Le Bon Vivant

In 1859, the Marres-Ceulen family established a brewery in the city center of Maastricht, where they would brew beer at this very location for three generations. On the same spot, we now find the atmospheric vaulted cellar restaurant Le Bon Vivant. Owner and head chef Björn Dijkstra cooks with a vision. With a wink to the former beer 'Dobbel Aajt' (an old brown ale), he has named his menu 'Dobbel Good' (double good). And we can certainly confirm that. We begin with house wines that coincidentally share the restaurant’s name, namely the Bon Vivant wine estate from the Languedoc. Alongside them, a taco with cucumber relish, egg with Tomasu soy sauce and nori, and a miso cake with baba ganoush and Jerusalem artichoke. The vegetarian is pampered with a delightful thin pancake of spring onion and oyster mushroom, yuzu, and fermented asparagus foam. The tomato tarte tatin with salted caramel and (once again) Tomasu soy sauce also makes an appearance. As the non-vegetarian counterpart to this chef’s special, there is red prawn with Iberico belly bacon, red vermouth, and anchovy. We have rabbit as a stew, and the poached then grilled back fillet is perfectly cooked. Accompanied by clever garnishes of grilled baby corn and charred leek. The accompanying vichyssoise is a beautiful classic. Alongside this delicacy, sommelier Adem Çiçek pours a high-quality and affordable glass of red wine made from Nebbiolo grapes from the Swiss-Italian border region north of Bergamo: Valtellina delle Alpi Retiche. Perhaps there is still a whole world waiting to be discovered for the chef and the sommelier when it comes to beer. Especially at a place where the history of the barley brew is soaked into the very walls. Compliments are due for the centrally placed cheese buffet, which offers pure indulgence for a 'bon vivant'! Welcome to Lekker!