Tastiness Factor: 10/10
Atmosphere: 6/5 (yes, better than
perfection)
Service: 5/5
Locavore Approved? Overwhelmingly YES- Chef Jonnie Boer grew up near
Zwolle and his fondness for the ingredients produced here is clearly manifested
in his food. He uses produce from local
farmers, as well as local beef and lamb that can be seen freely roaming the
fields on the train ride in from Amsterdam.
On a walk before dinner, we even discovered a mini-garden at the back of
the kitchen, growing herbs and a few vegetables of his own. Chef Boer is a very experienced locavore, who
latched onto the “trend” long before it became fashionable to do so, and he truly
has mastered his craft.
After dining at our first 3-Michelin Star restaurant last year (Arpege in Paris), I was beyond excited to visit another 3-star on this year's trip to Amsterdam. After doing extensive research, Hubby and I finally settled on Dr Librije, located just outside of Amsterdam in Zwolle. While I knew that De Librije would be great, I could never in a million years have dreamed how magical an experience it would be.
Zwolle is a very pleasant hour and a half train ride away from downtown Amsterdam, through farmer's fields and a few small towns. It is the most charming little town you will ever find yourself in, and it is worth spending a day or two leisurely strolling though to take in a few historic sites (including some of the most famous churches in the Netherlands) and doing a bit of shopping in the chic shopping area.
When you get off the train, De Librije can be a bit difficult to find on foot (we found that out the hard way) so I suggest taking a cab or, better yet, ask in advance for De Librije's amazing butler Karime to pick you up (he was nice enough to drive us back to the train on our departure day).
De Librije is a very impressive building with a history almost as rich and exciting as the food it offers (I repeat, almost!). As we were told by Karime the butler when we arrived, Dr. Librije was built as a women’s prison in the 1700’s, and continued to be used as such until the mid-1990’s at which time it was transformed into temporary lodging for refugees. In the mid-2000’s, it was sold to Chef Boer and his partner Therese, who initially encountered some challenges along the way when it was discovered to be an archeological site, causing construction to grind to a halt for a period of time. Fortunately, they are now on the other side, and have succeeded in creating an awe-inspiring transformation, making it feel sinfully luxurious, while still retaining some of its “jail features”, such as bars across the windows, a few cell doors and some aspects of the hotel room layout. Every room offers something new to discover, from the brightly decorated reception area, where you will enjoy a little nibble when you arrive to the narrow halls leading back to the restaurant with its eclectic artwork, including a caricature of the Boer husband and wife team as jailbirds.
The guest rooms are also full of character, and named after different edible plants and herbs (in Dutch). The personal IPad in each guestroom displays a picture of your room's plant on its home screen. Our room was modernly decorated, with a black and white animal print duvet on the king size adjustable bed and a very snazzy bathroom with a large walk-in shower. Karime gave us a “tour” of our room when we arrived, showing us how all of the appliances worked and filling us in on all of the building's amenities. As he was leaving, he presented the “fruit de mer” on our desk, an edible display of handmade chocolate “shellfish”. Talk about bells and whistles!
Just when we thought things could not get any better, we discovered the dining room which is one of the most spectacular dining spaces I have ever seen. This courtyard dining room is the newest piece of De Librije, which opened a few short months ago in January 2015. The room, with its glass-covered ceiling, treats guests to a different experience depending on the season and the time of day. I recommend dining at a time when you can experience both light and dark, if the time of year allows you to do so. The large space, with its mix of white tablecloths and rustic accents, allows a lot of space between tables so that you can have an intimate experience with your dining companion(s).
To end the tour, there are a few other rooms worth noting. Prior to dinner, we were welcomed into a lavishly decorated room for aperitifs (this night called for champagne!) and a few amuse bouche before dinner. We also received a tea made from red cabbage that, as we were told, would “stimulate the digestive system”. I was already feeling like royalty! There is also the breakfast room that once again has its own flair, all dressed up in red, black and gold. Lastly, you will not want to leave without paying a visit to the De Librije shop which sells housemate preserves, sauces, jams and condiments so you can bring a piece of this magical experience back home.
As I have already alluded to, the service at De Librije is second to none, well deserving of its Chateau and Relais designation. We were pampered from start to finish, from the ever-gracious butler Karime, to the front desk staff, to all of the dining staff for both dinner and breakfast. During our pre-dinner aperitif, the Chef himself came around to ask if we had any particular food restrictions, intolerances or dislikes and his wife Therese was bustling around the room the whole night ensuring that everything was running smoothly. Our sommelier was also outstanding, spending ample time describing each of the carefully selected wines from all over the world (even one from near our neck of the woods in Washington State). While we certainly had every need attended to, all the staff at De Librije were also very genuine and easy to chat with, leaving us feeling relaxed and at ease so we could truly enjoy ourselves. They have managed to discover the ideal service sweet spot.
