Restaurant in Groningen, Netherlands
Groningen's strongest case for Modern French.
Bisque holds consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) and a Star Wine List White Star, making it the most credentialled Modern French table in Groningen. At the €€€ price point, it delivers serious kitchen discipline in an intimate room that works well for celebrations and special occasions. Booking is straightforward — one to two weeks ahead covers most weekends.
Bisque is the strongest case for Modern French cooking in Groningen right now. It holds consecutive Michelin Plates for 2024 and 2025, carries a 4.9 Google rating across 112 reviews, and earned recognition on Star Wine List — a combination that signals consistent kitchen discipline and a wine program serious enough to attract specialist attention. At the €€€ price point, it sits alongside Blumé and De Haan at the leading of the city's fine-dining tier. Book it for a special occasion, a serious date, or any meal where you need the room to do the work.
Picture a table set for two on a quiet stretch of Verlengde Hereweg, a residential address south of Groningen's city centre that gives little away from the outside. That understated approach is deliberate. Bisque does not rely on a high-footfall location to fill its room — it relies on its reputation, and that reputation is now formidable enough to draw diners who make the trip specifically for this address.
The space itself carries the hallmarks of a focused French kitchen: the kind of room where the physical environment is calibrated to support the meal rather than compete with it. Intimate scale, deliberate seating, and the absence of the cavernous buzz that dilutes so many city-centre openings. For a celebration dinner or a business meal where the conversation matters as much as the food, that spatial discipline is an asset, not a compromise.
The Modern French designation at Bisque is not decorative. Modern French at this level means classical technique applied to contemporary sourcing logic , the ingredient is the argument, and the kitchen's job is to make that argument clearly. The Michelin Plate recognition, sustained across two consecutive years, confirms that Groningen's most demanding dining audience has found the kitchen consistent. Michelin Plates are awarded to restaurants where inspectors identify quality cooking; they are not participation trophies. Holding one is notable; holding two in a row in a city that does not have a deep bench of fine-dining options is a signal worth taking seriously.
Star Wine List White Star designation adds a layer that matters for how you plan the evening. Star Wine List evaluates wine programs on range, depth, and value , a White Star means the list has been assessed and found to meet a defined standard. In practical terms, that means the sommelier conversation at Bisque is worth having, and the pairing option, if available, is likely to reward the investment. For a celebration where the wine is part of the occasion rather than an afterthought, this is one of the better-equipped rooms in the region for that conversation.
Groningen sits in the northern Netherlands, and the city's fine-dining scene is smaller and younger than Amsterdam's or Maastricht's. That context matters when you weigh Bisque's credentials. The same Michelin Plate in Amsterdam competes in a much denser field; in Groningen, it identifies Bisque as operating at a level that the broader regional market has verified. If you are travelling to Groningen and want one serious dinner, this is where that decision points. If you are a local looking for the occasion restaurant rather than the neighbourhood regular, the answer is the same.
For comparison against the broader Dutch Modern French category, venues like Ciel Bleu in Amsterdam, De Librije in Zwolle, or Aan de Poel in Amstelveen operate in higher Michelin tiers, but they also carry significantly higher prices and steeper booking windows. Bisque offers French kitchen discipline at a price point that does not require a special-occasion budget calibrated to two-star territory. Within the Modern French category in the northern Netherlands, it is one of the more accessible entries without sacrificing the credentials that make the evening feel earned. You can also explore 't Ganzenest in Rijswijk and 't Raedthuys in Duiven if you are assessing the broader Modern French tier across the Netherlands.
Booking is direct relative to the venue's standing. There is no six-week scramble, and the venue does not appear to require the advance planning that Michelin-starred restaurants in Amsterdam or Brut172 in Reijmerstok demand. That said, a 4.9 rating with over 100 reviews means the room is not empty , reserve one to two weeks ahead for a weekend table, and you should not face difficulty. Weekdays are likely easier. If your date is fixed and the occasion is non-negotiable, book sooner rather than later.
Groningen has other options worth knowing. Vive La Vie and Bellami's Bar à Manger cover different registers if the evening calls for something less structured. For a full picture of the city's dining scene, the Groningen restaurants guide covers the range. If you are building a broader Groningen visit, the Groningen hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide provide the practical framework.
