Restaurant in Groningen, Netherlands
Back-to-back Michelin recognition at €€€.
De Haan holds Michelin Plate recognition for 2024 and 2025 and a 4.9 Google rating across 222 reviews, making it one of Groningen's most consistent creative kitchens at the €€€ price point. Book in advance for weekends. For returning guests, exploring beyond previous orders is worthwhile — the creative format suggests a kitchen that moves.
A Google rating of 4.9 across 222 reviews is the first thing worth knowing about De Haan. That score, combined with consecutive Michelin Plate awards in 2024 and 2025, positions this creative kitchen at Aweg 4 as one of the more consistent bets in Groningen's upper-mid dining tier. If you're deciding whether to book here or one of the city's other €€€ options, the answer is yes — with some caveats worth reading before you go.
De Haan operates in the creative cuisine category at the €€€ price level, which in Groningen puts it alongside Blumé (Modern French), Hanasato (Japanese), and Nassau (Modern Cuisine). The Michelin Plate designation , awarded for two consecutive years , signals consistently good cooking rather than a one-season performance. This is not a Michelin star, but it is Michelin's marker for kitchens producing food that inspires a dedicated visit. For Groningen, where starred venues are rare, that matters.
The creative format suggests a kitchen that moves beyond fixed-category cooking. If you've visited once and found it solid, a return visit is justified precisely because a kitchen tagged as creative tends to evolve its menu with some regularity. For a returning guest, that means the experience you had last time is unlikely to be identical to the next , which is a point in De Haan's favour if you found the first visit compelling.
Given the Michelin recognition and the strength of that Google score, De Haan is not a walk-in proposition at peak times. For the most relaxed experience, aim for a weekday dinner rather than a Friday or Saturday evening, when demand at Groningen's better tables is highest. If a weekend visit is your only option, book as early as possible , venues at this recognition level in smaller Dutch cities tend to fill weekend slots quickly, particularly as the city's dining profile has grown. A Tuesday or Wednesday booking also gives you the leading chance of a quieter room, which at a creative kitchen is often when the cooking and service feel most precise.
If you've already been to De Haan once, the practical question is what to do differently on a second visit. The creative label suggests the kitchen has room to move , so ask what's changed on the menu rather than defaulting to what you ordered before. A venue running at this rating with two consecutive Michelin Plate years has the kitchen discipline to sustain quality across the card, which means exploring beyond your previous choices is a reasonable bet. If a tasting menu format is available, it's worth asking about on a return visit: it's the most efficient way to see the full range of what a creative kitchen is doing at any given point.
For special occasions , a birthday, an anniversary, something that requires the meal to carry weight , De Haan's combination of Michelin recognition and near-perfect peer rating gives it credibility. The €€€ price tier means this is not a casual dinner, and the occasion-match is strong. Compare that to Blumé, which sits at the same price point with a Modern French format , the choice between them comes down to whether you want a more defined French framework or De Haan's broader creative range.
Address: Aweg 4, 9718 CS Groningen, Netherlands. Price tier: €€€ (creative cuisine). Awards: Michelin Plate 2024 and 2025. Google rating: 4.9 (222 reviews). Reservations: Recommended; book in advance for weekends. Dress: Not specified in available data , smart casual is a safe assumption for a Michelin-recognised creative kitchen at this price point. Booking difficulty: Easy to moderate; weekday slots are more accessible than weekends.
Groningen's restaurant scene punches above its size, and De Haan is a meaningful part of that. For context on what else is worth your time in the city, see our full Groningen restaurants guide. If you're spending a night or two, our Groningen hotels guide and bars guide round out the planning. For creative cuisine at the €€€ level elsewhere in the Netherlands, 't Amsterdammertje in Loenen aan de Vecht and Codium in Goes operate in the same category. For higher-end Dutch fine dining as a benchmark, De Librije in Zwolle and Ciel Bleu in Amsterdam show where the ceiling is. De Haan does not compete at that starred level, but it holds its ground at the Michelin Plate tier in a city where that recognition is not common.
For nearby creative and modern options at lower price points, Dokjard (€€ · Creative) and De Grote Frederik Bistro (€€ · Farm to table) offer a step down in spend with their own strengths , useful if the €€€ commitment feels heavy for a casual evening. Also worth knowing: Bisque and Bellami's Bar à Manger round out the city's upper-register options and are worth considering depending on the occasion and format you prefer.
The closest comparisons at the same price tier are Blumé (Modern French, €€€), Hanasato (Japanese, €€€), and Nassau (Modern Cuisine, €€€). If you want to spend less, Dokjard (€€ · Creative) covers similar creative territory at a lower price point. For farm-to-table cooking at €€, De Grote Frederik Bistro is the alternative most worth considering.
