Restaurant in Druten, Netherlands
Michelin-recognised modern cuisine, easy to book.
Old Skool holds two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) and a 4.7 Google rating, making it the strongest modern cuisine option in Druten at a €€ price point. Booking is easy — a week or two of lead time is enough for a weekend slot. The combination of Michelin recognition and accessible pricing is unusual for the Netherlands, and it makes Old Skool a practical anchor for any food-focused visit to the Gelderse Vallei.
Old Skool holds two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) and a 4.7 Google rating from 199 reviews, making it the most credentialled modern cuisine option in Druten. Booking is direct — this is not a venue where you need to set a calendar alarm three months out. If you want Michelin-recognised cooking at a €€ price point in Gelderland, this is where to go. The harder question is whether Druten is worth the trip from Amsterdam or Nijmegen, and for food-focused travellers the answer is yes, particularly for a weekend visit.
Old Skool sits at Hooistraat 22 in central Druten, a small riverside town in the Gelderse Vallei. The address and the name suggest a venue that has made a deliberate choice about scale and setting: a local address, a knowing name, a restaurant that does not rely on a high-traffic city location to fill seats. The physical space is compact by design rather than constraint, which means the room works leading for couples and small groups rather than larger parties. A tight dining room in a smaller Dutch town tends to reward guests who want proximity to the kitchen and the kind of attentiveness that larger urban restaurants rarely manage at this price level. For guests focused on atmosphere, it is worth arriving early in a service — the room reads differently when it fills gradually rather than all at once.
Old Skool operates in the modern cuisine category at a €€ price point. That combination , Michelin recognition at a mid-range price , is genuinely unusual in the Netherlands, where Michelin-listed restaurants cluster in the €€€ and €€€€ tiers. The Michelin Plate does not indicate a star, but it does confirm that Michelin inspectors consider the cooking good enough to flag for attention. Two consecutive Plates (2024 and 2025) suggest consistency rather than a one-year spike in form.
The venue's name and positioning hint at a menu that leans into familiarity with a technical edge: modern plating and preparation applied to recognisable Dutch and European culinary references. Because specific dishes and seasonal menus are not confirmed in available data, the clearest signal of food quality here is the combination of sustained Michelin recognition and a high-volume, high-rating Google score. A 4.7 from nearly 200 reviews in a town the size of Druten is not incidental , it reflects a consistently positive experience across a wide range of diners, not just the food-obsessive minority who tend to dominate ratings for starred venues.
For a brunch or weekend visit specifically, a venue like Old Skool at the €€ tier is often at its most compelling in the earlier service. Lunch format at Michelin-recognised modern cuisine restaurants in the Netherlands typically offers better value than dinner: the kitchen is running the same produce and technique, but the pricing reflects the lunch context. If you are considering a day trip from Nijmegen (roughly 20 kilometres to the southeast) or from the Arnhem area, a lunch booking is the most efficient way to experience what the kitchen does without the commitment of a full evening.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. There is no evidence of a waitlist culture or rapid sell-out window here. A reasonable approach is to book one to two weeks ahead for weekend lunch, and a few days ahead for weekday slots. This is a meaningful advantage over comparably-recognised venues in larger Dutch cities, where even a Michelin Plate can translate to a two- or three-week booking window. The €€ price positioning also means that last-minute cancellations are less common than at higher-priced venues where guests sometimes hold speculative reservations. Check current availability directly, as hours and booking channels are not confirmed in available data.
The booking window does mean you have flexibility to plan a Druten visit around a table at Old Skool rather than the other way around. For travellers combining a visit to the Gelderse Vallei with time in nearby Nijmegen or the Betuwe region, Old Skool works as a reliable anchor for a meal rather than a logistical challenge to work around. See our full Druten restaurants guide for other options in the area, and our full Druten hotels guide if you are staying overnight. There is also coverage of bars, wineries, and experiences in the area if you are planning a full day.
Old Skool works well for: couples wanting a considered meal in a quieter setting away from city restaurant noise; food-focused day-trippers from Nijmegen or Arnhem who want Michelin-recognised cooking without a long booking lead time; and anyone who wants to compare a mid-range Dutch modern cuisine venue against the higher-priced options further afield. It is less suited to large groups, who may find the room constraining, or to diners primarily interested in a starred tasting menu format , for that, the €€€€ venues in the broader region are the right direction.
For context on the wider modern cuisine scene in the Netherlands, comparable €€ venues worth knowing include Bij Hammingh in Garnwerd and Bistro Sophie in Eindhoven. Further afield, Ciel Bleu in Amsterdam, Aan de Poel in Amstelveen, De Bokkedoorns in Overveen, Brut172 in Reijmerstok, De Groene Lantaarn in Staphorst, and De Treeswijkhoeve in Waalre fill out the broader regional picture for modern Dutch cooking.
