Vive La Vie

Chef Jeroen and host Lara Sportel celebrated the tenth anniversary of their restaurant last year. They cook innovatively within the French tradition, with a surprise menu as the guide. We begin with carefully prepared amuse-bouches, including a tartlet...

Life is truly celebrated in the heart of Groningen at Vive la Vie. Chef Jeroen and hostess and sommelier Lara Sportel go above and beyond to pamper their guests, serving delicious food and offering warm, personal attention. The carefully renovated historic building sits just a stone’s throw from the Martinitoren. Its interior exudes intimacy, featuring rough brick walls and an abundance of art, while the open kitchen adds a lively energy to the space. The menu presents a multi-course experience built on a classic foundation with Eastern accents, complemented by a wine list dominated by European labels. Each course is plated like a miniature work of art, starting with the amuse-bouches: bapao with Eastern spices, nori wrapped around eggplant and yuzu pearls, and a paper-thin tartelette with tom kha kai. We begin the main menu with yellowtail kingfish, accompanied by various preparations of garden peas, green asparagus, lime granité, and sunflower seed tapenade—a refined and refreshing start. The following vegetarian dish features meaty oak mushrooms with ponzu foam, cauliflower cream, kumquat, and macadamia nuts; it is earthy and packed with flavor. Equally impressive is the juicy-cooked sirloin steak served with black garlic foam, lardo, beetroot rolls, mushrooms, and snap peas. Paired with it is a full, ripe Portuguese Taboadella 1255 Dão that complements the meat beautifully. Hats off to the service team for being attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely engaged. If we may offer one small suggestion: please ensure the vegetarian dishes maintain a more substantial volume, as the current portions are slightly on the lean side. Merci!

Restaurant Vive la Vie, located in the heart of Groningen’s city center, exudes an intimate atmosphere and a sleek design. After a somewhat chaotic welcome, we are shown to our tables. The amuse-bouches—a flammekueche with aged cheese from Eytemaheert, mayonnaise made from lavas and watermelon, a beetroot macaron with beetroot jelly and mackerel, and a tartlet with black garlic, peas, and feta—quickly dispel any initial discomfort. There is no à la carte menu here; instead, guests choose from a multi-course tasting menu. The first course is highly enjoyable: a foam of cold-smoked goat yogurt with sweet potato, passion fruit, and reduced carrot juice. Paired with a glass of Chapeau Chenin by Jérémie Huchet 2023, it’s an excellent match. The yellowtail kingfish is accompanied by macadamia cream and a vinaigrette featuring baharat and browned butter, along with pickled kohlrabi. Beautifully balanced in flavor. Next comes an Eastern-style broth based on seaweed with roasted garlic, tortellini with oyster mushrooms and belly pork, and potato galettes. What a flavor explosion! Absolutely delightful. The main course features venison tartare and roe deer fillet with a pumpkin seed crust, a cylinder of sweet onion, horseradish rounds, and a verbena-infused hollandaise sauce. Served with a Spanish Maria de Moya Bobal 2020, this wine aromatically presents notes of spices and ripe fruit. It has a full taste yet remains smooth and easy to drink despite its bold 15% alcohol content. The coffee sweets are of true patisserie quality. It is noticeable that since head chef Tim Ringers took over, the kitchen standards have risen several notches, and the cuisine has grown more refined. We are also impressed by the young waitress Nina Veldhuis, who enthusiastically explains the wines from the pairing menu at the table. A wonderful address for a genuine evening out right in the city center.

