Valuas

Restaurant Valuas, run by chef-owner Eric Swaghoven, is exactly the kind of place where everything comes together. Situated on the Meuse River, just outside the city center, the restaurant offers a beautiful view and an almost serene tranquility. Upon entering, the classic interior immediately catches the eye without feeling stiff. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the service is warm. Eric prepares a modern French cuisine with international influences and regional produce. After a glass of Philipponnat Champagne Royale Réserve Brut, poured by our friendly host and sommelier Michiel Janssen, the promising lunch begins with a stunning appetizer: a mosaic of lobster, duck liver, and sea bass. A bold combination on paper, but on the plate, everything comes together surprisingly well. The carrot fondant adds a mild sweetness, while the soy vinaigrette provides a fine salty, slightly tangy counterpoint—exactly what the dish needs to stay balanced. The main course is equally thoughtful: a cannelloni of slow-cooked lamb shank, stuffed with pistachio and apricot. The lamb is butter-soft and full of flavor, the pistachio lends a light nutty note, while the apricot adds a touch of gentle sweetness. Elevated comfort food. After two strong courses, the dessert also manages to impress. The canelé de Bordeaux is perfectly executed: a crisp exterior with a soft, creamy center. Accompanied by various textures of vanilla, making the dish both playful and elegant. Is vanilla as a main ingredient boring? Absolutely not. As the cherry on top, an impressive cheese trolley makes its appearance, offering something for every enthusiast. A beautiful selection, accompanied by clear descriptions and room for personal preferences—exactly as it should be. Everything served here is undoubtedly of exceptional caliber. No fuss, no loud trends, but quality, calm, and craftsmanship. It climbs a few places to 62.

In good weather, the holiday feeling is never far away on the terrace at Valuas, with a view of the Meuse and Venlo. A wide selection of dishes further enhances this sense of freedom and joy. Those who like to be surprised can choose a me...

Miriam and Eric Swaghoven own a wonderful spot along the Meuse. The Pieterpad trail runs past the terrace at the rear. We would gladly stay for both lunch and dinner here. There is plenty to do. In addition to a hotel, the couple also owns a bistro, and there are quite a few banquet events taking place. Quite untypically, you are more likely to choose the à la carte dishes than the surprise menu here. That is a nice compliment. We start with delicious sourdough bread and a relatively subtle spread of white beans with tarragon. Among the amuse-bouches, the mushroom broth stands out. The menu features plenty of vegetarian dishes. We choose North Sea crab, served cold, accompanied by a Holland prawn bisque and various potato preparations. The foie gras pâté comes with lovely accompaniments of soft pumpkin, physalis, and kumquats. The sauce with vanilla and orange is also soft and lightly sweet. The accompanying brioche is nicely warmed, but once it cools down, the crust becomes hard and dry. In between, we indulge in a house-made specialty: Venlo fries with summer truffle, spinach, and aged cheese. The wine list features quite pricey bottles that have been carefully selected. Alongside our main courses, we drink a red from the Jura. The Arbois Rouge Tradition from Domaine Rolet pairs excellently with the marbled veal tongue and cheek. The shallot jus remains on the table, as does the chanterelle-based jus served alongside the quail with Serrano ham and figs. The bird is served as a roulade. Unfortunately, the accompanying spaghetti with fig marmalade and pistachio crumble is too sweet to form a good pairing with the wine. The kitchen brigade is also somewhat hectic and disorganized, and napkins are forgotten when setting tables. Afterwards, there is an extensive selection of sweets available. We opt for a choice from the cheese board. Excellent explanations provided by the sous-chef from his cheese bar. A lovely spot along the long river in the south of our country. Ranked number 64.

The Aangenaam hotel-restaurant boasts a beautiful location overlooking the Meuse River and passing ships. Owner-chef Eric Swaghoven commands classical cuisine to perfection, and the wine list is equally outstanding. The bottles displayed along the walls of the traditional dining room already hint at this. We begin with an aperitif consisting of a special and invigorating sparkling wine from Domaine Holset in the far south of Limburg. We then have to wait quite a while for the amuse-bouches, and these wait times do not lessen as the evening goes on. The kitchen’s craftsmanship is immediately evident in the starter, which features various preparations of mushrooms—raw, cooked, and puréed—presented as a delicate bouquet, accompanied by shavings of celery root and a separate glass of warm mushroom extract. The foie gras terrine served with crisp gingerbread flakes is also noteworthy. For the main course, a dry-aged Simmentaler beef fillet is served, with the timeless stroganoff sauce prepared tableside. Where do you even see that these days? The selected wine pairings with the dishes also reflect a high standard. For example, we enjoy a Kalkmergel Grauer Burgunder 2020 from Weingut Friedrich Becker in the Palatinate alongside the mushroom dish. Nevertheless, we do have some criticisms. The intervals between courses are genuinely long. Waiting nearly an hour and a half between the starter and the main course is simply no longer acceptable. While there is nothing inherently wrong with classical cuisine, new culinary talent with contemporary ideas is emerging. As a result, this establishment drops several places in our ranking to number 57.