The short version: Bisque is the right answer for a formal dinner in Groningen. The credentials are documented, the price tier is appropriate to the level, and the booking difficulty is low enough that you are not trading convenience for quality. Reserve the table.
Quick reference: Verlengde Hereweg 46, 9722 AE Groningen | €€€ Modern French | Michelin Plate 2024 & 2025 | Star Wine List White Star | Google 4.9 (112) | Book 1–2 weeks ahead for weekends.
Bisque is a formal Modern French room at the €€€ price point , it is not optimised for solo casual visits the way a bar-counter format would be. If solo dining is your preference, the experience is entirely viable, but it is better suited to someone who wants a considered, unhurried meal rather than a quick eat. For a more social solo-friendly format in Groningen, De Grote Frederik Bistro at €€ offers a more relaxed register.
One to two weeks ahead is sufficient for most weekend tables. Bisque's booking difficulty is rated easy relative to its Michelin Plate standing, which is notably more accessible than comparable Plate-level venues in Amsterdam or Zwolle. Weekday tables are likely available on shorter notice. If your occasion is fixed , anniversary, birthday, business dinner , book two weeks out as a baseline and you should be fine. Do not leave a Friday or Saturday night to the week before if the date is non-negotiable.
Bar seating details are not confirmed in available data. Based on the venue's Modern French positioning and intimate room format, the experience is structured around table dining rather than bar-counter eating. If bar seating is a priority, contact the venue directly to confirm availability before booking. For Groningen bar-format dining, the Groningen bars guide covers the alternatives.
Bisque is a serious Modern French restaurant with consecutive Michelin Plates (2024, 2025) and a Star Wine List White Star , that combination means you should arrive prepared to engage with a structured menu and a considered wine program, not a casual à la carte format. At €€€ pricing, it sits at Groningen's fine-dining ceiling alongside Blumé and De Haan. The venue is on Verlengde Hereweg, a quieter residential address south of the city centre , allow time to get there. Dress for a formal dinner rather than a casual night out.
No specific dietary restriction policy is listed in available data. Modern French kitchens at Michelin Plate level typically accommodate dietary requirements when given advance notice, but the specific approach at Bisque is unconfirmed. Contact the restaurant directly before booking if dietary restrictions are a factor , the earlier the notice, the more options a kitchen of this calibre can offer. Do not assume accommodation without confirming, particularly for complex requirements in a tasting-format context.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bisque | €€€ · Modern French | €€€ | Easy |
| De Grote Frederik Bistro | €€ · Farm to table | €€ | Unknown |
| Dokjard | €€ · Creative | €€ | Unknown |
| Blumé | €€€ · Modern French | €€€ | Unknown |
| De Haan | €€€ · Creative | €€€ | Unknown |
| Hanasato | €€€ · Japanese | €€€ | Unknown |
How Bisque stacks up against the competition.
Bisque is a workable solo option given its residential, low-key address on Verlengde Hereweg, where the atmosphere leans intimate rather than high-volume. The €€€ price point makes it a deliberate outing rather than a casual drop-in. If solo dining with a bar or counter seat matters to you, confirm the seating setup directly before booking, as counter availability is not documented in public listings.
Book at least two to three weeks in advance. Bisque holds consecutive Michelin Plates for 2024 and 2025, which places it among the most-tracked restaurants in Groningen, and demand at €€€ Modern French venues in smaller cities tends to concentrate around weekends. For Friday or Saturday evenings, four weeks out is the safer target.
Bar seating is not confirmed in available records for Bisque. The restaurant operates from a residential address on Verlengde Hereweg, which suggests a compact, table-focused format rather than a walk-in bar setup. check the venue's official channels to confirm counter or bar options before planning a drop-in visit.
Bisque is a Michelin Plate holder for both 2024 and 2025, which signals consistent kitchen quality rather than a one-season result. The cuisine is Modern French at a €€€ price point, so expect a structured, course-based format rather than a casual à la carte spread. The address on Verlengde Hereweg is south of Groningen's centre and residential in character, so factor in travel time if you're coming from the main station area.
Dietary accommodation is not detailed in Bisque's public records, but Modern French kitchens at the Michelin Plate level routinely manage restrictions when given advance notice. Flag requirements clearly when booking rather than on arrival, especially for menus built around set courses at the €€€ tier.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
