The finest restaurants

Chapeau has selected the most pleasant and gastronomic restaurants in Maastricht and surrounding areas.

Maastricht’s City Centre

Tout à Fait

A modern restaurant by restaurateur and chef Bart Ausems serving an intriguing, contemporary cuisine. Tout a Fait was opened in 1999 and has had a Michelin-start since 2002. Sint Bernardusstraat 16-18, +31 (0)43 3500405 www.toutafait.nl

Rantrée

A great place outside the side with a great view over the city and the Belgian border. Run by chef Ralph Hermans, who produces top-level dishes – he even offers a full vegan menu on Michelin-star menu –, and Jennifer Silvius, a real wine connoisseur presenting a great selection. Wonderful value for money, with one Michelin star.

Het Wilhelmus 30L, +31 (0)43 3215140 www.rantree.nl

Restaurant Rozemarijn

Just around the corner from Onze Lieve Vrouweplein, this cosy restaurant serves light and delicious cuisine and wonderful wines.

Havenstraat 19, +31 (0)43 4506505 www.restaurant-rozemarijn.nl

Vino&Friends

Located near the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein square, you now find Vino&Friends, a trendy Italian gastropub and wine shop in the centre of the city. Italian dishes and 350 different wines.

Plankstraat 6, +31 (0)43 3218456 www.vinoandfriends.nl

Il Giardino

A popular place with a friendly, family-like ambiance. Serves Italian food at reasonable prices.

O.L.Vrouweplein 15, +31 (0)43 3256229 www.ristoranteilgiardino.nl

Au

Coin des Bons Enfants

This venue has over 50 years of recognition among those in Maastricht and the surrounding area. Three years ago, two new owners took over this venue and gave it a trendy facelift as well as changed the menu to high quality classic French cuisine.

Ezelmarkt 4, +31 (0)43 3212359 www.aucoin.nl

Wine Restaurant Mes Amis

Located in a street full of other restaurants and cafés, this business sets itself apart with its great selection of merely local wines. The same street is home to Goesting, Mes Amis’ new wine shop that proudly only offers local wines.

Tongersestraat 5, +31 (0)43 3257866 www.mesamis.nl

NOVO new dining

An established name in Maastricht and far beyond. Led by head chef Rodny Welters, the team at NOVO new dining conjures up creative and very reasonably priced dishes with an unmistakeable, contemporary flair. Since autumn 2022, NOVO new dining has been based in a new location in the urban Sphinxkwartier district, where the NOVO experience will continue to be brought to life.

Café Sjiek

Maastricht’s first bistro – and still the most original. Popular and always busy, people go not only to enjoy the simple yet good-quality food and great wines at attractive prices, but also because it’s a great place to meet up with friends.

Sint Pieterstraat 13, +31 (0)43-3210158 www.cafesjiek.nl

Restaurant 55

Set in a baroque-style interior, the restaurant’s dynamic young team prepares French dishes at a reasonable price.

Heggenstraat 3a, +31 (0)43-3251762 www.restaurant55.nl

Le Bon Vivant

Adventure and Dutch cuisine meet in this hidden vaulted cellar located just a few minutes’ walk from Maastricht’s most famous squares. Chef Björn Dijkstra is able to set the right tone in terms of flavour time and time again.

Capucijnenstraat 91, +31 (0)43 321 0816 www.lebonvivant.nl

Louis Brasserie

Located in Hotel Derlon, home to a modern restaurant servin French-Mediterranean cuisine and a selection of divine wines.

O.L.Vrouweplein 6, +31 (0)43 3216770

Brandsøn

Comfortable trendy restaurant with an eclectic, international taste. A sophisticated restaurant and bar concept with a drinking bar for beverages and bites and a dining area for lunch or dinner. Welcomed George Taselaar, a reputable Maastricht chef, to their kitchen in the fall of 2022.

Het Bat 2, +31 (0)43 2012620 www.brandson.restaurant

Le Fernand

Since opening in 2016, Le Fernand has quickly grown into a popular bistro bar serving exclusively French dishes and wines.

Stenenbrug 6, +31 (0)43 8528952 lefernand.nl

Fitz Roy

Bar-bistro as part of a hotel. The menu draws on culinary influences from all over the world and herbs from their own urban garden. Serves breakfast every day. Serves lunch Thursday through Saturday. Bar and reception open every day. Serves dinner Wednesday through Saturday.

