De Librije

Exceptional cuisine

Whoever enters this former women's prison in Zwolle takes a step into a unique world. You are immersed in an atmosphere where gastronomy and hospitality harmoniously go hand in hand. In kitchens, it is often talked about for fo...

A place full of apparent contradictions. A free-spirited atmosphere in a former prison, unique combinations of ingredients that form a heavenly symphony, operating at an unmatched elite level while keeping both feet firmly on the ground, and the immense grief over the loss of culinary icon, family man, and true team leader Jonnie Boer, yet running service as if he were still behind the pans himself. But the world goes on. We are warmly welcomed by SVH Master Host Gert Wiltvank, and once seated at the table, adorned with leather runners, SVH Master Sommelier Sem Beks serves us an alcohol-free aperitif made from fermented birch water, kaffir lime oil, and pink peppercorn. After a brief menu explanation from SVH Master Hostess Thérèse Boer, who remains admirably calm, we embark on a gastronomic journey, though not before being pampered with a parade of amuse-bouches including sea bass tartare with chives and a passion fruit velvet foam. SVH Master Chef Nelson Tanate and Senior Sous-Chef Noah Wynants, assisted by Jimmie Boer and their wider team, show what they are capable of. Potato mousseline, pickled onions, pickled egg yolk, and Imperial Heritage caviar aged in sherry wood make up the first course. Sumptuously luxurious and elegant. Next, goose liver, langoustine, eel, and pieterman take center stage. Then a trolley is pushed to the table featuring a signature dish from Jonnie: a Zeeland knob (a local courgette variety) baked in clay, prepared with coffee butter, wrapped in kohlrabi leaf and river clay. This is cracked open at the table, disappears into the kitchen, and returns shortly after glazed, accompanied by an Indian mustard sauce. The flavors explode off the plate. We enjoy classic Librije dishes such as pike perch with apple syrup, sirloin with peanut sauce, and Époisses cheese with rabbit kidneys. Paired with the latter is an equally classic wine pairing chosen by Thérèse, poured by her daughter and hostess Isabelle: Macvin du Jura from Domaine Carlines. A wine that elevates the entire dish to an even higher level. Thérèse and Gert personally see us out. Once outside, we are again overcome by an apparently contradictory feeling: one of nostalgia for days gone by, alongside joy at the team flawlessly carrying out its work in Jonnie's spirit. It remains firmly at two stars.

The red carpet is laid out at the former women's prison where the top restaurant De Librije is located. Through the warmly furnished lounge, we are ushered into the former inner courtyard, beautifully covered by a high glass roof with black bars. The arrangement of the seating nooks is spacious, and we have a clear view of the long work bar behind which the semi-open kitchen is situated. Chef Nelson Tanate, recently inaugurated as an SVH Master Chef, is there working diligently with his team. SVH Master Chef Jonnie Boer soon brings us the menu, featuring eight courses that can also be ordered vegetarian, alongside several classics such as his unsurpassed pike perch with apple syrup and riesling. SVH Wine Master and gifted hostess Thérèse Boer then goes through the menu with us. We also receive a 'passport of taste' that highlights the staff and suppliers. The first exquisite dishes do not keep us waiting long, and the Librije rose made of celeriac and beetroot immediately hits the mark. An old tradition from House Boer follows: at our table, a Giethoorn goat pancake is prepared and filled with crème fraîche, water mint, and Imperial Heritage caviar. Fantastic. Next, a highly equipped black brigade, led by maître and SVH Master Host Gert Wiltvank, serves beautifully presented goose liver with grey Dutch shrimps, tomato and kaffir lime sauce, along with a brioche glazed with shrimp bisque. In the glass, a riesling from Schregel winery in Rüdesheim, Germany. What a pleasure. Thérèse dislikes empty glasses, and drinks are generously refilled, which we do not see reflected on the bill later. During a tour of the restaurant and kitchen – customary here – we are served a refined vegetable dish prepared right before us: a crisp made from house-grown green sesame with a 'filet american' of dried watermelon flesh topped with Olde Remeker cheese. Then comes the unrivaled classic from De Librije: pike perch roasted in thyme and rosemary with attic-aged bacon, small potatoes, sweet cicely, and soy sauce blended with apple syrup, accompanied by celery and mustard seed garnishes and a riesling-based beurre blanc. Masterful. Our main course is Dutch farm duck roasted on the bone, carved like a T-bone steak, with flavors of orange, green and red cabbage, red cabbage juice, and reduced duck jus. Once again perfectly seasoned and beautifully presented. The dessert consists of three distinct dishes that are also served separately: elderflower with unripe strawberries and fennel, spruce tip with basil and rhubarb, and bird cherry ice cream with raw almonds and liquid-nitrogen-cooled elderflower. De Librije undoubtedly remains among the pinnacle of Dutch gastronomy, but this year it makes way for a new number one and firmly takes second place.

