Restaurant Wolfslaar

In Wolfslaar, we meet Maarten Camps, who as an experienced chef has already earned his stripes. He likes to cook with the seasons, uses local products, and goes into the woods himself to pick mushrooms and herbs. He receives h...

High quality cooking

At this stylish venue, the carriage house on Wolfslaar estate, SVH Master Chef Maarten Camps has been cooking at a high level for over 25 years. He has been a regular fixture in the columns of this guide since 2001. His dishes follow classical French traditions but receive a modern personal touch, notably through stimulating side dishes. Mango chutney with foamy crab sauce and puffed wild rice adds an extra dimension to our fresh starter of crab with apple and fennel. The sole fillet in our intermezzo is superbly cooked in vadouvan spices and accompanied by cubes of belly pork and a foamy sauce of sole and sake. The young sommelier Jelle van Ravenstein’s wine pairings are also spot-on: a delightful Grüner Veltliner ‘Point’ from Kremstal, Austria, complements the crab, while a white Portuguese wine from Quinta de la Rosa in the Douro Valley pairs beautifully with the sole. The main course features deliciously tender veal, poached in broth and served with preparations of celeriac, skirret, kale, and chanterelles, alongside a side of oxtail stew with curry croutons. Comfort food of the very highest order. The accompanying wine, a fresh blend of local grape varieties from Galicia, matches perfectly. The dessert offers a fine conclusion: pumpkin preparations in the form of meringue, foam, and puffed seeds, pumpkin and passionfruit ice cream, dulce de leche, and lime leaf sauce. Where we noted small portions last year, there is now absolutely no cause for concern. The score rises to 85.

A stately estate housing restaurant Wolfslaar in its coach house. Decorated in soft grey tones on a beautiful tiled floor. The stark white linen tablecloths lend an air of grandeur, as does the gold-toned cutlery. The welcome is friendly and warm. SVH Master Chef Maarten Camps prepares a pure seasonal cuisine using what grows and blooms on the estate, stripped of frills, while sommelier Rick van den Broek selects elegant wine pairings. The amuse-bouches served with the aperitif are well-flavored. We taste a cold vegetable broth that is robust and appetizing. The bite of roasted cauliflower, piccalilli, and fermented vegetables does the same. We look forward to the dishes to come. As a starter, a pale green cucumber jelly topped with new-season herring fillet, accompanied by mini quenelles of green apple, hangop, and radish. The vinegar adds a pleasant fresh note. The main course features beautiful and tender slices of beef tenderloin, cooked sous-vide and briefly finished on the grill. The jus infused with pomegranate juice is delightful. It is served with ample vegetable accompaniments, including a mousse of root vegetables celery root and kohlrabi, king bolete, garden peas, and green beans. The long pomme fondant, a generously sized fry, also tastes excellent. Followed by a white chocolate mousse with a white chocolate shard and crisp elements, delicate red fruit, and ice cream. The portion size is minimal. And this is a point of concern. For the bill is steep for what is served, and greater generosity should be expected. Consequently, it drops a few places to 87.

The eponymous restaurant is housed in the carriage house of Wolfslaar estate, located in the wooded area between Ulvenhout and Breda. The carriage house has recently undergone an elegant transformation featuring gray paneling, a new bar, comfortable velvet wall benches, and matching tub chairs. The ambiance is tasteful and inviting. It was also bustling during our lunch, with guests visibly enjoying an afternoon out dining. SVH Master Chef Maarten Camps has been steering the kitchen at a consistently high level for years. Pure, flavorful, and visually striking are the defining keywords. Following a few flavorful starters, we begin with marinated sea bass wrapped in pickled radish, topped with paper-thin slices of radish and tarragon, and served with a sauce based on Japanese Hamadaya yakiniku sauce, chives, lemongrass, and tarragon. Accompanying it is a glass of green apple granité. These refined flavor combinations are technically flawless and beautifully presented. Next comes ravioli stuffed with confit veal tail, crispy fried veal tail bits, haricots verts, petit pois, chanterelles, and a robust mushroom sauce. Host and sommelier Rick van den Broek pairs this with a Spanish Pícaro del Aguila 2020 from Ribera del Duero. This rosé-colored wine possesses enough power to stand up to the dish. The main course features rose-seared beef tenderloin and slowly braised veal tongue with red wine sauce and truffle, accompanied by various preparations of white asparagus, broad beans, and lamb’s ears. Kudos to the young service team for their skill and ability to cultivate such a pleasant atmosphere. Rises to 77.