My recommendation for a first visit to De Librije would certainly be the "Eat-Sleep-Dine" package, which includes a welcome reception with tea and a nibble, a pre-dinner aperitif, a 7 course lunch or dinner, a one night stay and a signed copy of the Chef’s new book "Eating, Drinking, Sleeping". It is offered from Tuesday-Thursday and is almost 100 euros cheaper/person than staying on the weekend and, at the end of the day, pretty good value considering all that is included.
Now for the star of the De Librije experience- the food! There are a number of different menus available, including a la carte and the 7 course tasting menu that we enjoyed as part of our package.
There is also the “Librije Mini-Menu”, where dishes are created around a number of local ingredients chosen by the guest. Chef Boer's cooking style is supposedly French-influenced, but interestingly there were a number of Asian and East Indian flavours throughout the meal, such as lemongrass, curry and cumin. Additionally, the chef seems to be a fan of tea, serving up a lovely lemongrass and chili tea at the reception when we arrived and then incorporating it multiple courses that evening (who knew kombucha could be made to taste so good!).
We had high expectations of Chef Boer's 3-Michelin-rated meal and fortunately, our dinner turned out to be everything we could have hoped for. The presentation of the dishes was breathtaking, with the generous use of edible flowers and herbs and the playful plating (we cannot stop talking about the course "plated" on the back of our hands!). Every component of the dish was prepared to perfection and each ingredients complemented the other. Compared to other Michelin Star meals, this one was certainly smaller than most at only 7 small courses so we were certainly not feeling stuffed at the end, but after the last few extra sweet goodies at the end, we left the table feeling just satisfied.
Here is a glimpse into this oh-so memorable evening:
After dining at our first 3-Michelin Star restaurant last year (Arpege in Paris), I was beyond excited to visit another 3-star on this year's trip to Amsterdam. After doing extensive research, Hubby and I finally settled on Dr Librije, located just outside of Amsterdam in Zwolle. While I knew that De Librije would be great, I could never in a million years have dreamed how magical an experience it would be.
Zwolle is a very pleasant hour and a half train ride away from downtown Amsterdam, through farmer's fields and a few small towns. It is the most charming little town you will ever find yourself in, and it is worth spending a day or two leisurely strolling though to take in a few historic sites (including some of the most famous churches in the Netherlands) and doing a bit of shopping in the chic shopping area.
When you get off the train, De Librije can be a bit difficult to find on foot (we found that out the hard way) so I suggest taking a cab or, better yet, ask in advance for De Librije's amazing butler Karime to pick you up (he was nice enough to drive us back to the train on our departure day).
De Librije is a very impressive building with a history almost as rich and exciting as the food it offers (I repeat, almost!). As we were told by Karime the butler when we arrived, Dr. Librije was built as a women’s prison in the 1700’s, and continued to be used as such until the mid-1990’s at which time it was transformed into temporary lodging for refugees. In the mid-2000’s, it was sold to Chef Boer and his partner Therese, who initially encountered some challenges along the way when it was discovered to be an archeological site, causing construction to grind to a halt for a period of time. Fortunately, they are now on the other side, and have succeeded in creating an awe-inspiring transformation, making it feel sinfully luxurious, while still retaining some of its “jail features”, such as bars across the windows, a few cell doors and some aspects of the hotel room layout. Every room offers something new to discover, from the brightly decorated reception area, where you will enjoy a little nibble when you arrive to the narrow halls leading back to the restaurant with its eclectic artwork, including a caricature of the Boer husband and wife team as jailbirds.
The guest rooms are also full of character, and named after different edible plants and herbs (in Dutch). The personal IPad in each guestroom displays a picture of your room's plant on its home screen. Our room was modernly decorated, with a black and white animal print duvet on the king size adjustable bed and a very snazzy bathroom with a large walk-in shower. Karime gave us a “tour” of our room when we arrived, showing us how all of the appliances worked and filling us in on all of the building's amenities. As he was leaving, he presented the “fruit de mer” on our desk, an edible display of handmade chocolate “shellfish”. Talk about bells and whistles!
Just when we thought things could not get any better, we discovered the dining room which is one of the most spectacular dining spaces I have ever seen. This courtyard dining room is the newest piece of De Librije, which opened a few short months ago in January 2015. The room, with its glass-covered ceiling, treats guests to a different experience depending on the season and the time of day. I recommend dining at a time when you can experience both light and dark, if the time of year allows you to do so. The large space, with its mix of white tablecloths and rustic accents, allows a lot of space between tables so that you can have an intimate experience with your dining companion(s).
