T’Kleijn Geluck

On the busy town hall square in Son en Breugel, we find 't Kleijn Geluck. The interior is warm and stylish, with round tables that immediately create an intimate and lively atmosphere. The regular clientele spans all ages. Rick Geven leads a French kitchen with a modern twist, making use of regional products. Service is overseen by Sanne Meijer, who presents the wines with flair and expertise. Guests can choose between à la carte dining and a five- to seven-course chef’s menu. We begin with a sparkling wine from the Rooi winemaker, crafted using the traditional champagne method. It is accompanied by a parade of amuse-bouches, including a buckwheat pancake with wild garlic. Beautifully presented, yet the flavors are not entirely balanced. Next, a selection of very high-quality breads with flavorful butters and creams arrives at the table. Absolutely delicious. The starter features caramelized kohlrabi and pickles, accompanied by a chilled Spätburgunder from Brogsitter. This is followed by grilled turbot with fennel and radish, served with a playful side of crispy fish stick. The Roero Arneis Terre dei Ro 2024 from Piedmont pairs perfectly with it. The pièce de résistance is veal prepared in various ways, enriched with spinach, field mushrooms, and a rich veal jus. The surprising Kamptal Reserve Grüner Veltliner 2014 holds its own against the bold flavors. For dessert, a refreshingly light elderflower panna cotta with pear and an aged genever sabayon. The selection of Dutch cheeses, brought out on a generous cheese cart, is paired with a refined Burmester Tawny. With the coffee, elegant friandises are served, though the flavors are somewhat forced. With the bonbon filled with banana liqueur, the dried seaweed could certainly be omitted. Tip: stick with the Geluck Kleijn. Due to the abundance of amuses, sides, and bread with dips, it is sometimes a bit too much of a good thing, and the flavors are somewhat difficult to place. But we certainly enjoyed ourselves!

In this cozy, generously laid-out living-room-style restaurant, we are warmly welcomed by the owner, Sanne Meijer. An aperitif menu bearing our name sits on the table—how personal is that! As soon as we sit down, we receive the first amuse: celeriac broth with a celeriac crisp, celeriac mousse, and vadouvan. Alongside our aperitifs—we choose a cava and a cocktail from the list—three more amuses arrive. A welcoming start. Owner and head chef Rick Geven prefers to use local produce and items from his own vegetable garden, and he is rightly proud of that. Rightfully so, because the ingredients boast unparalleled freshness. He regularly makes appearances in the dining room to explain the dishes. The menu reads like a mood board of options from which you can assemble a four- to seven-course meal. We start with radish and turnip prepared in various ways, served with buffalo cream, alongside smoked radish and its broth. A brioche roll arrives with aged cheese cream and hazelnut butter. Perfectly cooked cod rests on a Sirtema potato mousseline, accompanied by beurre blanc and a beurre noisette foam, with a separate portion of cod rillette on the side. The glass of Portuguese wine from the Douro, the Andreza Casa Velha 2021, pairs perfectly. Another bread roll arrives from the local baker, served with garlic chive butter and nettle pesto. Delicious. The entrecôte comes from farmer Leon, served with polenta cream and young kale cooked in the meat's fat. The optional upgrade, the veal escalope, is baked until extremely crispy. Served separately in a small bowl is an elegant "little vegetable garden," featuring wontons of lemon and herbs, along with braised entrecôte. Original and flavorful. The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo by Salvatore Lilli from Italy complements the meal beautifully with its lovely ripe berry and cherry notes. The coffee is good, though there is still room for improvement with the petit fours. A nice touch: you get to take the menu home with a personal note. Little joys!

In the heart of Son, Rick Geven and his partner, hostess and talented sommelier Sanne Meijer, run a stylishly appointed living-room restaurant where the unmistakable Brabantine warmth radiates throughout. Rick prepares a new menu each month, drawing inspiration from Dutch cuisine and utilizing ingredients from his own vegetable garden and regional suppliers. The wine list is carefully curated, featuring predominantly Old World labels. After a parade of amuse-bouches, we begin with three preparations of plaice. Roasted skin-on with lettuce vinaigrette, green apple jelly, and horseradish mousse with a flaxseed crunch. As a tartare wrapped in a lettuce leaf with horseradish cream and a small piece baked in lettuce gazpacho. Beautiful and complex preparations, the variety of flavors comes together harmoniously. Paired with a 2020 white blend from the Douro, Casa Velha, Portugal. A fresh wine with notes of citrus and tropical fruit. For the main course, tenderly roasted pork loin from local farmer Leon, served with cream of popped celery root and toasted hay released under the cloche, which imparts a smoky flavor. Served with pan-fried oyster mushrooms, celery root, and fresh ribwort plantain. A robust red wine jus rounds it out. In a separate bowl, slow-cooked pork shoulder finished with ribwort plantain and finely sliced oyster mushrooms, along with a hay aspic. Highly flavorful and beautifully presented. The dessert is an ode to the pig; you have to like this kind of gimmick. Corn ice cream shaped like a pig resting on top of bacon ice cream and a strip of bacon. The bottom layer is a white chocolate and baby corn crèmeux. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the service pace is good. Attentive touch: we take home the menu overview and the complimentary wine list. A solid establishment.