Boschstraat 70, +31 (0)43 3030700, www.fitz-roy.nl

Ristorante Il Fiore

Italian restaurant in the old center, cosy and natural. Original Italian cuisine and a warm atmosphere.

Kesselskade 59, +31 (0)43 8528099 www.ilfiore.nu

Kruisherenrestaurant

Modern and international restaurant, set in a spectacular former Gothic church, Kruisherenrestaurant offers good food and professional service.

Kruisherengang 19, +31 (0)43 3292020 www.chateauhotels.nl

Château Neercanne

A gorgeous, romantic castle at the border of Maastricht. Set in a classic and grand building and boasting a spectacular wine cellar, Château Neercanne serves modern French cuisine and offers excellent service.

Von Dopfflaan 10, +31 (0)43 3251359 www.chateauhotels.nl

Prix de Rome

Popular restaurant just outside the center, at the foot of the famous Louwberg, with a nice atmosphere and a good French cuisine at a Michelin Bib Gourmand-level.

At the end of 2021, the restaurant underwent a radical transformation.

Susserweg 1, +31 (0)43 8080233 prixderome.nl

Sofa

Situated at the edge of a marina, this modern restaurant offers contemporary dishes in a peaceful setting.

Hoge Weerd 6, +31 (0)43 3671337 www.sofamaastricht.nl

Wyck district Studio

This new, cosy restaurant in Wyck is run by Chef Gilbert von Berg (former chef at Chateau Neercanne), who likes to experiment with outof-the-ordinary cooking techniques at a high level, such as fermentation, to create pronounced flavours.

Wycker Grachtstraat 24, +31 (0)6 46027252 www.studio.restaurant

Beluga Loves You

In the summer of 2019, the famous Beluga Loves You was taken over by Servais Tielman, who used to work at the Michelin-starred restaurant as a sous-chef for many years. Tielman brings you a renewed Beluga Loves You-experience that revolves around pure, local ingredients.

Plein 1992 12, +31 (0)43 3213364 www.belugalovesyou.com

Mediterraneo

‘The best Italian food in town’. Restaurateur Pino is very senior, but he can still be found in the kitchen every day. His truffle dishes are famous. Very popular and with a very welcoming staff.

Rechtstraat 73, +31 (0)43 3255037 www.ristorante-mediterraneo.nl

Harry’s

An elegant, stylish bistro at Hotel Beaumont. The place to be for traditional French bistro dishes, prepared with ingredients from the restaurant’s own garden. Harry’s also has a large selection of good wines at very reasonable prices.

Wycker Brugstraat 2, +31 (0)43-3281366 www.harrysmaastricht.com

Founders Bar

Inspired by the great tradition of hotel bars in the cities of London and Paris. It opened its doors in Hotel Beaumont, in the heart of the Wyck district, in the summer of 2022. Traditional and trendy. Cosy and intimate. The menu features both classic and contemporary cocktails, as well as exclusive drinks and bites –from oysters and charcuterie to bitterballen.

Lage Barakken 10, +31(0) 43 207 2452 www.foundersbarmaastricht.nl

Bouchon d’en Façe

Lyonnais-style bistro, offering classic dishes such as canard à l’orange. Agreeable prices and a casual yet intimate atmosphere. It’s recently opened ‘Proeflokaal’ offers place for parties up to 80 people.

Wycker Brugstraat 54, +31 (0)43 3116438 www.bouchondenface.nl

Noon

A trendy hide-out in Maastricht. Its unique location near the Meuse river grants you a great view over the city. This venue also has a sunlit terrace. With a menu full of not-ordinary and tasteful dishes, cocktails and gin-tonics. Attractive wine list.

Griend 6-7, +31 (0)43 8200008 www.noonmaastricht.nl

’t Pakhoes

Cosy restaurant near the Meuse River. A family-run business with a chef who loves time-honoured dishes. Offers a wine list of classic French wines. Very attentive service.

Waterpoort 4-6, +31 (0)43 3257000 www.pakhoes.nl

Onglet

What used to be a butcher’s workplace, now is a trendy speakeasy bar - restaurant. In a design that reminds of Great Gatsby-scenes you are welcome to enjoy refined dishes in which the more special parts of meat play the main role.