Since this year, the welcome at De Librije has become even more impressive. Alongside the hostesses who greet us at the entrance, the entire brigade is now ready to welcome you in the corridors of the former prison. You almost feel like a rock star. Once seated, we kick things off with a lovely glass of champagne. We are then overwhelmed by a parade of 'snacks and bites' featuring, among other things, the famous edible rose (specifically cultivated for De Librije) with beetroot and Maggi plant. The taste buds are immediately awakened, and the culinary spectacle hasn't even begun yet. Wine lovers will be well satisfied thanks to SVH Wine Master and hostess Thérèse Boer and sommelier Sem Beks. Together, they pour exquisite wines. In addition to the impressive wine list, it is possible to add matching wines to the tasting menu. If desired, this can be upgraded to a high-end package for an additional charge. From the restaurant, you have a view of the meter-long work bar with the semi-open kitchen behind it. Here, the team under chef Nelson Tanate works with discipline. The menu offers an eight-course tasting menu, and several classics – such as the Marigold ‘egg’ caviar – are also available to be added to the menu upon request. SVH Master Chef Jonnie Boer cooks in a contemporary style using as many regional seasonal products as possible. We are impressed by the roe deer. The beautiful, tender piece of game, first roasted and then finished in the oven, is served on a ring of onions cooked in red wine vinegar filled with smoked paprika emulsion, accompanied by garden peas and runner beans. The roe deer, with peppercorns and elderflower blossoms, finished with an apple beurre blanc, elevates the dish to an even higher level. The team’s refined approach makes dining at De Librije a personal evening without any stiff formality. Maître Gert Wiltvank is relaxed but never loses sight of the big picture. The service takes time for explanations and gives plenty of room for questions. The desserts deserve special mention. They are creatively presented on a wooden puzzle cut in the shape of the map of the Netherlands. Featuring seasonal specialties from various provinces, all with a Librije twist. A perfect conclusion to an outstanding dinner. The cooking here is simply magnificent. De Librije remains thrilling, contemporary, trendy, and original. You can taste the passion for the craft and the beautiful ingredients from the first to the last course. Nice detail: you are allowed to take the menu home so you can calmly review everything again later. De Librije stands for supreme quality and an intense experience. The long track record and ironclad endurance of Jonnie and Thérèse are rewarded with maintaining their number one spot in the Lekker500.

