Mezger

Restaurant Mezger, run by owner-chefs Jeroen and Sanne Tanis, is situated between two villas that house Mezger Lodges. You reach the restaurant, which resembles a massive greenhouse, via a bicycle path. The dining room is atmospherically decorated with long benches, small tables, and chairs. The tables feel slightly unpleasant due to a faintly sticky protective coating. Many German guests dine here, which is hardly surprising, as Domburg is extremely popular with our neighbors. Alongside a selection of bites, the chef offers a multi-course menu, which the young waitstaff explain skillfully at the table. For the starter, there is sea bass tartare with ponzu, mandarin kosho, avocado cream, radish, and red onion, accompanied by a cucumber foam that is slightly too overpowering in flavor. The slow-cooked ray arrives with fresh accompaniments of pak choi salad and crisp-tender pea pods. It is served alongside sweet potato cream and mango chutney. A frothy green curry and coconut milk sauce completes the dish, while a crispy papadum dusted with togarashi adds crunch. We pair it with a glass of pristine Juwel wine by winemaker Juliane Eller from Rheinhessen. We finish with a lovely cheese board accompanied by a spoonful of tomato chutney, cranberry jelly, pickled grapes, apple syrup, and two thin slices of raisin bread. Tip: do not reduce the portion sizes; slightly larger portions would actually be a definite plus.

Life is good at Mezger in the center of Domburg. The atmosphere in the dining room, built between two villas, is pleasant, partly due to the calming interior design and excellent acoustics. We are attended to by the skilled hostess and sommelier Sanne Tanis, who anticipates our every wish, and chef-owner Jeroen Tanis also frequently visits the dining room to present beautifully plated dishes. Here, French cuisine is cooked with contemporary additions. There is a choice between a multi-course menu and a modest à la carte selection. The dishes are all excellently prepared with fine ingredients. The flavors complement each other, meaning there is balance on the palate. We enjoy four amuse-bouches that clearly demonstrate the techniques the chef masters and how creatively he uses them. Gently cooked cod loin from the oven is accompanied by broccoli cream and rolled zucchini ribbons sprinkled with black olive powder. The accompanying beurre blanc sauce is based on goat butter. A surprising creamy Langres cheese mousse follows, tasting salty and fresh. Beneath the mousse lie lightly marinated haricots verts with finely chopped dill leaves, cauliflower rosettes and ramps, sweet-and-sour shallots, a pickle gel, vinaigrette, and piccalilly sorbet ice cream on crispy buckwheat groats. The wine recommended by Sanne pairs beautifully with it. A 2022 Bourgogne Aligoté from Domaine Vincent Prunier. A light, fresh wine with aromas of white stone fruit and a touch of smokiness, the latter coming from initial aging in oak before maturing further in stainless steel vats. Not too dry, not too acidic, with lovely minerality. And all of this at very reasonable prices. That is exactly what we like. Oh yes, overnight stays are also an option here.

The building where Dr. Johan Mezger, the founder of modern physiotherapy, once practiced his profession now houses a charming restaurant with beautiful natural light. Here, Chef Jeroen Tannis and his wife Sanne, together with a young and passionate team, are bringing their culinary dream to life, and they do so with great flair. Mezger is located on the outskirts of Domburg and attracts guests who truly appreciate Tannis's cuisine. His cooking style is light and pure, seemingly simple, yet bursting with flavor. This is immediately demonstrated by the amuse-bouche of meringue rolled with dukkah, served with lemon cream and a marinated tomato—a refined and intense combination of flavor and texture. For the starter, kingfish carpaccio with radish, enoki mushrooms, avocado cream, yuzu sorbet, and seaweed. Spring on a plate. This is followed by slow-cooked cod on parsnip purée, topped with generous chunks of Oosterschelde eel, foamy eel sauce, parsley oil, and crispy fish skin. A palette of soft, rich, and harmonizing flavors. It is perfectly accompanied by a 2019 Morgadio da Calçada Branco from northern Portugal, a lightly oxidative white wine. Kudos to the service team led by host and sommelier Ivan Verrijzer, who is knowledgeable, extremely friendly, and maintains a pleasant serving pace. One minor suggestion: it would be a nice touch if the otherwise excellent coffee service were accompanied by a small sweet treat to round off a successful visit.

Nestled between two Mezger Lodges villas just outside the center of Domburg is this elegant orangerie. The restaurant’s name pays homage to Dr. Mezger, the pioneer of Western physiotherapy, who commissioned a villa on this site in 1887. Owner-chef Jeroen and hostess Sanne Tanis have been running the establishment since 2017, and it has certainly proven to be a highly successful venture. Guests travel from both near and far to sample Jeroen’s culinary creations. The dishes are light and pure, crafted with exceptionally fresh, locally sourced seasonal ingredients. A regularly rotating multi-course menu is available, along with premium add-ons such as caviar and Wagyu beef. Opting for a cheese course instead of a sweet dessert comes at no additional cost. The burrata salad, featuring several varieties of al dente legumes, a crispy cheese croquant with caraway seeds, and a gently tangy dressing, is outstanding—pure bliss on a plate. The slow-cooked shortrib served over balsamic-marinated eggplant, accompanied by crispy potatoes, summer truffle, and paper-thin slices of raw mushrooms, is equally exceptional, brought to perfection by a rich truffle jus. Knowledgeable sommelier Franklin from De Ketterij pairs the meal with a juicy La Cueillette Côtes du Rhône from Domaine Patrice Magni, full-bodied and warmly spiced. The service deserves high praise for being warm, attentive, and exceptionally friendly.

