Neder

Neder is a unique restaurant: the name stands for Dutch, and all the products served come from Dutch soil, air, or sea. Add the utmost attention, plenty of love, and creativity to that, and you have captured the essence of Neder. Their slogan is “From the first sip of wine to the last grain of salt, everything is from our own soil.” Brian Luikel founded the concept and embodies it to the fullest. He is the owner, head chef, and maître d’, has written a book about his culinary vision and sustainable entrepreneurship, and organizes wild foraging excursions in the nature around Alkmaar. The small wine list is already on the table upon arrival. There is no set menu, nor any choice regarding the number of courses. Everything is left to the chef’s discretion. You can choose between an alcoholic or a non-alcoholic wine pairing. Inside the picturesque historic building, a calm and serene atmosphere prevails, characterized by old wooden beams and warm wood tones. Peter Bouwman serves as the sommelier and creator of non-alcoholic beverages. We begin with a cream of twenty-month-old Beemster cheese with pickled elderflower blossoms, followed by a tartelette with fermented potato as an amuse-bouche. The high standard is immediately apparent in these delightful starters. The waterzooi with lardo and diced potatoes is accompanied by ice plant and wild fennel sorbet. We pair it with a light and crisp Belgian Sauvignon Blanc Cuvelier DC. Next comes sea bass, processed using the Japanese ikejime method and served with Dutch soy sauce. This is followed by barbecued beetroot with beet jelly, smoked egg yolk, garlic chive sauce, and Texel mustard—a true caress for the taste buds. We skip the coffee, as the beans are not sourced from the Netherlands. Instead, we enjoy a tea infused with rose petals, blackcurrants, and smoked tomato. As for the bill? It is sent digitally, to avoid wasting paper. They are currently on the cusp of making the Top 100.

After several university studies, Brian Luikel turned his life around and followed his passion: cooking. Following a flying start in an Amsterdam pop-up restaurant, it became clear to him that he only had one ambition: to run his own establishment. And he succeeded. Since 2022, he has been housed in a three-hundred-year-old building furnished in traditional Dutch style in Alkmaar, where he puts his philosophy into practice: working exclusively with Dutch products. “From the first sip of wine to the last grain of salt: everything from our own soil.” And that presents a major challenge. Every day, new flavors and alternatives for native ingredients are sought out. Additionally, preservation and fermentation are practiced to the fullest to ensure seasonal produce can be used year-round. The restaurant has its own wild forager, but Brian himself is also frequently found foraging outdoors. The predominantly small suppliers are local. Coffee is not yet served because beans do not grow in the Netherlands. However, plenty of experimentation is already underway for a flavorful alternative. The same applies to the wines, which are exclusively sourced from the Netherlands and curated by sommelier Peter Bouman. There is a fixed menu – also entirely plant-based – featuring small dishes that change with each season. Optionally paired with wine or non-alcoholic beverages, which are naturally homemade. We taste an aromatic hand-cut wood pigeon tartare with magnolia and beetroot in a mildly sour buttermilk and verbena oil vinaigrette. And we savor pickled pike perch with assorted herbs, black garlic, horseradish, parsnip, and kohlrabi in a spicy consommé. The dessert receives applause for what inventiveness: the light cake with buttercream and hazelnut filling, porcini mushroom caramel, thick yogurt, and chestnut coffee foam is already memorable. We say: welcome to Lekker.