From now on, Wolfslaar will be known as Restaurant Wolfslaar. Owner Danny Kovacevic sold the establishment to an investor who wishes to remain anonymous, and head chef Maarten Camps has become the director. Additionally, the restaurant housed in the coach house is undergoing renovations. SVH Master Chef Camps has been cooking here for 22 years and is a fixture at the wooded estate between Ulvenhout and Breda. He continues to innovate culinarily while respecting its historical context. Almost hidden behind the gigantic floral arrangement in the center of the dining room, we sample aperitif bites such as sourdough crisp with veal mousse and curry, mustard, and foraged produce from the estate. And a taco with tamarillo and chipotle salsa, avocado, pickled corn, and pickled shallot. Plus an amuse of Jerusalem artichoke with five-spice, sweet-and-sour kohlrabi, pickled egg yolk, and puffed wild rice. Beautiful! Sommelier Rick van den Broek pairs it with a fruity Portuguese Alvarinho from Anselmo Mendes. The starter is petite yet exquisite and flavorful: parcels of beef tartare and Lardo di Colonnata. Accompanied by a cream of white balsamic and coriander, tarragon, parsley, caper apple, and smoked marrowbone. Fresh, savory, and with lovely acidity. Followed by roast wild duck cooked on the carcass, served with seasonal vegetables such as endive, parsnip, pear, and beetroot, alongside potato fondant. Tender and beautifully seasoned. Sous-chef Willem Hamer pours a delightful duck jus with Calvados and curry tableside. Beside it sits a small bowl of delicious liver-rich parfait de volaille with toasted brioche. In the glass, a powerful, deep red Bulgarian Seven Grapes from Katarzyna Estate. Finally, maître Helena Snepvangers serves preparations of blackberry and Manjari chocolate with spiced ice cream. Outstanding! Ranked number 80 this year.

There are restaurants that so overwhelm you with their grandeur, location, and history that you are left momentarily speechless upon arrival. Wolfslaar is one such place, a renowned Brabantine culinary palace for a quarter of a century, situated in the leafy landscape between Breda and Ulvenhout. Housed in the coach house of a country estate bearing the same name, complete with a cast-iron entrance gate, parking area, driveway, ponds, and terraces. Danny Kovacevic took over ownership of both properties two years ago, succeeding Ton Pinxten, but left the restaurant’s winning formula untouched. SVH Master Chef Maarten Camps thus continues to run the kitchen – having done so since 2000 – thereby defying the notion that a chef ought to spread his wings after at least a decade. Also staying on are the refined host-sommelier Lennaert Lonterman (formerly of De Zwaan in Etten-Leur) and the maître Daan Smits, who arrived from Monarh in Tilburg at the end of 2019. The former pours juicy Languedoc wines made from chenin blanc and petit manseng (Les Petits Dragons) alongside turbot. The fresh fish was cooked in beurre noisette and perfectly executed, presented with a harmonious accompaniment of iceberg lettuce, razor clam, lime, oyster, and parsley. Simply outstanding. Prior to that, we already savored a lovely pairing of new herring, apple, celery, pickled cucumber, dill, and caviar with a mineral Basque white wine made from Hondarrabi grapes (Hiruzta). Equally striking: roasted venison. Two buttery-tender, finger-thick slices in its own jus with blackcurrant. Served with pommes fondantes, flat green beans, chanterelles, and a small pie filled with shredded meat. Accompanied by a fantastic glass of full-bodied cabernet franc (Château Yvonne, 2017). We conclude with an elegant dessert of blackberry, beetroot, toasted white chocolate, and fennel. An excellent establishment.

Located on the southern edge of Breda, in a wooded setting, stands the impressive and stately Landhuis and Restaurant Wolfslaar, owned by Danny Kovacevic. For years, SVH Master Chef Maarten Camps, originally from Limburg, has been at the helm of the kitchen, consistently delivering high-level cuisine. He prefers working with vegetables from his own garden and locally sourced produce. He describes his cooking style as honest and flavorful—and that is absolutely true. Maarten’s dishes excel in deceptive simplicity, each one elegantly presented, aromatic, and refined in taste. His sous-chef, Willem Hamers, proves to be a highly skilled right-hand man. The dining area, housed in a former coach house, offers comfortable and spacious seating, decorated in a warm, classically modern style. Hostess Pauline Struijk and maître Daan Smits dedicate themselves to ensuring a flawless lunch or dinner service. The wine list curated by sommelier Lennaert Lonterman also deserves special recognition. He masters the art of selecting wines from both well-known and particularly lesser-known estates that pair perfectly with Maarten’s cuisine. A superb destination for a leisurely and extensive meal.

