NOVO New Dining

Dining at Novo New Dining is a sensory journey through one of Maastricht's most unique settings. Located on the top floor of a former factory building in the Sphinxkwartier, the restaurant blends industrial heritage with an elegant interior offering stunning views of the city. The welcome from hostess Rachelle Bormans is warm and professional, with a team that genuinely takes pleasure in hospitality. For an aperitif, there is a cocktail based on Japanese rice wine with yuzu—refreshing and inviting, served alongside a Gulpener Lentebock featuring soft, sweet malt flavors and hints of spring flowers. It is accompanied by fresh sourdough bread, house-made butter, and a surprising orange pepper: a small but thoughtful start. The amuse-bouche, an asparagus tartelette with white miso hollandaise, sets the tone right away: creative, precise, and full of umami. Novo features a rotating multi-course menu where flavors from various world cuisines come together. The first course, beef tartare steak with nam yum dressing, Umi caviar, and a black charcoal flower, is visually striking but lacks balance: the bold nam yum dressing completely overwhelms the subtle flavor of the meat, causing the dish to lose its finesse. The kingfish with green curry, finger lime, and green strawberry, on the other hand, is playful and aromatic. And the sous-vide cooked langoustine with asparagus sauce, truffle, and risotto offers pure comfort. Make room for the cheese board curated by no fewer than three suppliers from the Netherlands and Belgium who source their cheeses directly from farms and then age them in-house. You can choose from over 45 varieties. A truly delightful place.

Owner-chef Rodny Welters has truly found his groove and serves exceptional dishes in his luxurious setting, located on the fifth floor of 'De Brikkenbouw' from 1875, where bricks were once fired for the construction of the Sphinx tile factories. Welters' cooking style is sensory and innovative, which is why the NOVO experience menu changes regularly. The ambiance complements this seamlessly: contemporary, hip, and chic all at once. It was fully booked on the evening of our visit, yet a tranquil atmosphere prevails and everything runs smoothly under the inspiring hospitality of Rachelle Bormans. To start, Singapore laksa, normally very spicy but here toned down to suit Dutch tastes. At the bottom of the bowl are scallops and black tiger prawns, lemongrass, and ginger. Finished with laksa foam, served alongside paratha flatbread, green asparagus, and pak choi. In the glass, a MiP rosé from Provence. Also surprising is beef tongue on a yuzu beurre blanc, hiro nori ramen, tempura cauliflower, green asparagus, and fresh salmon roe. This is followed by Australian John Dee beef, 350-grain fed. Super tender with garnishes of a potato tartlet, white asparagus, celery, and a robust jus based on black garlic and chutney. Served beautifully like a little painting, perfectly cooked, and definitely generous with portions. We pair it with a lovely glass of red wine from Le Bonheur in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Chef Rodny then enthusiastically makes his rounds with the cheese trolley. He offers a choice of no fewer than thirty different varieties and assembles a plate of eight different pieces according to preference. Life is good in the Limburg countryside. Last year it stood on the threshold of the Top 100, but unfortunately not this year.

'De Brikkenbouw' is a building dating back to 1875, housing this luxurious and contemporary restaurant on its fifth floor. A 'brik' is a brick in the Maastricht dialect, and these were formerly fired here for the construction of the Sphinx tile factories. The rooftop bar offers breathtaking views over the city. Owner-chef Rodny Welters cooks with excitement and a contemporary flair, and is not afraid to experiment with Eastern flavorings. There is no à la carte menu, only a five-course NOVO experience menu and The Sweet Experience (desserts). It is packed night after night with guests who truly appreciate Welters' stimulating cuisine. No amuse-bouches, but delicious sourdough bread served with light, airy butter and pickled curry. For the starter, kingfish with pink accents from radish, rhubarb, and pink pepper. Beside it on a small plate, tartare of the same fish with asparagus. This is followed by Canadian baby lobster with fried Dutch shrimp and a langoustine beurre blanc. In the deep bowl, we also taste watermelon, burrata, tomato, black olive powder, and watercress. Sublime! The intermezzo, 'Classic India', features a galantine of Bommeriger chicken stuffed with a quail mousse. The accompanying chicken sauce is creamy and seasoned with Indian spices. The dish also includes crispy chicken skin and a quenelle of goose liver ice cream. As guests, we can choose between a red Carignan or a white Rhône blend. Australian grain-fed beef appears on the plate as a rare fillet cut and a cooked sukkade portion. Beside it sits a brown jus made from popped shallots, a black garlic beurre blanc, and a chutney of that same black garlic with celery. Perfectly cooked and meticulously composed. To finish, there is a cheese trolley that will make you lick your fingers. Unconventional selections. Paired with herbs such as vanilla, saffron, and ras el hanout, the cheeses take on a Novo dimension. And all of this at a reasonable price. Right on the threshold of the top 100, because it's simply outstanding!

In anticipation of moving to its new industrial location in the Sphinxkwartier district of Maastricht, NOVO New Dining is hosting a pop-up at Hoeve Beusdalshof. This recently converted monumental manor farmhouse, now a boutique hotel, is set amidst the expansive landscape of the Heuvelland region, between Margraten and Gulpen. The sleek art gallery – with French doors opening onto the enclosed garden – serves as the temporary restaurant. Host and sommelier Kim Pardoel pours wines among the contemporary artworks with great conviction. After a yuzu and sake aperitif, a magnum bottle from young Austrian winemaker Kurt Angerer makes its appearance. The crisp Grüner Veltliner pairs astonishingly well with the Zeeland kingfish, served with sea buckthorn foam and sorbet, dill cream, and oyster leaf. Ingredients sourced from the Heuvelland form the foundation of the stunning dishes crafted by chef-owner Rodny Welters, often infused with an Asian touch gathered during one of his many inspirational travels. Following a divine paella with scallops, saffron sauce, and tomato jam, the menu features cod with curry, coconut, and locally grown Thai basil and coriander. What follows is dry-aged beef tenderloin from neighboring Blanc Bleu Belge cattle. It arrives buried under finely shaved truffle, accompanied by vegetables from the surrounding area and a generous pour of wood-aged Copertino from Corte Ottone in Puglia. Our high expectations have been thoroughly exceeded at this unique pop-up venue. We are eagerly anticipating how he will continue his culinary artistry at the new location: the top floor of the city’s coffee roastery, with the Maastricht skyline as a backdrop.

This new gem in Maastricht is housed in a former cinema. The interior is stylish, and so are the guests. Owner-chef Rodny Welters excels in nearly every detail: the flavor of his dishes, their presentation, the tableware, the wine selection, and the pricing. After a glass of Blanc de Biz, Belgian sparkling wine from the Haspengouw region, we start with seared scallops, barbecued belly pork, a tangy calamansi gel, and alongside them in a separate cocktail glass, lobster on fregola topped with a light, exceptionally refreshing aloe vera foam. Next comes burrata with tomato, watermelon, and strawberry: a feast for the eyes and a delight to savor, especially when paired with a vibrant green mint emulsion poured by our knowledgeable server, Kim Pardoel. From the excellent wine list, organized by grape variety, we choose the 2018 Mâcon-Villages from Besson in the Chardonnay section. Australian grain-fed beef is served in a generous portion of filet and short rib, both cooked to perfection. However, in terms of originality, this dish is outshone by the gnocchi with summer truffle, Parmesan, and a Japanese-infused beurre blanc. It is presented beautifully in a rustic earthenware bowl. Reservations are highly recommended, as we certainly aren’t the only ones who think it’s delicious here!