That life should be lived is not immediately apparent from the interior of Vive la Vie, which is fairly plain in color. This stands in stark contrast to what appears on the plate. For there, the joy of exquisite cooking and savoring life’s good things radiates from every angle. Owner and passionate chef Jeroen Sportel runs an artisanal, daily-fresh kitchen where many exciting and unexpected flavors abound. His travels to Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Cuba, Laos, and Cambodia serve as constant sources of inspiration for his cuisine. Guests can choose from several courses, with individual wines available by the half or full glass, or opt for a fine bottle from the extensive wine list. An all-inclusive menu featuring everything included is also available. We begin with a full-bodied, fruity Riesling Grand Cru Altenberg from Alsace and indulge in no fewer than three varieties of crisp, fresh bread. The starter features perfectly pan-seared red mullet, accompanied by a mild sweet-and-sour red pepper compote, artichoke, dashi, and a rich apple and chive vinaigrette. Bursting with flavor and vibrant in presentation, it rests beautifully on a large, chic, matte-white plate. We then have to wait (perhaps too) long for the main course, but the excellent braised veal, served alongside crispy onion rings, chanterelles, and a concentrated veal jus, more than makes up for it. Once again, a creatively composed masterpiece on the plate. We pair it with a full-bodied, sultry, and spiced Tenuta Regaleali Lamùri Nero d’Avola, a true gem from Sicily. One point to note concerns the acoustics; you can literally hear conversations at neighboring tables, which is rarely desirable. Kudos to the young service team, who are enthusiastic, professional, and cheerful!

A chic, contemporary-designed venue in the heart of Groningen. Owner-chef Jeroen Sportel cooks daily fresh without a fixed menu to guarantee absolute freshness. Guests can choose the number of courses they prefer, and there is an all-inclusive package featuring amuse-bouches, bread, the tasting menu with matching wines, table water, and a coffee service with petit fours. Dietary requirements can be discussed at the time of booking. Lara Sportel-de Boer acts as the hostess, fulfilling her role with great enthusiasm. Regarding the quality of the dishes, we can be brief: absolutely exquisite cooking takes place here. Surprising flavor combinations and flawless techniques. One aspect that remains a point of concern is portion sizing. The starter, introduced by the hostess as a little Waldorf “salad,” is aptly named. The dish of apple and celery topped with a paper-thin slice of scallop and a few drops of orange and lime vinaigrette vanishes in a single bite. The same applies to the piece of juicy pan-fried cod accompanied by a poached oyster, half a snap pea, and a teaspoon of horseradish hollandaise. Another point of attention is the pacing between courses. We waited nearly three-quarters of an hour for our main course, and while we enjoyed a window table overlooking the street, you eventually tire of people-watching and simply want to eat well.

As is well known, owner-chef Jeroen Sportel cooks without a set menu so he can adapt to seasonal quality ingredients. In the elongated restaurant, a former bakery with an open kitchen at the back, there is a chic atmosphere. The interior is calm, featuring green tones and food imagery on the walls. The guests range from young to old, with a noticeable number of couples. The numerous amuse-bouches served alongside the aperitif pour of Spanish Chardonnay-Macabeo are highly promising. Oyster with gin-and-tonic and cucumber, seaweed krupuk with wakame and wild garlic cream, beetroot meringue with eel and herring roe, Dutch new herring with a grain wine foam, pickled kohlrabi, mustard seeds, and chive mayonnaise. The meal begins with sea bass ceviche accompanied by quinoa, watermelon, samphire, crispy sweet potato, and Bloody Mary ice cream. A refreshingly straightforward starter that harmonizes perfectly with the Spanish Verdejo by José Pariente. The presentation is stunningly beautiful. Owner and hostess Lara Sportel-De Boer keeps a close eye on everything and is thoroughly knowledgeable about the offerings. The veal loin for the main course is flawlessly prepared and melts in your mouth like butter. Finally, we are very pleased with the dessert and its matching dessert wine. Various preparations of raspberry and peach, paired with Le Petit Paon from Domaine des Beaumard. One minor critique concerns the portion sizes. Set against the price, they are rather modest.