The reception by the five-member committee of hostesses makes a strong impression and is further enhanced as we are led through the corridors of the former prison to the covered courtyard. The large dining room with its glass ceiling, tables draped in leather cloths, soft flooring, and a meter-long work bar behind which the semi-open kitchen is situated, is truly impressive. At the same time, a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere prevails, with guests chatting animatedly and savoring the gastronomic craftsmanship of SVH Master Chef Jonnie Boer and his team. We are seated side by side to ensure a clear view of the culinary theater. The menu offers a choice between an eight-course Librije Menu or a Vegetable Menu, with the option to switch courses between the two. In addition to the impressive wine list, guests may opt for a wine pairing featuring five complementary wines. These are meticulously selected by SVH Wine Master and Hostess Thérèse Boer, together with sommelier Sem Beks, who also oversees the non-alcoholic beverages. We begin with a delightful mocktail crafted from kombucha and rhubarb. The white and black brigades work harmoniously, silently, and with total dedication. The love for the hospitality profession is evident in every facet. Assistant Maître Mooja de Smit serves us a glass of champagne and a beer as an aperitif. This is quickly followed by a barrage of amuse-bouches, beautifully presented on stunning crockery, including slow escargot by Lenart ter Hall and Delislam trout by Bert-Jan de Bont. There is also a stunning edible rose with lava and beetroot. The ordered supplement, a marigold egg with caviar and crème fraîche in a crispy potato shell, adorned with a wreath of pumpkin seeds, arrives like a true little sun on the plate. French Arièjo!, an organic vodka based on birch sap, is poured alongside it. Among the menu items, the complex preparation of pike-perch glazed with apple syrup and soy sauce, riesling, and cellar bacon deserves special mention. This is one of Jonnie’s most famous classics and the very dish that has been featured on the menu since De Librije opened in 1993. The piece of roe deer, with black pepper and leek from chef Nelson Tanate, stimulates all the senses. With the exception of two “smuggler’s cheeses,” the cheese cart from cheese expert Stephanie Meeuse offers exclusively Dutch cheeses, including the iconic and creamy Macendré, a raw-milk goat cheese with an ash-treated rind, made by Hanneke Kuppens from De Oude Streek in Zevenhuizen. The dessert, featuring coconut ice cream, peanuts, and a salad of cucumber and young peas, is a home run. Sweet, creamy, spicy, and crunchy. On the table sits a “passport of flavors” that, alongside the presentation of permanent staff, also highlights suppliers whom Jonnie and Thérèse have remained loyal to for years. Maître Gert Wiltvank sees us out, prompting us to look back on a fabulous evening filled with culinary delight. Jonnie and Thérèse Boer represent the pinnacle of national gastronomy and are therefore once again firmly positioned at number one in this guide.

The welcome at the entrance by no fewer than four hostesses is impressive. It proves to be a harbinger of what is to come. Familiar faces have taken on new roles. Gert Wiltvank serves as a relaxed yet highly skilled host, working alongside assistant maître Mooja de Smit. Sem Beks has succeeded Sabas Joosten as sommelier, assisted by Sara Neyrinck. The venue is fully booked during lunch, and the atmosphere in the large dining room—with tables dressed in leather cloths, comfortable upholstered armchairs, a massive work bar, a glass ceiling, and a view into the semi-open kitchen—is cheerful and relaxed. We spot SVH Master Chef Jonnie Boer with his chef Nelson Tanate and the cooking team working in utmost concentration. The menu offers two choices: the Librije Menu and the Vegetable Menu, both ranging from seven to ten courses. It is difficult not to resort to superlatives, but it simply goes without saying: here they cook fabulously beautifully. Pure, creative, intensely flavorful, exciting, unexpected. Featuring the finest local ingredients, but also sourced from across the border when necessary. Only the very best is good enough for the maestro. Everything is served on exquisite crockery. We are impressed by the slow-cooked 'Zeeuwse knoop' prepared in river clay, wrapped in cabbage leaves, brushed with brown butter and coffee, resting on a romanesco purée, surrounded by hibiscus and garden cress foam, and finished with crispy cashews and hibiscus blossoms. The softly cooked langoustine arrives enveloped in crackling quinoa within a verbena kombucha. What a delight. And then: a crispy potato cup generously filled with sustainably sourced Imperial Heritage caviar, crème fraîche, finely chopped chives, and marigolds, accompanied by a velvety egg yolk and surrounded by a pear cylinder adorned with a wreath of pumpkin seeds. It is served not merely as a little painting, but almost takes your breath away with its impeccable flavor balance and stunning textures. A French Arièjo, an organic birch sap vodka from 2021, is poured alongside. Divine. It goes without saying. Jonnie and Thérèse Boer have once again firmly secured their position at number one in the Top 500 of this guide.