Michelin Plate (2024, 2025). Google 4.7 (199 reviews). €€ modern cuisine. Hooistraat 22, Druten. Booking difficulty: Easy , one to two weeks ahead is sufficient for weekend slots. Lunch is the recommended format for value and flexibility.
Yes, at the €€ tier it is. Two consecutive Michelin Plates and a 4.7 Google score from close to 200 reviews indicate that the kitchen is consistently delivering at a level well above its price point. For comparison, most Michelin-recognised modern cuisine venues in the Netherlands sit at €€€ or €€€€. Old Skool offers a meaningful step up in cooking quality from an average mid-range Dutch restaurant without requiring a significant increase in spend.
The most useful thing to know is that this is a Michelin-recognised modern cuisine restaurant at a €€ price point in a small Dutch town , which means it punches above its local weight without the booking friction or formality of higher-priced starred venues. Arrive at the start of a service to get the most from the room. Because specific menu details are not confirmed, it is worth checking the current menu and format directly before you book. The €€ pricing also makes it a reasonable choice for a first visit without the financial commitment of a tasting-menu splurge.
It works well for a low-key special occasion , an anniversary lunch or a birthday dinner for guests who value food quality over formal ceremony. The Michelin Plate gives it enough credibility to feel considered, and the €€ pricing means you are not paying for occasion theatre you may not want. For a more formal celebration where the restaurant setting itself is part of the gesture, the €€€€ venues in the region (see the comparison section) are the better choice.
Groups of two to four are the natural fit for a compact modern cuisine venue in a town the size of Druten. Larger groups should enquire directly about capacity and availability , specific seat count data is not confirmed, and a smaller room may not be able to accommodate a party of six or more comfortably. If you are planning a group dinner, contact the restaurant before booking to confirm.
Bar seating specifics are not confirmed for Old Skool. Modern cuisine venues at this scale in the Netherlands typically run a compact service without a dedicated bar dining programme. If counter or bar seating is important to your visit, it is worth confirming when you book. Otherwise, assume a standard table-only format.
Druten is a small town with a limited restaurant scene, so the practical alternatives are in neighbouring areas. For a step up in formality and price, De Nieuwe Winkel in Nijmegen (€€€€, organic-led creative cooking) is the nearest high-profile option. De Librije in Zwolle and 't Nonnetje in Harderwijk are both €€€€ creative venues worth the drive if you want a full tasting menu experience. For a comparable €€ modern cuisine format, Bistro Sophie in Eindhoven is the closest peer. See our full Druten restaurants guide for a complete picture of what is available locally.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Skool | €€ · Modern Cuisine | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| De Librije | €€€€ · Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| 't Nonnetje | €€€€ · Creative | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| De Lindehof | Contemporary Dutch, Creative | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| De Nieuwe Winkel | €€€€ · Organic | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Fred | €€€€ · Creative French | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how Old Skool measures up.
Group suitability is not confirmed in available venue data, but the €€ price point and easy booking difficulty suggest this is not a high-pressure reservation environment. For larger parties, call or email ahead to confirm table configuration. The venue is at Hooistraat 22, Druten, which gives you a starting point for direct contact.
Yes, clearly. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) at a €€ price point is a combination that's rare in the Netherlands outside of major cities. A 4.7 Google rating from 199 reviews supports that the kitchen delivers consistently. If you want Michelin-level cooking without a €€€ bill, Old Skool makes a strong case.
Booking is rated easy — one to two weeks ahead is typically enough, with no evidence of a rapid sell-out window. The format is modern cuisine at a €€ price point, so expect a considered menu rather than a casual walk-in meal. The address is Hooistraat 22 in central Druten, a small riverside town that's accessible as a day trip from Nijmegen.
Bar seating details are not confirmed in the venue data. Given the Michelin Plate recognition and modern cuisine format, Old Skool likely operates as a sit-down restaurant rather than a bar-dining concept, but this should be confirmed directly with the venue before visiting.
Yes, with some caveats on expectations. The Michelin Plate credential (2024 and 2025) and 4.7 Google score signal a kitchen that performs reliably, and the €€ price point means a special occasion here won't require the financial commitment of a €€€ tasting menu restaurant. It works well for a birthday dinner or anniversary if you want quality over spectacle.
There are no other Michelin-credentialled restaurants in Druten itself, so alternatives mean travelling. De Nieuwe Winkel in Nijmegen (around 20 km) holds a Michelin Green Star for plant-based cuisine if you want a different format. For a step up in formality and price, De Librije in Zwolle or 't Nonnetje in Harderwijk are Michelin-starred options but at a significantly higher spend. Old Skool is the practical choice if staying in the Gelderse Vallei region.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
