Restaurant Calva

High quality cooking

Restaurant Calva, run by Tom Beckers and Angelique de Moree, has been given a brand-new home on the Market square in the center of Nootdorp. Step inside and you are immersed in luxury and warmth, and above all, genuine hospitality from the owner himself. Tom prepares French cuisine using fresh, predominantly local and seasonal ingredients, letting the flavors speak for themselves. The restaurant offers a regularly rotating multi-course menu, and dietary requirements can be communicated when making a reservation. Hardly have we taken our seats when the first amuse-bouches arrive, and naturally, Tom’s famous signature bisque is not missing. A creamy, frothy lobster bisque. The starter features a ballotine of roasted, lukewarm skrei, accompanied by various preparations of red beetroot, green horseradish cream, and Nootdorp lettuce. It presents a beautiful balance between the sweetness of the beetroot and the gentle heat of the horseradish. This is paired with a glass of 2023 Knapse Witte from Wijnhoeve Colonjes in Groesbeek—soft, fresh, and mineral-driven. Next comes a poached Bieslandhoeve egg with leek vichyssoise and a crispy potato waffle, served alongside freshly baked house bread. For the main course, a medium-rare beef tenderloin fillet is served with a concentrated red wine sauce, various preparations of onion, and a mushroom soufflé. This is paired with a glass of 2018 Cairanne from Boudinot, poured from a magnum bottle—a fantastic match. The robust sauce remains on the table for us to help ourselves to extra servings. The small jug is emptied completely. The dessert is assembled tableside by the kitchen team. Homemade vanilla ice cream is drizzled with chocolate sauce and garnished with a chocolate and gold medallion from the neighboring Chocolaterie en Gelaterie De Lelie.

For almost ten years, Calva has been exuding pure class. Meanwhile, chef-owner Tom Beckers is now completely at home in his discreet location on the Markt in Nootdorp. The renovated interior looks contemporary and spacious, with a welcoming atmosphere in which his...

Calva is Latijns voor noot, hoe leuk gevonden als je restaurant in Nootdorp gevestigd is! De straat alleen al lijkt wel een ansichtkaart uit vervlogen tijden en het pand is schitterend. Dit belooft veel goeds en dat goeds komt er. Van de ontvangst tot de uitstraling, tot de service en de prachtige gerechten. Alles klopt tot in de puntjes. We krijgen het belevenismenu en ons valt op dat iedereen in het restaurant dezelfde gerechten om ongeveer dezelfde tijd geserveerd krijgt. Slim. Zo kan de chef, die ook nog zelf aan tafel komt vragen of er speciale wensen zijn, zich per gang volledig en met alle liefde storten op dat ene specifieke gerecht. Het diner zelf is niet echt opgebouwd uit het klassieke voor, hoofd en na. Het is een belevenis, een reis door alles waar de chef van houdt en wat de regio te bieden heeft. In het eerste deel eten we tartelette met coleslaw en diverse bereidingen van paddenstoelen. Tussendoor komt de chef nog een kaashapje brengen met daarin de favoriete kaas van zijn dochter verwerkt. Kort daarna krijgen we de lekkerste spinazie-kokossoep die we ooit geproefd hebben, gevolgd door huisgemaakte pasta met kreeft, een sausje van inktvisinkt en tongschar met mosselen en kerriemosterd. Alles klopt, alles past en alles is met veel liefde en kunde bereid en bij elkaar gezocht. Tot besluit van de avond kiezen we voor kaas, met zelfgemaakt flatbread en cranberrybrood. En daarbij drinken we een glaasje DOW's port. Zalig en zoet. De perfecte avond. Zeker als de chef ons bij vertrek nog buiten achterna komt om ons te bedanken en te vragen of alles naar wens was. Wat een gastvrijheid en betrokkenheid. Vanwege drukte in de Top-100 dit jaar helaas net op de drempel.

Calva means 'nut' in Latin, which, according to chef Tom Beckers and hostess Angelique de Moree, along with her husband Marco who also participates, fits perfectly with the location, Nootdorp, where this charming restaurant is situated in the old village center. Beckers, partly trained at the then-Savelberg in Voorburg and classically French-educated, cooks in his perfectly equipped open kitchen without fuss, generously and in a Burgundian style, with occasional Eastern influences. This approach is highly popular with guests from the surrounding area. The menu changes quite frequently, as the seasons are closely followed. The wine list features not only labels from old and new world countries but also unknown gems, with a remarkable focus on sustainable viticulture. The wine pairing is pre-tasted by the entire team to achieve the best wine-and-food combinations. The modern interior offers a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere, and there is a cheerful vibe. Guests truly treat themselves to an evening out here and dress up nicely for it. Chef Tom greets every table guest and goes through the dinner together so that wishes can be accommodated. After the aperitif, a glass of rich and floral cava from Bodegas Pinord, we start with Tom's signature dish, which you should basically always order because it's divine: creamy shellfish bisque with asparagus tips and croutons with rouille. As if an angel... you know what I mean. We continue with perfectly cooked monkfish accompanied by lardo and aged soy sauce, paired with Azul y Garanza Suelovivo Tinto poured by hostess Angelique, a juicy and fruity, lightly colored natural wine. From the cheese trolley come delicacies from home and abroad, served with lovely fresh flatbread and cranberry bread. Speaking of generosity. Calva is a standout and makes it into the Top 100 of this guide. Welcome at number 94.

