Katseveer

The view over the Eastern Scheldt is unparalleled, and dining with owner-chef Leon Vermaire and co-owner, maître and sommelier Paul Labruijère at their cozy restaurant feels like celebrating a short holiday. You feel completely disconnected from the outside world while enjoying one delicious dish after another. Leon prepares high-quality cuisine using seasonal produce from the region. The amuse-bouches are delightful, especially the fresh lime meringue with a frozen pearl of red beet and rose, finished with sweet-and-sour beet and beet jelly. Please consume it in one bite to avoid making a mess. We certainly don't need telling twice. A big thumbs up for the preparation of beef cheek with celeriac, Zeeland XO sauce, and tosazu (vinegar from Tosa, Japan), which is first pan-fried and then topped with a delicious layer of reduced sauce. Garnished with crispy and creamy celeriac, pickled chanterelles, and a foamy tosazu sauce. Perfectly prepared, and it pairs excellently with the Utiel Requena from Valencia recommended by Paul. We finish off with a mille-feuille featuring vanilla, pecan gianduja, puffed banana parfait, and caramel with a vanilla sauce infused with cardamom. What a treat. All enjoyed in an exceptionally pleasant and relaxed atmosphere with impeccable service. Rises to 32.

At this unique location with a beautiful view of the Oosterschelde and the green meadows, a young, dedicated team works. Perfect service and a passionate sommelier guarantee efficient service and wine enjoyment. The kitchen has...

At Katseveer, you don’t need a meteorologist, as the changing weather becomes obvious at a glance thanks to the incredible vistas from the comfortably appointed dining room. This ensures that every visit is captivating. The same goes for the food. Chef and owner Leon Vermaire and his team cook here with great enthusiasm. He spent many years working in Hong Kong under fellow Zeelander Richard Ekkebus. It was there that Leon developed his fondness for Zeeland cuisine with an Oriental twist. We enjoy five amuse-bouches, each one exceptional, including a crispy chicken skin waffle with chicken liver cream and caramelized onion, filled with black garlic gel. We are charmed by the North Sea crab dish, served generously. Accompanied by a white coconut jelly infused with lime leaves, lemongrass, and ginger. The various textures of cucumber, green apple, and avocado are refreshingly crisp. A yogurt vinaigrette with Thai basil oil brings it all together perfectly. Master sommelier and co-owner Paul Labruijère pairs it with a Maison Olivier-Sanders Rully Saint-Jacques Grand Vin de Bourgogne, crafted from the finest Chardonnay grapes. You can taste and smell it in every sip. It’s a rich wine with notes of vanilla and fruit, aged for six months in oak. The extensive use of local produce is evident in the dessert featuring pears and apples from nearby orchards. Resting on a Bastogne cookie crumb base is pear mousse, topped with a calvados crèmeux, with apple compote, raisins, and almonds nestled in the center. A quenelle of Zeeland babbelaar ice cream accompanies it. With the Zeeland waters on one side and sweeping views of the dikes and polders on the other, you fully appreciate the detailed explanations accompanying each dish. They are delivered exceptionally well. Katseveer is and remains a wonderful spot. It drops a few places to number 35.

Since the takeover, maître d' and sommelier Paul Labruijère and head chef Leon Vermaire have everything running flawlessly. The interior of Katseveer, housed in a former ferry house, has undergone subtle changes, featuring slightly fewer decorations and more neatly set tables. The restaurant's core values—an excellently executed kitchen driven by great passion, a warm welcome and attentive service throughout the meal, and an outstanding wine selection—remain intact. Then again, it’s only natural, given that they spent many years as part of the team back when Rutger and Jessica van der Weel were in charge. The amuse-bouches are served on a platter. These include gyoza stuffed with prawns and kimchi, and an onion ring garnished with pickled herring and stroopvet—a traditional Zeeland treat made from whipped lard mixed with syrup. For the first course, there is pickled and flambéed mackerel accompanied by a yuzu gel and a kosho (chili pepper paste), alongside spiralized noodles made from lightly blanched snap peas and pea pod gel. Creative, fresh, and pleasing on the palate. The pièce de résistance is the lamb from Kapelle, cooked to perfection. Served with two tender fillets alongside parsley cream and sautéed chanterelles. Also delicious is the wild garlic bulb, filled with a mousse of wild garlic and green apple. Paul’s selection, the Cape of Good Hope Riebeeksrivier vintage 2017, pairs beautifully with it. It’s a lovely, smooth red wine bursting with ripe fruit and spicy notes. The dessert takes our breath away. Three strawberry-centric creations take center stage. There’s a sweet woodruff mousse paired with strawberry jelly and delicate strawberry slices arranged around it like a flower. A ruby chocolate sphere filled with Romanov tea and a splash of gin, similarly adorned with thin slices, accompanied by strawberry sorbet atop a cornflake crumble. Simply a feast. It drops one place to number 31.

