Rue de la Plume

On a quiet street in the center of Alkmaar, we find Rue de la Plume, a restaurant that successfully combines elegance and warmth. The dining room exudes space and tranquility, with blue velvet chairs, an open kitchen, and a warmly appointed bar. The tables are spaced far enough apart to dine intimately without picking up on the chatter of others. The atmosphere feels chic yet equally cozy. The kitchen is international with a French approach and works exclusively with a surprise menu of three to six courses. We opt for four courses and start with an amuse-bouche that immediately sets the tone: a crisp spinach leaf filled with onion soufflé and crispy garlic. The intensity of the onion and the airy bite are sublime. The first course, sea bass ceviche, turns out slightly less traditional. The freshness and spiciness are missing, but the anise brioche more than compensates with its soft texture and rich flavor. The South African Missionvale Chardonnay 2021 from Bouchard Finlayson proves a bit too restrained here, but pairs much better with the next course – gently cooked salmon with fregola, hollandaise sauce, hazelnuts, and green asparagus. The balance between fresh acidity, creamy beurre noisette, and nutty notes is impressive. The main course consists of tender braised beef, served with white asparagus, cinnamon root, and polenta with bell pepper sauce. A red wine sauce that resembles more of a jus lacks some depth, but the meat flavor and cinnamon accents are surprisingly harmonious. The dessert brings elegance: pineapple panna cotta with lychee ice cream and mousse, accompanied by fresh pineapple and a delicate chocolate lattice. Service is led by Madelene van Zoelen, a hostess who combines energy, humor, and expertise. Her team is friendly and knowledgeable. Together with chef Luella Molenaar, she demonstrates that Rue de la Plume excels at fine dining: surprising dishes, warm hospitality, and an atmosphere that makes you want to return. It is difficult to secure a reservation. The restaurant fills up quickly, and we understand why.

Near the center of Alkmaar, you will find the restaurant Rue de la Plume, run by chef Luella Molenaar and maître-sommelier Madelene van Zoelen. All guests are received with great care in the modern restaurant. Chicken roulade with...

A staple in Alkmaar is the restaurant Rue de la Plume, run by an excellent all-female team. The interior is stylish, featuring some playful red elements shaped like plumes. Chef Luella Molenaar stands behind the stove, while hostess and sommelier Madelene van Zoelen oversees the floor. Tonight, the service staff consists entirely of women, ranging from young to slightly older. Somehow, this creates a particularly welcoming and sometimes downright convivial atmosphere. Rue de la Plume offers a set menu, and we begin with a hearty starter of roasted sea bass accompanied by various tomato preparations. The tomato elements are so expertly crafted in a range of aromas and colors, and so surprisingly delicious, that this dish would not look out of place if presented as a standalone vegetarian course. This is followed by a beautifully seasoned terrine of smoked salmon and plaice with fennel and beurre blanc. Both main courses – plaice and corn-fed chicken – are pan-fried to perfection and wonderfully juicy, with generously sized portions. They certainly do not skimp on portions here. The various corn preparations accompanying the chicken are original and especially delicious. We conclude with a delightful cheese board; what else would you expect in Alkmaar. Chef Molenaar proves herself to be an outstanding cook who pays meticulous attention to detail. Van Zoelen pours flawless wines to accompany the meal, with the crisp pinot noir and pinot gris served with the mains standing out as top selections. In other words: Rue de la Plume is once again firmly featured in the columns of this guide. Merci!

With a view of the former residence of Diederik Sonoy, former governor of the Noorderkwartier and leader during the Siege of Alkmaar, the friendly living-room-style restaurant Rue de la Plume is an oasis of tranquility and gastronomic pleasure in today's Alkmaar. Owner and chef Luella Molenaar, who honed her skills at Lucas Rive and with international chefs such as Richard Ekkebus of Amber in Hong Kong and Margot Janse in South Africa, cooks contemporary cuisine using seasonal regional produce. Her light cuisine is flavorful and surprising. We taste perfectly prepared Dutch lamb served with al dente asparagus from farmer Broersen in Warmenhuizen and fresh morels from the Schoorl dunes. Add the hospitality and wine expertise of co-owner Madelene van Zoelen, who thoughtfully recommends and serves exquisite wines such as the Lievland Pinotage 2021 from South Africa to accompany our lamb, and you feel as if you're in a warm bath. These young, talented entrepreneurs are not only dedicated to their beautiful craft but also highly attentive to details, such as side tables for handbags placed at knee height at each table, the elegant red logo on the white linen napkins, and beautifully styled red-and-white trolleys for cheese and small pastries. The generously spaced tables, paired with comfortable, finely upholstered dark green chairs, offer a view of the modern fireplace with cozy seating areas perfect for enjoying an aperitif. It's so good here, so wonderfully pleasant.

Executive chef Luella Molenaar and maître sommelier Madelene van Zoelen are the owners of Rue de la Plume, a small but wonderfully charming living-room-style restaurant. Luella gained experience both domestically and internationally, including working with SVH Master Chef Richard Ekkebus in Hong Kong. Madelene completed her training as a gastronomy sommelier and later as an oenologist under Peter Klossen at the Wijnacademie. Both radiate so much passion for their craft that it naturally lifts your spirits. Yet we feel the exact same way about the cuisine and accompanying wines. Here, dishes are prepared with great passion and the wine pairings are meticulously selected. There are no à la carte options here, but rather “Lu’s surprise menu,” which can be ordered across multiple courses. We taste thick slices of seared, ultra-fresh tuna accompanied by paper-thin slices of sun-dried tomato, creamy orange mayonnaise, and asparagus. A Dutch wine is poured alongside it: Apostelhoeve Cuvée XII from 2021. Next comes gently braised Iberico pork cheek with a five-spice sauce, served at the table with small cubes of lardo (cured pork belly). For a generous portion of sous-vide guinea fowl with al dente green asparagus, carrot ribbons, crispy corn, and poultry jus, a characterful Enate Tempranillo Joven 2020 from the Somontano Denomination of Origin is served. And when the glass is empty, it is refilled with great hospitality. We finish with cheese presented under a massive glass cloche. A very thoughtful touch: every single cheese comes with its own name card. Life is good, life is fine. We would certainly love to visit Luella and Madelene more often!