SVH Master Chef Jonnie Boer and Master Hostess & Wine Master Thérèse Boer have long been synonymous with top quality. In their former prison in Zwolle, featuring a trendy covered and contemporary interior courtyard, Dutch gastronomy is celebrated without cease. When asked about their secret, the answer is as natural as Jonnie’s kitchen: “We eat and drink every day, but we like to turn this daily necessity into a celebration for you.” Regional products play a decisive role in this, and in the immediate vicinity, with full respect for nature, pike perch is caught, water mint is harvested, porcini, giant puffballs, and chanterelles are foraged, and duck ponds are hunted via punt boat. The harvest is transformed into true flavor explosions, with meticulous attention paid to preserving pure, authentic tastes. Thérèse Boer, who also loves winter sports, motorcycling, boating, and enjoys dining out with her family, says: “We prefer working with vegetables and fish. Our purchasing is local, regional, and focused on regional products. This is important to us so that we can also support smaller producers. Special suppliers we work with include Eef Stel and Herman ter Weele. We also use products from our own cultivation, namely our herbs. The recent period has confirmed that we want to continue doing what we do, and that enjoying it is very important to us.” Jonnie’s innovative cuisine, which makes extensive use of the latest cooking techniques, is renowned both domestically and internationally, and many chefs from his stable have already launched their own successful restaurants. The cooking style is creative and inventive, infused with humor and an eye for detail. It is of utmost importance that the flavors are perfectly balanced, because taste comes first. Thérèse is invaluable as a hostess and, not least, as a sommelier. Since 2009, she has had her own wine line, ‘Kus van Thérèse’, produced at Wijngoed Gelders Laren. She ensures the most refined wine-and-food pairings, which are preceded by extensive tasting sessions with her head sommelier, Sabas Joosten, and the team. The wine list features selections from all over the world and offers a broad range. At De Librije, biodynamic and exclusive wines are also served by the glass using a Coravin system, giving guests the chance to enjoy a special pour. De Librije is unquestionably one of the finest restaurants our country has to offer. Booking well in advance is therefore an absolute must.

The beautifully adorned courtyard of the former Zwolle prison that houses Jonnie and Thérèse Boer has not had a single day without guests. In fact, you must book very far in advance to secure a table. The atmospheric and relaxed approach, along with the highly expert service, wins praise. Both the black and white brigades serve at the table, and head sommelier Sabas Joosten explains the poured wines in an inspiring and fluent manner. We taste a parade of amuse-bouches: paper-thin mini sandwich with chopped Amsterdam onion and Zwolle mustard; crispy Wadden shrimp with celery and vadouvan; veal tartare with herring roe. And several bites from the young chef with Moluccan roots: soto soup, panang goreng, cassava, and satay. Everything is equally refined and playful. The langoustine from the menu is 'cooked' in kombucha juice (fermented Japanese fungus): perfectly done yet still crisp and fresh, briefly seared just before serving for bite and structure. Followed by a salad of crab, various lettuces, flowers, and berries in a dressing of crab and herb oil, finished at the table with goose liver. An incredibly beautiful combination of soft-sweet, sour, and textures. The highlight of the day is Imperial caviar with tiny oyster crackers and an egg cooked in seaweed vegetable broth. Softly salty and plump, it forms a divine combination with the 2016 Fino Tradicion sherry. Next comes farm duck, with a jus perfumed with hay, celery juice, and an onion prepared with duck organs and duck liver cream. And Kampen lamb, slow-cooked until shredded, served with a jus made from pickled peas and black garlic. Finally, citrus preparations: sweet, sour, and bitter, paired with a glass of Spanish Coto de Gomariz. On another visit, we sample a seven-course vegetable menu. Fried avocado and toasted corn, topped with fried black sesame in a sauce of fermented corn and a ponzu jelly, is outstanding. De Librije stands rock-solid at 2.