Located on the Oosterschelde and housed in the old ferry house, it feels wonderful to sit in comfortable chairs at wooden tables set with large linen napkins. The view is calming, with a little beach right outside and boats gliding slowly past. This setting is a constant source of inspiration, and we can both see and taste it. From the first amuse-bouche to the final sweet treat with coffee, everything is of a high gastronomic standard. Moreover, there is soul in the dishes. Here, work is carried out with a deep love for the craft by master sommelier Paul Labruijere and head chef Leon Vermaire, who recently took over the restaurant from Rutger and Jessica van der Weel. We enjoyed every course, but the combination of cod with smoked Oosterschelde eel, accompanied by a delightful beurre blanc infused with a hint of smoke from toasted hay, crispy capers, and crunchy mushroom tempura, simply blew us away. Every dish that leaves the kitchen is a celebration. The accompanying wines selected by Paul perfectly complement the flavors of the food. The Cantine di Dolia Nova, Prendas Vermentino di Sardegna from southern Sardinia, crafted from the native Vermentino grape, has everything it takes to pair beautifully with the cod and smoked eel. The fresh strawberries in the dessert come from Zuid-Beveland and are served alongside stewed rhubarb, basil cremeux, mojito cream, and red pepper foam. Heartfelt compliments to the crew, who are warm and attentive, making every guest feel truly welcome. We will definitely be back! Ranked 30th this year.

Owner-chef Rutger van der Weel strives to deliver a top-notch performance every day. Together with his capable team, including sous-chef Leon Vermaire, he works with utmost concentration on perfecting his dishes. “Cooking is passion,” as Rutger puts it. And we can truly taste that passion. It shines through in the gastronomic craftsmanship, the exceptional hospitality of maître Jessica van der Weel and hostess Kelly Odenthal, the wine selection – advised by sommelier Paul Labruijere – and the atmosphere, which is relaxed yet stylish. It feels comfortable seated at wooden tables with linen napkins, and the view is always beautiful. We begin with a selection of aperitif bites, such as a crispy cup infused with parsley, served alongside parsley mousse, crispy fried parsley, and a touch of lemon gel. The accompanying cold white almond soup features roasted almonds and razor clams, finished with a delicate parsley oil. Seemingly simple, yet what a flavor sensation! The red mullet starter is cooked à la plancha and paired with tomato, seroendeng, furikake, babi pangang, and beach crab foam. The flavors range from salty to sweet, while the mouthfeel delivers crunch, tenderness, foam, and bite. Simply delicious. The Zeeland lamb medallions are perfectly cooked medium-rare and feature sides of wild garlic purée, ratatouille, and roasted eggplant glazed with miso. In the glass, an Italian Rosso Piceno from 2019. What a delight! No wonder it’s always packed here.

You cannot create a top dish without top ingredients." That is what chef-owner Rutger van der Weel stands for. For quite a few years now, he has been running the beautiful Katseveer together with his wife, Jessica. A strong team that met while working at Inter Scaldes. Jessica van der Weel: "We experienced the lockdown as highly intense, but it also brought us much. The team grew closer. And honestly, a bit of rest was good for all of us. Hospitality is extremely hectic and demanding, so a few extra weeks of calm was really welcome." Rutger is still refining his Zeeland-international cooking style – or as they describe it themselves: "Classic with our feet in the clay" – and is thereby making his way toward the gastronomic pinnacle of our country. Jessica is a hostess through and through, and their dream of running their own restaurant became a reality for both of them in 2003. You can taste the passion and love for the craft in every aspect here. From the cozy interior featuring wooden tables adorned with linen napkins, comfortable leather chairs, warm parquet flooring covered with rugs, and sturdy wooden consoles, to the beautifully decorated tableware, the genuine hospitality, and last but not least: the delightful and refined cuisine of Rutger and his team. One word perfectly captures it: exceptional. And, oh yes: overnight stays are available. There is an apartment above the restaurant, bookable for a minimum of two nights.