This charming establishment, overlooking the old wall of the Hof van Sonoy, is a place where you are completely pampered by head chef Luella Molenaar and master sommelier Madelene van Zoelen. Both are owners. The cozy and somewhat chic restaurant has since been restyled. It features a beautiful light wood floor with a herringbone pattern, spacious tables with pleasant red color accents, comfortable velvet-upholstered chairs, linen napkins, and a modern fireplace with a cozy seating area for aperitifs. Luella, who gained experience in top restaurants at home and abroad, creates creative dishes that are highly flavorful. Vegetables play an important role. And Madelene serves beautifully matched wines alongside them. We start with sea bass ceviche, featuring grapefruit, mango gel, miso cream, and marinated button mushrooms. Beautifully balanced in flavor and elegantly presented. In the glass, a New Zealand Pounamu Sauvignon Blanc, 2020. Next, split beef brisket, cooked succulently with sea buckthorn gel, beetroot purée, cassava chips, and potato foam. Each dish is presented on distinctive crockery. Cheese, pastries, and wines by the glass alike are brought out on special serving carts. Lovely!

Chef Luella Molenaar boasts extensive international professional experience. For instance, she worked during her spare time at Margo Janse’s restaurant, where Janse was then head chef at Le Quartier Français in South Africa, and at Richard Ekkebus’s restaurant Amber in Hong Kong. Maître and sommelier Madelene van Zoelen completed her training as a gastronome-sommelier under the guidance of Peter Klosse, and also finished the vinology course there. Together, they now run Rue de la Plume, located in a former commercial building in the city center of Alkmaar. It is a cozy restaurant with an open kitchen, carefully set tables, and a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. Luella prepares a regularly changing surprise menu using seasonal ingredients. Her style aligns with French cuisine, which she enjoys giving a modern twist to. To accompany the dishes, Madelene serves exquisite wines at a fixed price per glass. The plates are generously filled, the service is exceptionally warm and approachable, and it clearly shows that guests truly appreciate this. It is advisable to book well in advance, as reservations have been pouring into Rue de la Plume ever since restaurants were permitted to reopen. “We want our guests to forget about the coronavirus for just a moment while dining with us,” says Molenaar.

In the city center of Alkmaar, housed in an old commercial building on Veerstraat, is the restaurant Rue de la Plume. Run by the duo Luella Molenaar (head chef) and Madelene van Zoelen (hostess and sommelier), the atmosphere is homely, with French dishes featuring a modern touch coming from the open kitchen. There is no set menu here, but rather a daily changing surprise menu of two to five courses. We begin with sea bass pan-seared with the skin on, accompanied by a cucumber and celery vinaigrette and a salad of yellow cucumber and iceberg lettuce. Warm brioche rolls with anise seeds are served alongside. A hearty starter. This is followed by eel on a cauliflower and snap pea couscous with a curry sabayon. Perfectly prepared and a delightful second course. Turbot is the next dish (you certainly need to enjoy fish during our visit). The fish is excellent: fresh and expertly cooked. The main course features braised veal shank with a red wine jus, crispy polenta, and a modest portion of beets. Paired with a Torre d’Or Verona, a Valpolicella blended with Merlot. The cheese board in this cheese city is impressive, and the dessert also wins you over: cherry cremeux with vanilla cream, snickerdoodles, and dried chocolate mousse. Great care has gone into the wine pairing, and the Australian wine from Rolf Binder served with the cheese board is a home run. The service, led by Madelene, is knowledgeable and pleasantly informal. You will have to dig quite deep into your pocket for this generous cuisine and beautiful wines. But you undoubtedly get your money's worth.

Female chefs are rare, but in this atmospherically renovated and artistically decorated restaurant, patron-chef Luella Molenaar has been holding the culinary reins since 2016. She cooks in the open kitchen with light and subtle dishes, paying close attention to refined flavors and techniques. Her partner Madelene van Zoelen is responsible for 'the front of house', yet in this restaurant, the traditional divide between the white and black brigades is blurring, as staff actively help and support one another in both the dining room and the kitchen. An amuse consisting of a crispy horn filled with eggplant and pumpkin purée, garnished with pumpkin seeds, provides a solid start. The starter features a poultry terrine served at the ideal temperature, accompanied by pickled vegetables, parsley jellies, and several varieties of marinated radishes. We accompany it with a glass of crisp Joel Gott Oregon Pinot Gris 2016, offering aromas of citrus, peach, and melon. This is followed by briefly pan-seared US beef brisket with corn elements and carrots pickled in vinegar and cinnamon. It pairs perfectly with the juicy and supple 2015 Spanish Juan Gil Monastrell. Vegetarian diners are equally well catered to with Alkmaar-style groats served with vegetables and a licorice foam. The evening’s standout is the dessert: vanilla-marinated pineapple accompanied by sea buckthorn gel, passion fruit coulis, vanilla mousse, and lychee ice cream. Balanced flavors and a beautifully presented plate. A restaurant definitely worth keeping an eye on.