Hotel-Restaurant Valuas is located on the Meuse River, and if you walk the famous Pieterpad trail, you will pass by it. Since 1992, this spacious and classically furnished establishment has been run by SVH Master Chef Eric Swaghoven, who with his team prepares modern French cuisine. The welcome is somewhat businesslike, but fortunately, not long after, we experience Limburg hospitality. Alongside the à la carte menu featuring Eric's specialties, there is also a menu from which you can choose your own number of courses. The wine list, or rather the wine bible, is downright impressive. What wonderful selections! The amuse-bouches taste promising: rice mousse with wasabi foam, asparagus mousse with Riesling jelly, and a little horn filled with tomato sorbet, Parmesan, and olives are all superb. The cauliflower cream of the starter comes with a juicy langoustine, vanilla oil, and grapefruit sorbet. A paper-thin chicken skin croquant completes the dish. Beautifully balanced, lightly salted, with a pleasant acidity. The 2020 Bourgogne Chardonnay from Guy Amiot et Fils in France pairs perfectly. The glazed veal escalopes of the main course are cooked to perfection and robust in flavor. The accompaniments are classic: a rhubarb-strawberry compote and a beetroot purée. The dish arrives beautifully presented and pairs well with a German Spätburgunder 2019 from Fürst in Franconia. For dessert, a coffee marshmallow with chocolate, banana, apricot, chocolate sorbet, and Victoria sponge. Many flavors on the plate, but they balance each other beautifully. The bill is hefty, but fortunately, it is matched by outstanding quality. Well done, Team Valuas!

Located at the entrance to the De Maascorridor nature reserve, directly on the famous Pieterpad trail, Hotelrestaurant Valuas and brasserie La Vie have recently swapped locations. The dining room is comfortable, spacious, meticulously maintained, and classically furnished. SVH Master Chef Eric Swaghoven and his team craft modern French cuisine. The à la carte menu features chef’s specials such as sole and a Venlo-style fried egg dish, alongside multi-course tasting menus. The impressive wine list showcases labels from around the world. Paired with the aperitif—a rich Grauer Burgunder Achkarren Schlossberg from Weingut Josef Michel—come amuse-bouches like a white chocolate truffle filled with cheese. An absolute flavor explosion. This description fits the eel in green prepared in an Oriental style perfectly. The eel is glazed with ponzu and accompanied by wasabi vegetables, a poached quail egg, a rice croquant, a soybean flan, and a side of eel dashi broth. It boasts a perfect flavor balance with bright acidity and refined textures. Equally surprising is the chicken cocktail with melon and curry. Served in a glass just like a classic shrimp cocktail, the carefully layered ingredients ensure that every bite delivers a thrilling gustatory experience. Creative and sophisticated cooking defines this establishment, and the value for money is outstanding.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Restaurant Valuas, which is part of the recently fully renovated hotel bearing the same name. In the beautiful dining room with linen-draped tables, floral arrangements, and antique cabinets, both hotel guests and locals gather to savor the classic French gastronomy of SVH Master Chef and owner Eric Swaghoven. The atmosphere is warm and convivial. The aperitif can be enjoyed in the specially designed lounge overlooking the gently flowing Meuse River. In the open kitchen, the chef and his team diligently craft classics such as beef tenderloin stroganoff and sole meunière, while the menu also offers contemporary selections with great attention paid to vegetarian diners. The wine list is exceptionally comprehensive, featuring more than 450 labels from around the world, several of which are self-imported. Kudos to the waitstaff, who work with precision and show genuine interest in their guests. The price-to-quality ratio is exemplary. A solid establishment.