At €€€ with back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition and a 4.9 Google score, De Haan justifies the spend for a creative dinner in Groningen. It is not a starred restaurant, but the Michelin Plate marks a kitchen Michelin considers worth a dedicated visit , which at this price level is a reasonable bar. If you're comparing it to a lower-spend option like Dokjard, the gap is in ambition and format rather than raw satisfaction.
Book in advance, particularly for weekends. The venue operates at €€€ with a creative format, so expect a more composed, multi-course style of service rather than a casual à la carte drop-in. The Michelin Plate recognition means the kitchen takes the cooking seriously , come with that expectation and it will match. Dress smart casual at minimum; the price tier and recognition level suggest a room where underdressing would feel out of place.
There is no confirmed bar or counter seating in the available data, so solo dining comfort is uncertain. For a solo visit to a €€€ creative kitchen, it's worth calling ahead to ask about seating options before booking , some venues at this level have counter seats that work well for one. Without that information confirmed, a solo diner should check directly before assuming.
Bar seating is not confirmed in the available data. Contact the venue directly to check , this is worth doing before you plan a walk-in or informal solo visit, as the format at a Michelin-recognised creative kitchen at €€€ is more likely to require a reservation than to offer casual bar dining.
A tasting menu format is not confirmed in the available data, but it is a common structure at Michelin Plate creative kitchens at this price tier. If De Haan offers one, it is worth considering on a return visit , tasting menus at creative kitchens give the most complete picture of what the kitchen is doing. Confirm with the venue whether this format is available and at what price before booking specifically for it.
Yes. Two consecutive Michelin Plate awards, a 4.9 rating from over 200 reviewers, and a €€€ price point give De Haan the credibility for a birthday or anniversary dinner. The creative format means the meal is likely to feel considered rather than routine. If you're choosing between De Haan and Blumé for a special occasion, De Haan suits guests who want a broader creative menu; Blumé suits those who prefer the structure of a Modern French framework.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Haan | €€€ · Creative | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| De Grote Frederik Bistro | €€ · Farm to table | Unknown | — | |
| Dokjard | €€ · Creative | Unknown | — | |
| Blumé | €€€ · Modern French | Unknown | — | |
| Hanasato | €€€ · Japanese | Unknown | — | |
| Nassau | €€€ · Modern Cuisine | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
At the €€€ creative tier, the closest peers in Groningen are Blumé (Modern French), Hanasato (Japanese), Nassau, Dokjard, and De Grote Frederik Bistro. Blumé is the natural comparison if you want a French-influenced tasting format; Hanasato suits guests who prefer a Japanese kitchen over De Haan's creative approach. De Haan's back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and 2025 gives it a credential edge over most of its local competition.
At €€€ in Groningen — a city where that price point carries real weight — De Haan justifies the spend based on its Michelin Plate awards for 2024 and 2025 and a Google rating of 4.9 across 222 reviews. That combination of peer recognition and sustained guest satisfaction is a reliable indicator of consistent quality. If you are comparing it to a cheaper neighbourhood option, the gap in execution is likely to be noticeable.
De Haan operates in the creative cuisine category at €€€, so arrive expecting a kitchen that goes beyond standard European bistro cooking. The Michelin Plate and a 4.9 Google score suggest the experience holds up in practice, not just on paper. Book in advance — a venue with this recognition in a city Groningen's size will fill up, particularly on weekends.
Nothing in the available data rules out solo dining, and creative cuisine restaurants at this price point often accommodate solo guests well. That said, specific counter seating or solo-friendly formats are not confirmed in De Haan's record. check the venue's official channels at Aweg 4 to ask about single-cover availability before booking.
Bar or counter seating is not confirmed in De Haan's available data. Given the €€€ positioning and Michelin Plate recognition, the kitchen likely operates a structured table format rather than a casual bar service. Check directly with the venue at Aweg 4, Groningen before assuming that option is available.
De Haan's creative cuisine designation at €€€ is consistent with a tasting menu format, though specific menu structure is not confirmed in the available data. The back-to-back Michelin Plate awards for 2024 and 2025 indicate the kitchen is working at a level where a multi-course format, if offered, is likely to deliver on the price. Confirm format and current pricing directly with the restaurant.
Yes — €€€ pricing, consecutive Michelin Plate recognition, and a 4.9 Google rating across 222 reviews make De Haan a credible choice for a birthday, anniversary, or celebratory dinner in Groningen. It is a more considered option than a standard brasserie and sits at the more serious end of the city's dining scene. Book well ahead; this is not the kind of venue that holds last-minute tables on occasion nights.
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