For sixteen years, Rutger and Jessica van der Weel have been running this beautiful establishment on the Oosterschelde. They constantly refresh the interior, and meanwhile, Rutger is refining his Zeeland-international cooking style, with which he is now rapidly surging toward the top. We begin with delicacies built around the five tastes. Salt: fried sea lettuce with rouille, sour: potato with sweet-and-sour vegetables and piccalilli and peanut creams; umami: crisp black sesame with celery and aloe vera pearls; bitter: green olive with tequila, grapefruit and salted lemon gel; sweet: licorice foam with champonzu gel and popped belly pork. Followed by a cream of Zeeland eel, beetroot and cauliflower couscous with feta. That’s exactly what you go out to eat for. And the same goes for the rest, incidentally: octopus with corn cremeux, ceviche with chorizo, popped potato, popcorn, cream and codium vinaigrette. Jessica serves it with a German Gutedel (Chasselas) from Weiler Schlipf, 2018. Next up: goose liver with roasted onion broth, onion and raisin cream, and baharat foam. In the glass: Recioto di Soave Mainente, 2016. And perfectly prepared tong sole with dried rendang, artichoke cream, cabbage, beurre blanc with verjus and garden herbs. A Sicilian Nero d’Avola (Notenere, 2016) follows seamlessly. Then comes butter-tender lamb with watercress cream, rocket cream, pea, fennel, fennel and saffron tartare, potato with borage, orange gel, and lamb sauce with bitter orange. The wine: Sangiovese La Carraia, 2016. Finally, a “Zeeland Knot” of raspberry, blackcurrant and violet, blackcurrant and rum gel, and yogurt and hibiscus ice cream. Paired with a glass of Ultimerecolte Jeff Carrel, 2017. Classy. Katseveer climbs seven places to number 25.

This midweek evening, we are warmly welcomed by head hostess Jessica van der Weel and take our seats in a packed dining room filled with Belgian foodies, local gourmands, and other lovers of fine dining. As the evening sun lingers before sinking into the Oosterschelde right in front of us, owner-chef Rutger van der Weel immediately presents his calling card. We start with a parmesan sponge cake with scallop crisps and hoisin, a carrot baton filled with peanut cream and yuzu, goat cheese emulsion on toasted barley, finely chopped olive and cocoa powder, and an egg yolk bonbon with asparagus ribbon and croutons in Parma ham broth. They truly caress every single taste bud. The high standard is maintained for the remainder of the meal. North Sea crab on couscous with raisins arrives, accompanied by ras el hanout mayonnaise, sand crab mousse, daikon ribbons, lychee jam, and algae powder. The divine game meat is also drizzled with kimchi oil and topped with freeze-dried shiitakes for added crunch. Sublime! A crisp Sardinian Vermentino Dolianova fills the glass, which the excellent sommelier Paul Labruijere later replaces with a sweet Jurançon Cauhapé 2014 to accompany the foie gras. A velvety cream is prepared from the foie gras, accompanied by cherry emulsion, beet structures, and blackberry foam, then lightly seared and finished with a phenomenal pomegranate jus and smoked olive oil. Also of great beauty is the Oosterschelde shrimp. Cooked, meticulously picked, and served tenderly atop a buttery mousseline, with chopped carrots and mild wasabi, all drizzled with verjus. Paired with full glasses of Rossidi Unison, a surprisingly rounded Bulgarian blend of Chardonnay and Gewürztraminer. What refinement, what presentation, what professional service, and what a stunning (renovated) interior. Simply top-tier! Score rises to 32.

Satisfied and content, we head home after visiting this excellent restaurant run by Rutger and Jessica van der Weel. Located between Goes and Zierikzee on the Eastern Scheldt, the atmosphere is maritime yet intimate. Indoors, the white leather chairs are wonderfully comfortable; outside on the terrace, enclosed by half-glass walls, you feel a sultry sea breeze, while an awning provides shade when the sun becomes too intense. A beautiful spot. After a series of amuse-bouches that prepare our palate for the lunch dishes with sweet, bitter, sour, salty, and umami flavors, the starter arrives. Hostess Julia de Wit brings a cream made from five different types of citrus, topped with yellowtail tartare dressed with a touch of sambal, ox tail vinegar, and crispy beef jerky on top. Accompanying it are lengthwise-cut snap peas, calendula petals, a borage flower, dots of aioli, a green foam of snap peas and dashi. Fresh colors and sensational flavor combinations. But above all, textures ranging from crumbly to soft to crispy. Sommelier Paul Labruijere pairs it with a Teddy Hall, a Chenin Blanc from Stellenbosch. Crisp finish, rich in fruit, juicy and full-bodied flavor. Equally surprising is the dish of red mullet with flavors of tomato, olive, cucumber, and chorizo. Mediterranean Zeeland, so to speak. Applause for the homemade pastries, all based on seasonal Zeeland fruits such as strawberries and raspberries. All dishes are presented playfully and prepared with great skill. The warm hospitality, delicious food, and the location of Katseveer give the feeling of a luxury vacation. Takes one step back to 36.