are presented beautifully and accompanied by detailed information delivered with great expertise. And then there’s also the option to stay overnight in one of the three guest rooms the inn has to offer. What a blessing.

Chef-owner Ewout Faase and hostess Liesbeth Kroeze have been guaranteeing a welcoming approach for many years in their cozy dike house on the edge of the Biesbosch, where vegetarian cuisine takes center stage. The dining room is decorated in a rustic style, spotlessly clean, and large bouquets of flowers from their own garden make it feel cozy and homely. We choose a table by the window and soon receive our aperitifs: a pear cider and an alcohol-free gin and tonic. Ewout prepares a multi-course menu that changes regularly, with an additional cheese option available. The wine list features many natural and organic wines, primarily from the Old World. Liesbeth, who also serves as sommelier, pours a powerful 2018 Laderas alongside pickled tomatoes with coco de Paimpol (white beans with a refined flavor), buttermilk ricotta, tarragon mayonnaise, and a green tomato, lavender, and crème fraîche vinaigrette. Sun on the plate! This is followed by a fried slaw featuring sweet-and-sour chanterelles and hemp seeds. A beautiful combination of light sweetness and soft acidity. The main course is barbecued roasted cauliflower with cauliflower groats, confit onion, white radish, watercress and sunflower puree, a robust vegetable jus, and fried wood ear mushrooms. Paired with a glass of rich, sun-drenched Spanish Monastrell from Manchuela 2021. After no fewer than two desserts—a pea cracker with Texel goat cheese and aged curd, accompanied by goat yogurt, fig, and fig leaf powder with coffee kombucha, alongside a blackcurrant sorbet with rosehip, blackberry panna cotta, and meringue—we can only wish one thing: keep cooking so deliciously and creatively for a long time to come, and continue pampering your guests, Ewout and Liesbeth!

The inn run by hostess Liesbeth Kroeze and proprietor-chef Ewout Faase sits like a beacon on the dike along the Nieuwe Merwede, at the edge of De Biesbosch. Renowned for its vegetarian cuisine and relaxed hospitality. Ewout cooks innovatively and with exceptional flavor, surprising guests with the remarkable ease with which he continually creates new vegetarian dishes, all while Liesbeth pours perfectly matched wines. We take our seats on the day the fixed ten-course menu is served. With refreshing glasses of Savennières from the Loire Valley, we enjoy a series of delightful amuse-bouches: potato crisp with caraway seeds and asparagus panna cotta, kohlrabi krupuk with piccalilli and gherkin, and celeriac with radish, celery mayonnaise, and a foam made from both celery and celeriac. This is followed by a sweet-and-sour dish featuring barbecued red beetroot with buttermilk ricotta, parsley root cream, rosehip, shallot, and apple. Next comes roasted pumpkin and pointed cabbage with parsley, puffed pearl barley, and grated pickled egg yolk. Meanwhile, Liesbeth serves a straw-yellow Italian Primitivo alongside green asparagus, beluga lentils, and morels stuffed with Jerusalem artichoke. A modern touch like kombu dashi enhances the white asparagus, served with coriander oil, Codium seaweed, wild garlic, salad burnet, and herbs. The main course brings together sauerkraut, potato cream, kohlrabi jus, shiitake mushrooms, and potato crisps—simply beautiful! To finish, a citrus and spruce sorbet accompanies rhubarb tartare, yogurt vinaigrette, and a Baba soaked in cinnamon syrup. A delicious and inventive vegetarian kitchen.

Located at the upper end of the dike along the Nieuwe Merwede, on the edge of the Dordtse polders and National Park De Biesbosch. Chef-owner Ewout Faase and hostess Liesbeth Kroeze have been running a delightful dike inn here for years, where you can enjoy vegetarian cuisine in the living-room-style restaurant and also stay in one of the comfortable guest rooms. It feels wonderfully relaxed in the atmospheric setting adorned with soft earth tones. Ewout’s cooking is pure and organic, and he loves challenging his guests with surprising flavor combinations that put vegetables front and center. The kitchen strives for optimal ingredient usage, ensuring little to nothing goes to waste. A multi-course menu is available, ranging from four to seven courses. The wine list features primarily natural wines. The roasted cauliflower with pied de mouton, butter sauce, and beluga lentils, plus a celeriac, shallot, and cèpe crumble, truly impresses. What a beautiful harmony of flavors and textures. The salad of mixed carrots with cornflower is equally delightful. On warm summer days, try to snag a spot on the terrace, which offers stunning views over the river. A wonderful spot!