Since opening in 2014, owner-chef Jeroen Sportel—who honed his skills through years of experience both domestically and abroad—has championed French cuisine while continuously seeking innovation and distinctive flavor pairings. His trips to Asia, a major hobby shared by Jeroen and his partner Lara Sportel, serve as a rich source of inspiration for his culinary style. The realization that occasionally stepping back is essential to spark new ideas is something Jeroen and Lara came to understand, among other things, during the coronavirus crisis. This led to a wonderful initiative: “When purchasing a dinner voucher, guests could gift a complimentary three-course meal to anyone they chose. Over two weeks, we prepared and delivered around 100 meals to homes, primarily to seniors and healthcare workers. Truly rewarding work!” Dining here feels wonderfully relaxed in the former bakery where the venture first began as a bistro. Today, this establishment—a stone’s throw from the Martinitoren—has evolved into a charming, contemporary venue where food is prepared to a consistently high standard. Soft music fills the air, and the chefs frequently present the dishes tableside, all prepared right before your eyes in an open kitchen. There is no fixed menu here; instead, the kitchen relies on daily-fresh, seasonal ingredients. Guests can opt for a wine from a carefully curated wine list, or choose from various dining packages. Another plus: Vive la Vie has partnered with ‘Overnachten in Stijl’, which offers unique hotel apartments throughout Groningen. Perfect if you’re looking to extend your visit with an overnight stay.

Vive la Vie, originally started as a bistro in a former bakery, has grown into a full-fledged restaurant. They work without a menu card, allowing owner-chef Jeroen Sportel to tailor his menu of day-fresh ingredients to the season. From the open kitchen comes a parade of amuse-bouches, with the bloody mary variation and the crispy bite with cabbage lettuce cream and bacon foam standing out in particular. The sea bass ceviche and tartare are accompanied by a delicious pomegranate vinaigrette, and apple and cucumber components provide a fresh start. It is a pity, however, that the amount of sea bass is rather modest. Next comes a duo of turbot fillet and lobster, which is poured tableside with a flavorful lobster bisque. Deliciously tender duck breast follows, served with spicy bulgur and a chanterelle jus. The accompanying glass of Petit Pittacum 2017 from Mencía grapes from Bierzo was excellently selected by the enthusiastic sommelier, Yannick Stomp. The dessert with lemon ice cream, red fruit, and goat yogurt with basil is colorful and refreshing. The sommelier and hostesses Lara Sportel and Carolina de Vries provide excellent explanations at the table. However, due to the mediocre acoustics, we do have to strain our ears quite a bit. The bill is on the high side for the quantity served. It is a minor point to address, to ensure they can keep celebrating life.

A stylish building, minimalist and modern, renovated and furnished by owner-chef Jeroen Sportel himself. It certainly does not remind us of a bistro, but that need not dampen the enjoyment. There is a relaxed atmosphere, although the acoustics leave something to be desired, particularly on the fully booked Friday evening of our visit. Yet we are so impressed by the presentation and quality of the dishes that we easily overlook this. The open kitchen is a real eye-catcher, and the kitchen staff work in a disciplined and subdued manner. There is no fixed menu here. Each day, the offerings are tailored to the ingredients that arrive. Sportel cooks innovatively while remaining deeply rooted in his classics. We are very pleasantly surprised by pickled, lightly charred cod with seaweed, cucumber, and bergamot, paired with a glass of sparkling North Portuguese Vinho Verde Calcada from the Minho region. Slow-cooked belly pork glazed with soy sauce is served with langoustines, broccoli, a spring roll, and a herbaceous foaming sauce. It is so good we lick our fingers clean. This is followed by roasted veal loin with braised veal cheek in a morel jus. The Italian clear ruby-red (luminoso, as the Italians say) organic wine Coltibuono 2016 pairs delightfully with its subtle herbal character. The only point of attention is the portion size; the servings are generally rather modest. The dessert is a visual treat: chocolate mousse, mandarin, quenelles of red fruit sorbet, and caramelized banana. Served alongside a Moscatel de Setúbal, which complements the dessert perfectly. Kudos to hostess Heleen Pit, who carries out her duties skillfully and with ease. If the rest of the team shares her passion, the overall experience will shine even brighter.