The restaurant of chef-owner Rick Geven and his partner and hostess Sanne-Fleur Meijer is stylish and the atmosphere is very welcoming. The menu reveals that their ambitions are high. From now on, they will focus on one indulgent menu plus several signature dishes. We enjoy a North Sea crab salad, wonderfully complemented by a mild vinaigrette and a spicy watercress cream. The veal escalope portion, which we choose instead of one of the menu items, is not only generously sized but also perfectly cooked. And the dessert—buffalo yogurt, frozen drop, white chocolate, limoncello, and pistachio—is fresh and well-balanced in both flavor and texture. Still, a word of caution. Rick sometimes makes things unnecessarily complicated by adding superfluous accents to his dishes: less is more. Besides being the hostess, Sanne is also a passionate sommelier. This is evident in the wine selections: Albariño with the crab, a delightful Spätburgunder from the Ahr region produced by Brogsitter with the escalope, and Petit Manseng with the dessert. At checkout, we receive a printed description of the dishes to take home. And the prices remain just as modest. In short: despite this minor area for improvement, this remains a truly lovely establishment.

Rick Geven began here at fourteen as a dishwasher and kitchen assistant, and after a few detours returned to his old stomping grounds in 2017. As a chef-owner, that is, since the then-owners of ’t Kleijn Geluck only handed him and his partner Sanne the keys to their restaurant, which, thanks to his hospitality, interior, and central village location, has already been dubbed the living room of Son. Upon entering, we are greeted by an abundance of filling amuse-bouches—still in need of some refinement—including a soufflé with vadouvan and cumin; a flaxseed cracker with cabbage slaw and pistachio; garlic macaroni with apricot and Gorgonzola. Plus two kinds of bread served with aged cheese cream, sea salt butter, and a garlic paste with seaweed. Phew! From the small but carefully crafted menu, we then taste a hake ceviche with apple and avocado gel. And duck liver wrapped in savory, smoked duck breast, alongside beetroot elements. Fine dishes, as is the main course of ray wing on taleggio, potato, and dill. In the glass, an Águia Moura, a lovely white wine made from indigenous Portuguese grapes. Nothing wrong with the tournedos either. Served pan-fried and juicy medium alongside pommes dauphines, kale, and a robust red wine jus. Fine. But it could be more exciting.

Honest, affordable, and above all delicious food is the guiding principle of owner-chef Rick Geven, who has run 't Kleijn Geluck since 2018 after gaining extensive experience at renowned restaurants both domestically and internationally. In 2019, the dining room underwent a complete transformation, and it certainly paid off for the establishment. The space is atmospheric, sleek, features beautiful color nuances, and offers comfortable furnishings. The foundation of his culinary style is modern French cuisine, which Rick personalizes with his own distinctive touches. He primarily uses organic ingredients sourced from the region, focusing on pure and fresh flavors. This results in beautifully crafted dishes that often feature a surprising twist, pleasantly stimulating the palate. Guests can optionally complement their meals with a curated wine pairing, though there is also a wide selection of wines available by the glass. In fact, the restaurant offers two wine lists: one featuring more conventional selections, and a second, handwritten list highlighting special wines. Hostess and sommelier Sanne Meijer will gladly assist you in making your choice. A truly delightful spot!

Since the dining room underwent a facelift in spring 2019, it has been especially pleasant to dine at this charming restaurant run by owner-chef Rick Geven. His culinary style is rooted in classic French cuisine, which he enhances with his own distinctive touches. Maître-sommelier Mark van Beek ensures that guests are pampered in a relaxed atmosphere. We opt for the middle option among the four-, six-, and eight-course menus, which delivers several delightful surprises. For instance, tuna with red cabbage and dashi is an unexpected yet delicious dish. The scallop paired with cucumber preparations is equally remarkable, while the subsequent baked sole fillet served with asparagus, hollandaise sauce, and a nutmeg crisp returns to classic territory. Beautiful flavors, flawlessly executed. The same applies to the meat dishes: bavette with goulash, fermented garlic, and cherry tomatoes, followed by veal tenderloin and veal cheek with red wine sauce, lemongrass sorbet, and spinach. An excellent selection of wines accompanies the meal: Vinho Verde from Portugal, San Marzano and Barbera from Italy, Côtes du Rhône by Alain Jaume from France, and a glass of Tokaji Pajzos to complement the beautiful, light chocolate dessert. Finally, as we leave, the modest bill puts us in high spirits once again. That’s what you call simple happiness.

Rick Geven is the new chef-owner who took over this cozy living-room-style restaurant in January 2018. Mark van Beek is the host-sommelier. You can tell from the outset that these two work well together. Van Beek is a wonderful host who fosters a relaxed atmosphere, while Geven’s kitchen consistently delivers high-quality dishes. The menu highlights French classics, offering both à la carte selections and a 'pampering menu' spanning four to eight courses. The wine list features affordably priced options by the bottle and by the glass. For starters, a generously portioned plate of smoked salmon, white asparagus, and a poached egg accompanies wild prawn ceviche with saffron panna cotta, marinated kohlrabi, and a rye crumble. The presentation is beautiful, and the flavors blend harmoniously. The turbot is expertly cooked and served with warm fruit, carrots, and mushrooms, with fries and house-made mayonnaise provided on the side. Also highly recommended is the Leira Reyero Albariño Rías Baixas 2017. We conclude with a rhubarb bavarois, a white chocolate crèmeux, and a basil spongecake. While the dessert is visually striking, the flavors fall short. There are simply too many superfluous garnishes on the plate. The coffee is delightfully strong and hot, and the hospitality is exceptional. And considering what you are served, the bill is remarkably reasonable.