For years, hostess Liesbeth Kroeze and owner-chef Ewout Faase have been running a delightful vegetarian restaurant located on the banks of the Nieuwe Merwede river, right at the edge of the Dordrecht polders and National Park De Biesbosch. Herberg de Kop van ’t Land is part of a small-scale hotel housed in a dike-side house. The living-room-style restaurant features a simple, unpretentious interior with soft earth tones. The tables are dressed in linen, and the chairs are simple yet incredibly comfortable. Beautiful bouquets of wildflowers complete the ambiance. Chef Ewout’s kitchen serves dishes made from fresh, organic ingredients, with vegetables taking center stage. And they appear on your plate in all sorts of ways: raw, dried, fermented, roasted, or stewed. The surprise menu changes weekly. The wine list boasts an excellent selection ranging from vins naturels – lovely natural wines – to certified organic labels. On summer days, it’s wonderful to relax on the terrace overlooking the river. And when the temperature drops, cozy fleece blankets are brought out. A truly wonderful spot!

Guests from far and wide make their way to this restaurant, which serves exclusively vegetarian dishes. The small-scale dining room restaurant, run by chef-owner Ewout Faase and hostess Liesbeth Kroeze, is housed in a dike house. The menu features a surprise menu that changes every week. Vegetables take center stage: they are dried, fermented, salted, and even scraps are put to use. We are pampered with crispy brown bread with caraway seeds, refilled upon request. Served alongside are white bean hummus, butter with bay leaf, olive oil with herbs, and salt mixed with dried onion. Delicious! For the starter, there is Jerusalem artichoke tartare with artichoke and a fresh, tangy green tomato sauce. Colorful and highly flavorful. The natural, deep flavor of crisp-tender string beans with lightly sweet apricots also leaves a lasting impression, and the accompanying wine sauce is top-notch. After the mushrooms with quinoa and sweet-and-sour pearl onions in a “meaty” sauce, we opt for a cheese board. These are selected from various parts of the Netherlands, including Wolvega blue and Frisian camembert. The serving temperature is perfect. Add to this the cozy atmosphere, the friendly service led by Liesbeth, the view over the Merwede, and the option to stay overnight in one of the simple rooms. The next morning brings a perfect breakfast, served by the nicest breakfast hostess you have ever met.

This restaurant by Ewout and Liesbeth Faase on the southernmost dike of the Island of Dordrecht, right alongside the Nieuwe Merwede, serves exclusively meat- and fish-free dishes. The starters by chef Gijs Kemmeren immediately demonstrate that contemporary flavors are being thoughtfully crafted here. Take the roasted salsify, for instance: dark in color and pleasantly flavored, it arrives with caramelized cream and parsnip mini pancakes stuffed with shiitakes, wild garlic, and mayonnaise. We pair it with Lugana, typically a delicate white Venetian wine, now lightly aged in wood and thus possessing more bite. It pairs wonderfully with everything we get to eat this evening. Such as the Jerusalem artichoke and hangop tartare with green asparagus, field cucumber, popped quinoa, and tarragon mayonnaise. Or the braised oyster mushrooms with broad beans, sea aster, sugar snap peas, lamb’s lettuce, confit leek, and parsley root cream. Flavors and textures that elevate and complement one another: unexpectedly elegant and meticulously considered combinations. To finish, a salty-sweet pairing of Oudwijker Colossus cheese with rhubarber, buttermilk cake, fresh almond, ricotta with verbena, and rosehip. A truly surprising spot!