Top class, this intimate restaurant next to the 16th-century church of Nootdorp. Chef-owner Tom Beckers hails from Savelberg and has been cooking here at the same high level for five years now, much to the delight of epicures in the surrounding area around the former livestock village. His cooking style is hearty, generous, and stylish, and he has surrounded himself with young kitchen teams who know their craft. Paired with glasses of Chardonnay from Limoux (L’Étoile from Domaine Begude, 2020), we taste a delicious starter of smoked burrata with tomatoes and basil: earthy and elegant. The shellfish bisque with spring onions and a cracker with rouille also deserves applause: intense, refined flavors. The fish dish on the menu is pollock, the long-underestimated but fortunately increasingly popular substitute for cod. It arrives perfectly cooked, the white, glossy flakes falling apart effortlessly, and the flavor is excellent. Served with: wild carrots and a mussel sauce with a hint of curry. On the other plate comes veal, sliced, tenderly roasted and flavorful, accompanied by a garnish of green beans, chanterelles, small turnips, and separately served Madeira jus. Simply beautiful! Before the cheese course featuring an assortment of varieties, the chef brings out a delightful 'after-piece' of duck liver with almond, mocha, and sour cherry. Accompanied by a glass of dark red Pizzolato (Donna Luna) made from Raboso grapes from Veneto. Calva promotes to the Lekker Top-100 and enters at number 90.

Just as Talpa is the Latin equivalent of 'mole' (named after the TV producer with that name), Calva means 'nut' (after Nootdorp), where owner-chef Tom Beckers has been running the eponymous restaurant for almost five years now, situated at the foot of the village church. And with great success; Beckers' cuisine is Burgundian and refined, the service is quick and friendly, and the urban-style venue maintains a pleasantly muted buzz thanks to an impressive acoustic ceiling. The menu is small – you must choose the set menu or pick individual items – and the wine list is equally modest. We taste a glass of white Ferme du Mont (La Truffière) from the Côtes du Rhône paired with various preparations of red beet, and as an amuse-bouche, we receive a clever combination of fish & chips ingredients served on a 'real' English newspaper, which is as witty as it is delicious. The meal begins with a langoustine accompanied by little gem lettuce, curry, and ponzu, followed by pan-fried plaice with stewed spinach and tomato antipasto, and a vegetarian dish featuring various types and preparations of cabbage. Everything is extremely flavorful, though the pacing could be slightly quicker. The main course, Dorset lamb, is cooked to perfect tenderness and served with artichoke, sea aster, anchovy foam, and smashed Opperdoezer Ronde potatoes, plus a delicious lamb jus. To finish, a strawberry dessert with basil. An excellent establishment.

Originally a rural municipality, it is now surrounded by The Hague, Delft, and Zoetermeer. Yet the village street of Nootdorp remains authentic, and at the foot of the Protestant village church sits Restaurant Calva. The space is large, featuring a beautiful dark wooden floor, an open kitchen, tinted walls, numerous paintings, and acoustics that are less than ideal. But hey, we come here for the culinary artistry of owner-chef Tom Beckers, who previously cut his teeth at Savelberg and now runs Calva alongside Angelique and Marco de Moree. And it must be said: the food here is prepared with passion, beautifully and elegantly. “We cook classically with a modern twist and without gimmicks, because we let the ingredients speak for themselves,” says Tom Beckers. The menu is concise and the wine list modest, but everything on it is excellent. It’s hardly surprising, then, that the place is consistently filled with guests of all ages and group makeups. On top of that, the service is quick, precise, friendly, warm, and undeniably professional. Exactly as it should be. Tom Beckers notes: “Since the pandemic, we’ve shifted our focus from quantity to quality, ensuring our guests enjoy a truly fulfilling evening.” And the best part? All of this comes at a very reasonable price. Simply superb!

In the two years that head chef Tom Beckers has been cooking here, at the foot of the village church, the number of guests has more than doubled. The large, bustling room with its wooden floor, suspended ceiling, and numerous paintings, along with the swift service and open kitchen, attracts food enthusiasts from far beyond the village borders. It is good here, as the chef previously cooked at Savelberg and his culinary style has become even more refined. The menu is small and the wine list is equally modest, but the selection is satisfying. We taste a glass of white South African Waterkloof, a flavorful Chenin Blanc from the Stellenbosch region, paired with a poultry roulade and crab salad, which proves to be a fantastic starter. It comes with avocado alongside a crustacean dressing, and the flavor profile moves from salty to sweet, from soft to crunchy. Poached cod follows, served with celery and a generous pour of truffle broth: another visual delight, perfectly cooked and bursting with creamy, earthy richness. A full-bodied Chardonnay from Limoux (Domaine Begude, 2017) is poured, which also complements the main course of sliced Black Angus steak with onion structures and red wine jus: delicious! Finally, a beautiful cheese selection. Calva is an excellent establishment.

New in this guide last year. Restaurant Calva (= 'nut' in Latin), owned by Marco and Angelique de Moree, is located in the old village center of Nootdorp. The interior is simply designed, the tables are comfortably spaced apart, and there is a clear view of the open kitchen. Head chef Tom Beckers serves classic French cuisine with a modern twist. Tom personally visits each table to explain the menu, the knowledgeable and hospitable staff pours well-matched wines, and the kitchen team assists with plating. You can sense a wonderful synergy between the front-of-house and back-of-house teams. We are served tender-crisp asparagus à la flamande, accompanied by aged Belgian forest ham, egg and parsley foam, and sponge cake. This is followed by a signature dish: a rich, creamy bisque featuring shellfish, prawns, and rouille. A true treat for the palate. The cooking of the sea bass on braised spinach is excellent. The standout of the evening is British lamb sirloin served with pea cream, lamb kidneys, and green asparagus. How lovely that the robust lamb jus is left in a jug on the table so we can easily pour ourselves another serving. Paired with a South African The Innocent 2015 Syrah from Lammershoek, offering a full body and a subtle peppery note. The mostly Dutch cheeses on the rolling cheese cart are carved and served tableside by the chef, accompanied by flatbread with caramel and cranberry bread. Our verdict: definitely keep it up.