Wycker Brugstraat 27, +31 (0)43 8528847 www.onglet.nl

Tuur Maastricht

The new restaurant-bar by Arthur Kissels, the man behind Tuur de Luxe. A contemporary catering formula specializing in drinks and multi-course dining, with regular updates to the menu.

Sint Maartenslaan 31b, +31 (0)43 700 9721 www.tuurmaastricht.nl

Umami by Han

Delicious, light Asian food in an inviting restaurant and at attractive prices.

Stationsstraat 12, +31 (0)43 3510006 wwwumami-restaurant.com

Wen-Chow

An authentic and original Chinese restaurant opposite the main railway station.

Spoorweglaan 5, +31 (0)43 3214540 www.wen-chow.nl

Flavourz by Servais

A more accessible restaurant part of the Beluga Loves You(*)-family. This is a place to enjoy a variety of flavours and dishes from around the world.

Spoorweglaan 2, +31 (0)43 7112263 www.flavourzbyservais.com

Bikke Maastricht

Bikke is different from everything else in Maastricht: a restaurant-bar driven by its love for Scandinavian lifestyle and food. The result? A whole host of bold flavours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Hoogbrugstraat 43a, +31 (0)43 7009775 www.bikkemaastricht.nl

JEF Gastrobar

JEF opened in the autumn of 2018. Wilbert and Gigi Nelissen would love to welcome you for a refreshing drink, some bites, and internationally inspired dishes. Rechtstraat 42, +31 (0)43 8554559

Near Maastricht

Brut172

Famous Michelin-starred chef Hans van Wolde’s new restaurant. Located in a former farm in Reijmerstok, a picturesque village in the hills of South-Limburg. In well-designed scenery, he brings the flavors of nature to life in combinations that are sure to wow. Awarded two Michelin stars within the restaurant’s first year.

Reijmerstokkerdorpstraat 143 www.brut172.com

Restaurant Julemont at Château Wittem

After years of renovation and rejuvenation, the restaurant in this great castle serves a high level, classic French cuisine in a romantic atmosphere. All this under the stewardship of Chef Guido Braeken who got two Michelin-stars in 2022. The sommelier offers great wines. We recommend taking a look at the wine cellar.

Wittemer Allee 3, Wittem +31(0)43 4501208 www.chateauwittem.com

Atelier

A high-quality restaurant in a contemporary style, with tables situated around the kitchen. Granted one Michelin-star in 2022. Fantastic wine list. Markt 9, Gulpen +31 (0)43 4504490 www.restaurantatelier.nl

Kasteel TerWorm

Lovely restaurant in a small lovely castle. Offers a French cuisine and a nice wine list.

Terworm 5, Heerlen

+31 (0)45 4001111 www.terworm.nl

De Pastory

This homely establishment is located in an old farmhouse just a five-minute drive from Maastricht. Good food at fair prices, and with an appealing wine list.

Dorpsstraat 45, Cadier en Keer +31 (0)43 4071823 www.depastory.nl

L’Appetito Gran Gusto

This place has enjoyed great success. It is a modern Italian restaurant in an old, fully restored farmhouse. Great atmosphere and good prices.

Dorpstraat 26, Sint Geertruid +31 (0)43 4083690 www.lappetito.nl

Op de Hej

Located at a rural spot, this small ‘home’ restaurant serves honest food and a pleasant atmosphere.

Heiweg 6, Sint Geertruid +31 (0)43 4098474 www.opdehej.nl

Château St. Gerlach

Enjoy a stylish and delicious dinner in a real château. The kitchen uses many products from its own vegetable and herb garden.

Joseph Corneli Allée 1, Valkenburg +31 (0)43 6088888 www.chateauhotels.nl

Ambrozijn

Literally translated, the name Ambrozijn means ‘food of the gods’. That is the goal Sven and Joelle Nijenhuis have set for themselves in this new restaurant. The venue is located in an old church that has served as a restaurant before, but was completely renovated in 2021.

Plenkertstraat 45 +31 (0)43 2003068 www.restaurantambrozijn.nl

Voncken

A classic restaurant at Hotel Voncken with a welcoming and traditional dining room. The chef has been here for more than thirty years.