This celebrated restaurant has marked its 25th anniversary, a milestone well worth congratulating. It still holds something magical about seeing SVH Master Chef Jonnie and SVH Wine Master and Master Hostess Thérèse Boer alongside their dynamic staff 'live'. The location itself – the former city prison – adds to the experience: you can do whatever takes your fancy here with complete freedom. No restrictive etiquette rules, no culinary limitations, no condescending or patronizing service. Back then, they called that rock 'n' roll; today it's simply 'keep it simple', a deliberate reaction to the kitchen's absolutely extraordinary nature. The wine list is impressive. Head Sommelier Sabas Joosten, his assistant head sommelier Gert Wiltvank, assistant sommelier Sem Beks, and Thérèse curate its selection. The service is friendly and attentive but occasionally falters slightly: for instance, clearing a half-filled wine glass when a colleague sommelier has just poured it. Nevertheless, plenty of creative touches appear on the table: delicious farm butter spread on a stone, a handful of runner beans ('they bring luck') placed on the soft leather tablecloth, ceramic plates, and beautifully cut crystal wine glasses. Welcome bites like a slice of lacquered bacon are served, and a friendship ring is slipped onto the guest's finger to nibble veal tartare with herring roe from. It’s carefully rehearsed theater performed by a young crew in uniform. And after that, you're lost. Then comes chicken liver cream, calf heart, spicy North Sea crab, and cherry leaf in a delightful celery root jelly. Langoustine prepared as ceviche 'cooked' in kombucha, anglerfish with calf tongue, heritage duck sliced crosswise and glazed with chocolate, accompanied by pieces of offal simmering in a mini oven at the table. Colostrum and bird cherry ice cream served from a proper ice cream cart. Sweet carrot dishes with Eastern accents. Paired with a beautiful white Burgundy Colin-Morey 2016. Refined, thrilling, daring, delicious, innovative, witty. Dining here is a celebration. De Librije remains unique and ranks second on the Lekker Top-100.

We are welcomed at the front door by a sun-bronzed Jonnie Boer who has just returned from Bonaire. There, final touches are being put to the beach restaurant that he and his wife Thérèse manage. To put it briefly: if they deliver the same quality there that we taste and experience at De Librije, it will become just as top-tier as this culinary temple in Zwolle. SVH Master Chef Boer is an artist at skillfully composing dishes through exciting combinations, where gravies and sauces based on fermented juices take center stage. All of this in collaboration with his head chef Maik Kuipers, who is, however, leaving the establishment. We sit comfortably in the glass-covered courtyard of Librije’s Hotel at round tables set with leather tablecloths made of roe deer hide. What a find. The fur-lined menu lists a number of Jonnie’s classics on the left and, on the right, clusters of three dishes each that the chef can optionally extend into a seven-course meal. Alongside the aperitif, a refreshing Sancerre, come delightful amuse-bouches, including a halved passion fruit with Hungarian bacon and crispy brook trout eggs. Sweet, salty, and briny in one bite on a mother-of-pearl caviar spoon. Served on a frozen glove: how exclusive, delicious, decadent, and innovative could you possibly want it to be? The foie gras undergoes a special preparation: cubes of it form part of the accompaniment featuring pickled blueberries, green herbs, and lilac flowers. On another visit, we taste kombucha-fermented, velvet-soft langoustines wrapped in a paper-thin slice of Japanese pear, dusted with tomato and vinegar powder. In the glass: The Kiss by SVH Wine Master and Master Hostess Thérèse, a Cabernet Blanc, crisp and fresh, with aromatic notes of green apple, asparagus, and elderflower. With the pièces, we receive Librije classics: from 2004, the perfectly pan-fried veal cutlet with pineapple chunks, prawns, and a mild peanut sauce. Alongside tender partridge with hazelnut and kohlrabi juice, plus offal from 2008. Timelessly magnificent! Finished with balls of Époisses cheese served with potato water reduction and slices of rabbit kidney (1998). In the glass: a dark red St. Laurent from Heinrich in Austria’s Burgenland region (2013). The inventive, craft-perfect cuisine, the professional, relaxed service, the effortlessly chic elegance, and the enthusiasm of the patrons place De Librije back at the top of the Lekker Top-100.