Mezger is chic, and so are its guests, though always in a relaxed manner. Jeroen and Sanne Tanis have been running their restaurant since 2017. Housed in an orangery between the two villas of Mezger Lodges, it draws not only hotel guests but an ever-growing number of visitors from both near and far seeking out Jeroen’s refined cuisine. We indulge in luxurious aperitif bites such as a pumpkin mousse with passionfruit gel, a green curry panna cotta with Zeeland mussels, and a beetroot macaron with black olive. The tone is set. The Tournedos Rossini rests on a crisp toast base layered with forest mushroom duxelles and truffle. Atop this lies a slice of tournedos, cooked to perfection, crowned with duck liver terrine and paper-thin shavings of summer truffle. The Madeira sauce is rich and glossy, studded with small truffle pieces that deepen the flavor. The wine pairing suggested by Franklin from De Ketterij is excellent. For this exquisite dish, he recommends an organic French wine: a Côtes du Rhône Village from Domaine du Séminaire Valréas, blending Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. A ripe wine with distinct earthy notes. A truly delightful spot.

In 2017, young chef Jeroen Tanis realized his culinary dream and opened restaurant Mezger. This stylishly appointed large dining room, featuring abundant glass, Finnish wood elements, brass cabinets, Prussian blue wall benches, and Escher-inspired wallpaper, is housed in the orangery between the two villas of Mezger Lodges – Dr. Georg Mezger was an Amsterdam-based spa physician who applied his innovative physiotherapy methods to wealthy guests. Here, you can savor excellent French cuisine, crafted from ingredients sourced from the Zeeland region's land and waters, while international preparation methods are certainly not shunned. Jeroen Tanis on the corona crisis: "It made me realize even more that you must enjoy what you have. Furthermore, it has only strengthened my determination to succeed as an entrepreneur, father, and husband." Not only lodge guests dine here; increasingly, passersby, holidaymakers, and locals are also finding their way to Mezger. That comes as no surprise to us. Leave it to the cheerful hostess Sharon Lijnse and her team to pamper you during a lovely lunch or a leisurely dinner. A relaxed venue.

A newcomer in this guide last year, we remain thoroughly satisfied with this dining spot, named after the Amsterdam cure physician who once invented and practiced modern physiotherapy here for affluent spa guests. The befriended chefs Sander de Jonge and Jeroen Tanis opened the restaurant in 2017 in the orangery of the eponymous hotel. They have adorned the space with Finnish wood accents, Prussian blue wall benches, brass cabinets, Escher-inspired wallpaper, a fireplace, and sturdy epoxy resin tables. The menu is far from spectacular, and the offerings may appear somewhat sparse and understated, yet the dishes themselves are excellent. Consider the cubes of pork belly atop a gadogado salad featuring haricots verts, baby corn, carrot cream, coconut, egg, fried onions, and peanuts. Just as delicious is the cod wing in a beurre blanc made from brown butter, accompanied by Zeeland bacon smoked in caramel. Hostess Sharon Lijnse pairs it with a lovely Chardonnay from Saint-Aubin Larue, Premier Cru 2016. An outstanding wine that effortlessly complements the main course of Zeeland lamb as well. The neck and shoulder meat is prepared Indian-style by the chefs, served as a juicy, savory stew over rice with pickled lemon and tandoori spices, alongside light naan bread. Simply exquisite. We wrap up with a selection of soft cheeses, fig bread, and apple syrup. What a wonderfully cozy spot.

What a joy to dine here. Not least because of the beautiful decor in the conservatory-like space, which has a Scandinavian feel thanks to the extensive use of wood. Praise also goes to hostess and sommelier Nathalie Antes. Her choice of poured wines is sublime, and her explanations of the dishes do justice to the culinary artistry of the two chefs, Sander de Jonge and Jeroen Tanis. The lobster bisque, served in a rust-brown glazed earthenware bowl, with its full flavor of roasted lobster and a hint of cognac, tastes superb. The lobster pieces inside have the perfect doneness. They are tender, and the basil foam provides a stunning color and flavor. The monkfish with cockles and a foam made from the cooking liquid tastes just as delicious. The dining pleasure is elevated by steamed and crisply baked quinoa. What a beautiful combination. In the glass, a Domaine La Croix Belle, 2014 Côtes de Thongue. A blend of Syrah and Grenache. A robust rosé that pairs astonishingly well with this hearty fish. We may choose five cheeses from a dozen fine varieties selected by cheese master Erik Murre. La Retorta, a melting sheep’s milk cheese with a spicy flavor, is the favorite, even among the sommelier, who specifically chose a 1998 Rivesaltes to accompany it. Aged in barrel and bottled last year. Welcome to Lekker!