Walramplein 1, Valkenburg

+31 (0)43 6012841 www.hotelvoncken.nl

Vanille

Homely restaurant with a new interior, serving wonderful food and wine combinations at attractive prices. Light cuisine and a wine list filled with pleasant surprises.

Diepstraat 1, Eijsden +31 (0)43 4093554 www.restaurantvanille.nl

Elsewhere in Limburg and the border region

De Leuf

Great Michelin star restaurant in a modern, renovated farmhouse. A young and enthusiastic team works in a new interior. Creative and slightly exotic cuisine with Asian influences and a good wine list.

Dalstraat 2, Ubachsberg

+31 (0)45 5750226, www.deleuf.nl

Pirandello

Italian restaurant in a fully refurbished space with a gorgeous view of the garden and the restaurant’s own vineyard. Excellent cuisine, lovely Italian wines, and highly skilled staff.

Tunnelweg 99, Landgraaf

+31 (0)45 5464343 www.chateauhotels.nl

De Lindeboom

An ever-popular restaurant with friendly staff, good food, and an amazing wine selection, with many wines available by the glass as well.

Burgemeester Janssenstraat 13, Beek +31 (0)46 4371237 www.delindeboom.info

Pasta e Vino

Great Italian cuisine with wines to match. Always popular with dinner guests from all around.

Prins Mauritslaan 22, Beek +31 (0)46 4379994 www.pastaevino.nl

Mrs. Robinson

A stylish, contemporary restaurant with a unique concept that pays tribute to the classic 1967 film The Graduate. Offers a stylish interior and an inspired menu.

Markt 11, Beek +31 (0)46 206 0015 www.mrs-robinson.nl

Da Vinci

Beautiful, modern restaurant at the marina with cuisine crowned with a Michelin star and created by the best female chef in the Nether-lands, Margo Reuten. Her partner Petro Kools serves outstanding wines with her dishes.

Havenstraat 27, Maasbracht +31 (0)475 465979 www.restaurantdavinci.nl

ONE

A great restaurant with a Michelin star and also a green Michelin-star because of the natural products they work with, in an old industrial building. Creative cuisine by Edwin Soumang. His charming Canadian partner Bethany DeLong serves great wines from all over the world.

ECI 17, Roermond +31 (0)475 600262 www.restaurantone.nl

Bistro TWO

Locating along Roerkade in the centre of Roermond, this is Edwin Soumang and Bethany DeLong’s second establishment. Complete with terrace and rooftop bar, plus an easygoing menu of delicious dishes. Roerkade 11, Roermond

+31 (0)475 791 182

DAMIANZ

An entirely renovated restaurant with a top-quality kitchen in a location where you can while away for hours. The restaurant has retained a few references to the former function of the building as a holding facility.

Pollartstraat 7, Roermond

+31 (0)475 870870 www.damianz.nl

Ralf Berendsen

Up until about a year ago, this restaurant was named La Source. Following the renovations to Domaine la Butte aux Bois, the location of the restaurant, this restaurant was renamed after its chef. The restaurant has been awarded two Michelin stars and is very ambitious. This venue boasts very creative and contemporary cuisine, great wines, and a dynamic team of personnel and service staff. Modern interior.

Paalsteenlaan 90, Lanaken (B) +32 (0)89-739770 www.labutteauxbois.be

Einstein Telescope could be for Limburg and the Euregio

The South Limburg border region comes out as major contender in global race.

The South Limburg border region could become home to a prestigious European project set to reveal the secrets of the universe. The Einstein Telescope will be ten times more accurate than the existing gravitational-wave observatories and offer a unique opportunity for us to get closer to gravitational waves, laser wavelengths, and black holes. It could even help us solve the mystery of the Big Bang and further unravel the theory of relativity. Professor of Gravitational Physics at Maastricht University, Stefan Hild, sums up what is already happening in Maastricht, where work is continuing on the ETpathfinder in preparation for the Einstein project. ‘We are developing and trying out new technologies here that we can ultimately use in the future Einstein Telescope. This is, in fact, a test set-up... a large miniature version or rather a prototype of the state-of-the-art telescope that will be built after 2025.’

Project agency leaders

Dutch project agency leaders Guido Derks and Stan Bentvelsen say that the new telescope would mark a momentous occasion in studying the basic building blocks of our universe, the forces between them, and the structure of space and time.

