Dutch food scene’s evolution from sausage and stroopwafels to Michelin stars highlighted as Amsterdam restaurant voted the world’s best on TripAdvisor

The Netherlands isn’t traditionally known for great food, but Michelin-star Amsterdam restaurant Bougainville was recently named the world’s best by TripAdvisor

‘You can’t compare it to London or New York’, the head chef says of the Dutch gastronomy scene. But the award is a sign of how far it has come in recent years

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Mille-feuille with pear, gianduja and crème suisse at one-Michelin-star Bougainville, recently voted the world’s best restaurant on TripAdvisor. The award is a sign of just how far the Dutch gastronomy scene has come in recent years. Photo: Instagram/@Bougainville

Published: 4:15pm, 7 Nov 2023

Best known abroad for its herring, deep-fried croquettes, and sickly sweet stroopwafels, it’s fair to say the Netherlands has not historically been world-renowned for its cuisine.

But for the first time, a Michelin-star restaurant in Amsterdam has been voted the world’s best on TripAdvisor, which is further proof the food scene in the country is on the rise, according to its head chef.

With the exception of Irish oysters and Japanese wagyu beef, everything on the menu at Bougainville is local Dutch produce, says chef Tim Golsteijn, whose restaurant is just off Amsterdam’s main square.

“Dutch gastronomy has really been growing in the past 10 years, also because Amsterdam is becoming more and more of a big international city,” says the 36-year-old, who was born and raised in the country’s capital and describes himself as “100 per cent Dutchie”.

Golsteijn prepares the vegetarian dish of Portobello steak with vegetable based jus and lovage, at Bougainville, in Amsterdam. Photo: Instagram/@Bougainville

“You can’t compare it to London or New York or Tokyo but we are getting there,” he says as his sous chef chops, slices and stirs ready for another busy dinner service.