To end the tour, there are a few other rooms worth noting. Prior to dinner, we were welcomed into a lavishly decorated room for aperitifs (this night called for champagne!) and a few amuse bouche before dinner. We also received a tea made from red cabbage that, as we were told, would “stimulate the digestive system”. I was already feeling like royalty! There is also the breakfast room that once again has its own flair, all dressed up in red, black and gold. Lastly, you will not want to leave without paying a visit to the De Librije shop which sells housemate preserves, sauces, jams and condiments so you can bring a piece of this magical experience back home.
As I have already alluded to, the service at De Librije is second to none, well deserving of its Chateau and Relais designation. We were pampered from start to finish, from the ever-gracious butler Karime, to the front desk staff, to all of the dining staff for both dinner and breakfast. During our pre-dinner aperitif, the Chef himself came around to ask if we had any particular food restrictions, intolerances or dislikes and his wife Therese was bustling around the room the whole night ensuring that everything was running smoothly. Our sommelier was also outstanding, spending ample time describing each of the carefully selected wines from all over the world (even one from near our neck of the woods in Washington State). While we certainly had every need attended to, all the staff at De Librije were also very genuine and easy to chat with, leaving us feeling relaxed and at ease so we could truly enjoy ourselves. They have managed to discover the ideal service sweet spot.
My recommendation for a first visit to De Librije would certainly be the "Eat-Sleep-Dine" package, which includes a welcome reception with tea and a nibble, a pre-dinner aperitif, a 7 course lunch or dinner, a one night stay and a signed copy of the Chef’s new book "Eating, Drinking, Sleeping". It is offered from Tuesday-Thursday and is almost 100 euros cheaper/person than staying on the weekend and, at the end of the day, pretty good value considering all that is included.
Now for the star of the De Librije experience- the food! There are a number of different menus available, including a la carte and the 7 course tasting menu that we enjoyed as part of our package.
There is also the “Librije Mini-Menu”, where dishes are created around a number of local ingredients chosen by the guest. Chef Boer's cooking style is supposedly French-influenced, but interestingly there were a number of Asian and East Indian flavours throughout the meal, such as lemongrass, curry and cumin. Additionally, the chef seems to be a fan of tea, serving up a lovely lemongrass and chili tea at the reception when we arrived and then incorporating it multiple courses that evening (who knew kombucha could be made to taste so good!).
We had high expectations of Chef Boer's 3-Michelin-rated meal and fortunately, our dinner turned out to be everything we could have hoped for. The presentation of the dishes was breathtaking, with the generous use of edible flowers and herbs and the playful plating (we cannot stop talking about the course "plated" on the back of our hands!). Every component of the dish was prepared to perfection and each ingredients complemented the other. Compared to other Michelin Star meals, this one was certainly smaller than most at only 7 small courses so we were certainly not feeling stuffed at the end, but after the last few extra sweet goodies at the end, we left the table feeling just satisfied.
Here is a glimpse into this oh-so memorable evening:
Oyster with shaved liver, crispy fish skin, cod bites
Beef tartare/roasted eggplant with oyster cream (yes, they actually prepare it on your hand, and they give you a how-to guide to how to prepare it at home!)
Brioche balls with bacon, dusted with mushroom powder
Diced foie gras and cabbage leaf
Raw fish/shrimp preparation with tomato (pescatarian substitution)
Langoustine with pea puree
Bread with goat butter
Trout with fennel and foam
Monkfish tail with blueberry
24-hour slow cooked lamb shoulder with green strawberries
Baked cauliflower with Madras curry (pescatarian substitution)
Pre-dessert
Dessert 1- beetroot with sorbet
Dessert 2- coffee ice cream
Espresso and handmade chocolates
Waffle sandwich cookie
And back in our room waiting for us, in true Netherlands style- an “edible joint” made of hemp oil and white chocolate!
Suffice it to say, after that amazing meal (with generous wine pairings!) and the ultra-luxurious bed in our room, we slept like babies that night. We woke up the next morning, dismayed at the reality that we would soon be leaving this magical haven, but excited for one last hoorah at breakfast before saying our goodbyes. It is a good thing we were not stuffed by dinner a few short hours before, as this was one impressive spread! Our breakfast included:
Assortment of juices- apricot, peach, rhubarb, orange
Espresso and tea
Cheese stuffed brioche balls
Brioche with smoked salmon
Homemade bread
Homemade bread
Homemade jam, chocolate spread and peanut butter
Selection of cheese and meat
Egg (poached, basked or crispy with hollandaise
Mini-burgers (beef/vegetarian)
Croissant
Sweet pastries
Muesli and yogurt
Field berry soufflé with white chocolate
This was certainly quite the lavish way to start the day, and there was no way we could possible finish it all! Fortunately, they very cleverly packaged some items up to go prior to setting them on the table so that we could take them with us to keep us fuelled for our long journey back to Canada!
And with that, it was time to bid farewell to my dear De Librije with full tummies and heavy hearts. As we were pulling away, I vowed that I would return to this surreal piece of heaven someday.
Until the next time De Librije!
