De Beejekurf

Chef-owner Mathijs Jacobs and hostess Hanneke Verstappen have been running a charming restaurant just outside the center of Venray for years, enjoying a loyal clientele. This comes as no surprise, as Mathijs’s kitchen delivers incredibly delicious dishes, all presented as a surprise tasting menu. Hanneke offers a tailored wine pairing for each course, though guests may also browse her carefully curated, moderately sized wine list featuring wineries ranging from household names to lesser-known gems. Toasted and lightly sweetened sunflower seeds are served alongside a French Chardonnay, followed by an amuse-bouche of soy meringue with miso cream and shiitake. Flavorful and surprising. The starter features pan-seared kingfish with dukkah, Dutch shrimp, avocado panna cotta, basil oil, cherry tomatoes, and marzipan cream. It’s more than just a visual treat; it’s a delightfully fresh dish to kick things off, offering rich flavors and excellent textural contrast. Paired with this is a glass of Chardonnay from L’Impossible, sourced from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. Next up is perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth veal fillet and veal cheek, accompanied by shallots, anchovy- and eel-seasoned mashed potatoes, green asparagus, mushrooms, and veal jus. The eel provides a sophisticated note to the dish. The accompanying Synera from Catalonia, Spain—a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha Negra, and Tempranillo—is full-bodied and robust. We conclude with a calamansi panna cotta, hazelnut praline mousse, and calamansi sorbet. Delicate textures, a touch of sweetness, and a refreshing finale to a beautifully composed menu. Mathijs and Hanneke truly know their craft.

At De Beejekurf in Venray, chef-owner Mathijs Jacobs and hostess Hanneke Verstappen-Jacobs create a bustling, creative atmosphere with a menu of three to eight courses. Appetizers are carefully prepared and skillfully presented. Butter comes in t...

Affordable quality and warm service are the key words for this thoroughly enjoyable and accessible restaurant. The cooking style of owner-chef Mathijs Jacobs has a French foundation and is enriched with a generous dose of creativity. The hospitality of co-owner and hostess Hanneke Verstappen does the rest. On the menu, we find a multi-course surprise tasting menu. There is also a vegetarian option. We start with two refreshing amuse-bouches alongside a classic pour of Laurent Perrier champagne: a tartlet with braised endive and aged cheese, and a soy meringue with miso cream and shiitake mushrooms. Excellent ingredients and flawless execution. The same applies to the beef tartare with a poached oyster, quail eggs, and herb-spiced cream, all served on a smooth base of vichyssoise. For the main course, a delicious beef ribeye with beetroot and mushroom sauce, roasted beetroot, and celery root slow-cooked in a salt crust. Our hostess-sommelier pairs it with a glass of Portuguese Herdade do Rocim, a sound choice from a fairly concise wine list featuring interesting and affordable wines, including those from lesser-known regions. The varied dessert course once again demonstrates the chef’s craftsmanship: crème brûlée, chocolate ganache, prunes, pickled lemon ice cream, and dulce de leche. Thus, we enjoy a lovely evening, from the first cocktail bite to the delightful homemade confections served with coffee. And all at remarkably friendly prices. A real treat.

Newly added to this guide last year and wholeheartedly extended this year, owner-chef Mathijs Jacobs and hostess and sommelier Hanneke Verstappen-Jacobs are steadily making their mark in their spacious and welcoming restaurant on the outskirts of Venray. Mathijs prepares classic French cuisine but adds his own personal touch, resulting in surprising dishes that reveal beautiful, subtle flavor nuances. We begin by indulging in super-fresh slices of dark bread served with quenelles of cultured butter—one enriched with brown butter and, cleverly, bee pollen, and the other with tarragon and anise. The perfectly cooked red mullet is accompanied by a light beurre blanc, apple, parsnip purée, and small Dutch shrimp. It’s a subtle flavor combination where the apple’s slight acidity pairs beautifully with the natural sweetness of the parsnip purée. Even more delicious is the monkfish served with caper oil, asparagus, eel, and a rich quail egg, elegantly elevated by the oil. Simply exquisite. We pair it with a Casa de Santar Branco from Portugal, an elegant wine featuring notes of ripe pear and citrus. The veal loin with crispy sweetbreads, green and white asparagus, lamb ear, and veal jus is a textbook classic. The meat melts in your mouth and pairs perfectly with a glass of Domaine Força Réal from Languedoc-Roussillon, France. Everything here is spot-on, and the value for money is truly exemplary. A wonderful find!