Guido Derks was previously General Director of the Province of Limburg and former Director of Urban Development for the Municipality of Maastricht. Stan

Bentvelsen is Director of Nikhef, the organization at the cutting edge of the science within the project. Together they lead the project agency founded on 1 January, located in the former building of the De Limburger newspaper, next to the Maastricht Exhibition & Conference Centre

(MECC). This is also the same R&D site where the ETpathfinder is also set up, the prototype used to develop and test new technologies that could ultimately be used in the proposed Einstein Telescope. The purpose of the ETpathfinder to keep the technology up to date.

A two-horse race

The Einstein Telescope will have three arms that are ten kilometres long, using measurement detectors with unprecedented reliability. But building the telescope in South Limburg is by no means assured. Sardinia has also thrown its hat into the ring for the project, which will not only bring scientific insights, but also create a lot of employment opportunities. The Dutch-Belgian-German scientific cooperation is working to attract this high-quality installation in the South Limburg border region. Guido Derks said, ‘We had detailed discussions before the summer with the National Growth Fund committee, under the leadership of Jeroen Dijsselbloem and Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, which resulted in the allocation of €930 million from the national budget. That was a massive achievement. The National Growth Fund agreed that this type of investment in scientific infrastructure will lead to more opportunities for economic development and broad prosperity in the region, the Netherlands, and the wider Euregio.’

Guido Derks

Economic spin-off

A study by Technopolis states that the region can expect a large economic spin-off from the project, with €3.60 generated for every euro invested. This is the biggest project that has been given the go-ahead in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap – a strategic instrument aimed at strengthening scientific integration in Europe. An ESFRI project has to be supported by at least three EU Member States. This project is very costly, but it is also a long-term one. If the decision on where the telescope will be built won’t be made until 2025, then it won’t be operational until 2035, but it will be possible to take measurements for 50 years after that.

Beautiful surroundings

Derks continued, ‘We are more than aware that the Einstein Telescope would be located in beautiful borderlands between the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. We should take this into account, of course. We are factoring in sustainability during the preparation works, construction, operation, and even decommissioning. We are also mapping out how disruption during construction can be reduced as much as possible. Once the Einstein Telescope is complete, you’ll hardly see anything above the ground, so we can continue to cherish the tranquillity of the beautiful landscape for the years to come.’

Opportunities

Guido Derks said, ‘Of course, we are doing all we can to bring the telescope to our border region, but there is another contender in the race. Sardinia is certainly going for it, and we aren’t ruling out a potential bid from Saxony in Germany. We are currently creating opportunities for industry and innovative business through valorization, thanks to LIOF and POM – the regional development agencies for the Limburg regions in the Netherlands and Belgium. We have set up a large lab in Maastricht, which now serves the Einstein Telescope. Maastricht University’s reputation for the sciences has also been structurally boosted by this development. This is incredibly important for businesses in the region. This type of opportunity to attract a whole new large-scale economic ecosystem comes once in a blue moon.’

Economic impact

Stephan Satijn, who is in charge of Economic Affairs and Education on the Provincial Council of Limburg, underlined the huge economic impact this project could have for the whole region. ‘If we manage to secure this project, it will be a bigger infrastructure project than the Willem Alexander tunnel in Maastricht. And while you won’t see much of it above ground, it will have a huge spinoff on the economy in Limburg and the Euregio, not only creating 1400 permanent jobs but also attracting an array of specialists in this field. That makes our region very appealing at a global level, also for other sectors too.’

Satijn is pleased with how the international cooperation on the project has gone so far. ‘The universities of Maastricht, Liège, Aachen, and Leuven are closely involved. We already have the political support of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, and this year we are determined to get Belgium fully on board. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has already discussed it with his Belgian counterpart, Alexander De Croo. The bid will be ready by 2025, and the winning location must then be chosen.’

Satijn knows from experience that the Italians are powerful diplomats when it comes to lobbying. ‘Just look at how much money Brussels sends to Italy.

So, we need to make our bid look as strong as possible and come out on top in Europe. Getting the support of countries like Germany is crucial. That’s why it’s great that North Rhine-Westphalia really wants to invest in it too. I dare say that this will bring about a true scientific revolution in the world. Just think how wonderful it would be if we had this right here in our region. And I am also thinking about how much this will boost our educational institutions and strengthen links with the Brightlands campuses, where innovation is also in full swing.’