Master Chef Eric Swaghoven of SVH shows that his team is versatile. In the aperitif room of his beautiful establishment overlooking the gently flowing Meuse, we enjoy amuses featuring white chocolate, blue cheese, and herring roe. And raw ham, celery sticks, and mandarin orange in a red-and-white checkered paper cone. Paired with a glass of Weisser Burgunder 2017 from Meiser, Rheinhessen. The menu begins with sea bass ceviche, dressed with caviar and couscous balls in a white porcelain bowl. Served alongside an oyster removed from its shell, crispy leek whites, and piped potato mousseline. Beautiful flavors! The white wine we started with continues to sparkle in the glass. Duck liver, asparagus, mushroom, and nashi pear, drizzled with a delicious sherry vinaigrette and accompanied by an excellent glass of Birkweiler Kastanienbusch from Wolf, Pfalz with its characteristic riesling aroma, precede ravioli stuffed with hearty veal shank and veal tongue. Topped with morels and Parmesan, and finished with young watercress shoots. Wonderful flavors and once again a creative plating. Unfortunately, the components of the dish cool down rather quickly, and the halibut with asparagus and langoustine on the other plate is also served barely at the correct minimum temperature. Fortunately, a glass of wood-aged Chardonnay 2017 from the Norbertine sisters at Sint Catharinadal Abbey in Oosterhout makes up for it. Moreover, the fish meat is perfectly cooked, juicy, and topped with fresh parsley and crispy potato cubes. A lovely selection of cheeses and a sweet dessert in two parts conclude the meal, which convincingly demonstrates the versatility of this cuisine. Competition for the Top-100 is fierce, causing Valuas to drop to 49th place.

Stylish and attractive interior with a view of a pleasant terrace overlooking the Meuse. The staff, dressed in chic jeans and jackets, exude enthusiasm and know exactly what they are talking about. With a delicious glass of Rheinhessen Riesling Alborn Stauff 2011, SVH Master Chef Eric Swaghoven serves several refined amuse-bouches: green cheese with radish and red fruit jelly; pickled duck ham with walnut crumb; avocado with herring roe and crème fraîche; and a crispy cylinder with apple, pumpkin, port jelly, and red pepper. Very refined and varied. The starter is a classic from Valuas: duck and guinea fowl pâté en croûte with peppery cherries, lukewarm guinea fowl fond, and separately served duck liver crème brûlée. The pairing with the Riesling Halbtrocken Kabinett 2012 from Köhler-Ruprecht in the Palatinate has been excellently chosen. How delicious artisanal pâté en croûte can be. The duck liver crème brûlée completes the feast. Turbot is the main course, pan-fried in butter with lemon, accompanied by eggplant rolls, zucchini, spring onions, potato cream, and crystal-clear saffron sauce. Another perfectly executed dish, delightful in flavor and beautifully presented. Another German wine accompanies the meal, this time from the Moselle region: a Saar Riesling by Van Volxem 2015 that proves to be a highly enjoyable companion. We conclude our visit with a lovely cherry and blueberry soufflé, a strong espresso, and homemade friandises. Restaurant Valuas offers relaxed hospitality and good value for money. It ranks solidly at 47.

Inside, Valuas is stylishly decorated with dark wood paneling, contemporary paintings on light-colored walls, an arched ceiling, columns, round tables set on carpets, and a glimpse into the majestic wine cabinet. Valuas also operates as a hotel and brasserie. We are welcomed by SVH Master Chef Erik Swaghoven with marinated radish in hoisin and shaved peanuts, alongside a split pea, wasabi, and sesame bonbon. As for the cheese dip with lemon, olive oil, and fresh herbs, served with freshly baked sourdough bread, we’d gladly order a whole pan next time! We also savor mullet with shiitake mushrooms, vintage soy sauce, and salted apricot in a lightly emulsified basmati sauce. Generous pours of Stauff Winery’s Spätburgunder 2010 accompany it. The Pinot Noir Acrobat 2014 from King Vineyard in Oregon is also generously poured. Meanwhile, the disarmingly friendly waitstaff serve up pork belly with morels and potato crisps in a rich sauce made from pork hock, coffee, and sherry. Beautifully flavored and elegantly presented. Equally well-balanced is the glass of Massimago 'Profasio' Valpolicella 2012 paired with buttery soft Anjou pigeon, accompanied by kohlrabi, clove cream, and rhubarb. On a subsequent visit, a sushi amuse of melt-in-the-mouth mackerel leaves a lasting impression. The teriyaki tuna delivers a genuine flavor explosion. The lamb fillet with gremolata and jus is so tender it practically melts in your mouth. For dessert, a glass of Scheurebe Steinchen Auslese from the Nahe region (2015) pairs perfectly with sponge cake, raspberry mousse, raspberry sorbet, and fresh raspberries. Despite recent staff changes, Valuas climbs one place to number 47.