The restaurant, located in the former coach house of Wolfslaar estate, is run by chef Maarten Camps, who has been at the helm for years, and is excellently supported in the dining room by hostess Pauline Struijk. Beetroot meringue with goat cheese cream and a pastry crisp filled with white bean cream, kimchi, and chorizo are served with the aperitif. It’s the start of the little party that this place is tonight. From the amuse-bouche featuring eel panna cotta, potato crisp, fermented sake, and belly bacon, all the way to coffee with friandises. Langoustine in a pastry shell, served separately alongside a squid ink terrine with radish, sudachi (Japanese citrus), and a seaweed crisp, makes for a delicious starter. We choose a Toc Bas from Ronco del Gelso (Friuli, 2018) from the well-stocked wine list: a dry wine with a slight bitterness on the finish. Followed by gently cooked white halibut with Royal Belgium caviar, almond foam, and cauliflower couscous seasoned with beurre noisette. Beautiful balance. A signature dish is the tasting portion of Dutch Wieden lamb with crispy polenta and Indian stew. The jus is served separately and can be topped up. Class! As a palate cleanser, we enjoy a soft cake topped with passion fruit jelly, accompanied by a soy and tarragon sorbet, and a white chocolate crumble. The ‘real’ dessert then consists of chocolate, caramel fudge, chocolate ganache, ‘honeycomb’, lavender espuma, two clove preparations, panna cotta and sorbet, and blueberries. Friendly service, spacious seating, good pacing, and a beautiful presentation of the dishes. Wolfslaar rises two places to 73.

The restaurant ambiance at Wolfslaar estate exudes elegance with its natural stone floor, bird-of-paradise wallpaper, wooden tables without tablecloths, large bar, and open view to the terrace where you can dine under the trees in good weather. Maarten Camps has served as the SVH Masterchef here for years, and his kitchen is innovative, light, flavorful, and respectful of classic Mediterranean cuisine. Restaurant manager Pauline Schuit, who pairs expertise with warm hospitality, presents the amuse-bouche: raw sea bass tartare with button mushrooms, green curry foam, and seaweed crisp—what a combination of flavors! We enjoy a fresh Verdicchio di Matelica Bisci 2016 alongside it and continue with exclusively Camps’ signature dishes. First comes hand-picked North Sea crab with squid terrine, crab mousse, fried squid ring, and radish: sweet, salty, and peppery—a stunning starter. The turbot fillet that follows arrives with grilled spinach, Dutch brown shrimp, and an airy sauce infused with Indian spices and a pleasing acidity. In the glass: a pleasant Viognier from Bulgaria, Via Istrum 2017. Young lamb takes center stage as the main course, presented in various preparations with the tender cutlet serving as both the visual and flavor highlight. Served separately is a bowl of Eastern-style lamb stew with garam masala, accompanied by a small jug of lamb jus. The sommelier duo, Kayleigh van Gool and Tobias Visser, once again surprise with their wine selection: a dark red Spanish Dos Rafael Cambra 2015 crafted from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Monastrell. To conclude, there is an airy Jerusalem artichoke mousse with Madras curry, buttermilk ice cream, and macadamia nuts: clearly, someone with pastry experience works in the kitchen, as this dessert is a true feast of textures and balanced flavors. It scores 75.

This restaurant is nestled amidst lush greenery, beautifully decorated, and SVH Master Chef Maarten Camps prepares delicious dishes. It is also colorful, with beautiful touches such as the squid terrine that forms the base of the starter featuring Oosterschelde shrimp. The red-black hue of the cross-sectioned tentacles, accented with white, creates a beautiful pattern of large and small circles. The orange of the shrimp and the green, pink, and light orange tones of the kimchi-style prepared vegetables stand out beautifully against the black plate. On top of that, the flavors are delightful, tempting, and skillfully crafted. The spicy Rheinhessian Grauburgunder poured by sommelier Kayleigh van Gool is a perfect match. These are preceded by amuse-bouches such as arugula mousse with garlic cream and fresh anchovy, radish with curry cream and olive vinegar, and a poultry bomb with beetroot and rhubarb sorbet. They also feature beautiful colors and flavors. The main course features halibut, accompanied by vegetables from their own kitchen garden: spinach, lamb’s lettuce, tomato, green asparagus, and chanterelles. Some cockles are nestled in the foamy sauce made with coconut, lemongrass, and vadouvan. There is also crisply baked polenta. The fish is excellently grilled, still juicy, with a lightly seared crust. In the glass: a well-matched Viognier from Louis Chèze. To finish, cheeses such as the Belgian Lingot du Vieux Moulin, paired with a fine glass of Feiler-Artinger Beerenauslese 2015 from Burgenland, Austria. One note: the price for the three-course lunch menu is on the very high side, especially when factoring in the irritations: overfilling the water glasses, being assigned a table where crumbs from a previous meal remain, and lukewarm coffee. For this reason, Wolfslaar drops three places to 74.