The team at De Beejekurf, under the inspiring leadership of owner-chef Mathijs Jacobs and hostess Hanneke Jacobs-Verstappen, goes all out to ensure their guests have an exceptional experience. The space offers comfortable seating in a modern-classic living-room-style setting, featuring tables neatly dressed in linen, plush armchairs, wood-paneled walls, a soft moss-green finish, and contemporary lighting against white-beamed ceilings. Guests enjoy an evening out dining and gladly welcome the attentive service from the restaurant team. Mathijs prepares classically rooted, seasonal cuisine that delivers flavorful dishes with perfect doneness and beautifully presented plates. The wine list features labels from both Old and New World regions, with a preference for Spanish wines. Set menus are also available, and a Coravin system is used to serve precious wines by the glass. A delightful venue, even after seeing the bill. Bravo!

Chef-owner Matthijs Jacobs and his wife Hanneke have established a lovely restaurant in Venray. The dining room, decorated primarily in earth tones, feels warm and cozy. After a welcoming reception, we enjoy our aperitifs—a gin and tonic and a Valentina cocktail—alongside amuse-bouches such as a potato crisp and an oyster with porcini foam. Fresh, crispy bread follows shortly after. The menu features various set menus and à la carte dishes. Vegetarian options are available, though they must be specified at the time of reservation. For the starter, we have softly cooked cod and smoked eel served with a velvety smooth parsnip mousseline and a jus made from smoked rooibos tea, which we can barely detect. The Côte du Rhône, Prieurs de St. Julien blanc 2017 pairs beautifully. Next up are the rendang and grey mullet with coconut-curry foam and crumbs, which taste surprisingly delicious, making the Greek Pyrgos Sophias Savantiano in the glass a perfect match. We continue with Anjou pigeon roasted to a beautiful pink in its own jus, accompanied by blanched endive with bacon and sauerkraut. The full-bodied Abadal Franc 2017 from Spain is once again a well-considered choice. Head sommelier Abe Palmen certainly knows what he’s doing. We finish with white chocolate crèmeux, grapes, yogurt and honey ice cream, and poached pear with a salted almond crisp. The soft flavors, not overly sweet with fresh notes, pair wonderfully with the slightly syrupy South African White Muscadel from Klawer Cellars, which truly shines here. The pace of service is brisk, and the staff is pleasant and attentive. The bill? It is downright modest for the quality offered here.

Several pleasantly priced all-in packages ensure you know exactly where you stand financially. The culinary experience is equally excellent. Chef-owner Mathijs Jacobs serves classic dishes with a modern twist, free of unnecessary frills. Mini flammkuchen topped with Pata Negra ham, tomato, and egg, paired with refreshing cava, makes a perfect start to a sun-drenched lunch. The wine selections and the insights provided by hostess and sommelier Hanneke Verstappen are both surprising and impeccably chosen. We begin with expertly prepared beef tartare served with gherkins, radishes, a poached quail egg, and a dressing made from rendered beef fat. A 2016 Grüner Veltliner 48 Nord from Weingut Gmeinböck turns the dish into an absolute delight. This is followed by perfectly cooked cod accompanied once again by Pata Negra ham, mushrooms, hummus, artichoke, wild garlic, and a Japanese-style sauce. The accompanying wine is a crisp, dry Romanian Sole Feteasca from Recas Winery, bursting with citrus notes and a hint of tropical fruit. For the pièce de résistance, a beautifully rosé-seared bavette steak cooked on the kamado is served alongside crispy sweetbread, green and white asparagus, and hollandaise sauce. All of this unfolds in a welcoming atmosphere where genuine Limburg hospitality takes center stage.