Restaurant in Hattem, Netherlands
Strong value, ask for the veg menu.
De Voorburcht holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2024 and 2025, a Star Wine List White Star, and a 4.8 Google rating — all at a €€ price point. Chef Dennis Mulder's kitchen produces Creative French cooking with a vegetable-forward option worth requesting. For this region, it is the clearest value case at its tier.
De Voorburcht holds a Google rating of 4.8 across 537 reviews, which is a more telling signal than most awards when it comes to consistency. Add two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand recognitions (2024 and 2025) and a White Star from Star Wine List, and you have a restaurant that is over-delivering at its price tier. At €€, this is one of the clearest value cases in the Overijssel and Gelderland region. If you are planning a trip to Hattem and wondering where to anchor your evening, De Voorburcht is the answer.
The address — Adelaarshoek 18 in Hattem — places De Voorburcht within a historic town on the IJssel river, known for its preserved medieval centre. The venue's name, which translates loosely to "the outer ward" or forecourt of a fortified house, fits the character of the location. Hattem is a compact town, and the restaurant draws visitors from well beyond it; the recognition from Michelin and Star Wine List ensures a regional audience, not just a local one. The space itself is tied to its setting: a former castle-adjacent context that gives the dining room an intimacy you would not find in a purpose-built restaurant. For solo diners, couples, and small groups, that spatial quality matters. This is not a large-format venue designed for high throughput; it is a room that rewards attention.
Chef Dennis Mulder leads a young kitchen team cooking Creative French at a price point that makes the format accessible. The food leans heavily on vegetables , and the team has earned specific recognition from We're Smart, a guide dedicated to plant-based gastronomy, for the quality of its vegetable-based menus. We're Smart describes the cooking as "refined, colorful, and always with an original twist," and recommends asking specifically for the vegetable menu, which is not offered as a default. That is an important practical note: if plant-forward cooking is your priority, you need to request it. The kitchen's ability to make vegetables the headline rather than the support act, at this price level, puts De Voorburcht in a relatively small category nationally.
Chef Seth Sim is credited in the team, working alongside the broader kitchen. The We're Smart endorsement is specific about the visual presentation and flavour originality of the vegetable work, which signals a kitchen that treats the format seriously rather than using it as a cost-saving measure. At €€, that ambition has a direct impact on the value calculation.
The Star Wine List White Star, published January 2026, is the most specific indicator of where De Voorburcht sits beyond its food. Star Wine List selects venues based on the quality and depth of their wine offering, and a White Star at a €€ venue is genuinely notable. At higher price points, an ambitious wine list is expected. At De Voorburcht's tier, a wine program strong enough to earn external recognition changes how you should approach the booking. This is a venue where ordering the wine pairing, or at minimum asking for a recommendation, will likely add significant value to the meal. The combination of a Bib Gourmand kitchen and a wine-listed cellar suggests that the gap between what you pay and what you receive is wider than the price tier implies.
For wine-focused diners , the primary audience for this angle , De Voorburcht is one of the more interesting propositions in the region precisely because it does not ask you to spend €€€€ to access a considered wine list. Compare that to the region's starred options, where a serious wine program comes bundled with a considerably higher cover price.
See the full comparison section below for peer-by-peer analysis. The short version: De Voorburcht is the value pick in this regional field, and the one to book if budget is a real constraint without wanting to sacrifice quality.
If you are building a trip around this part of the Netherlands, the following venues are worth considering alongside or instead of De Voorburcht, depending on your priorities:
For a full picture of what Hattem has to offer, see our full Hattem restaurants guide, our Hattem hotels guide, our Hattem bars guide, our Hattem wineries guide, and our Hattem experiences guide.
Yes, clearly. A Michelin Bib Gourmand in consecutive years at a €€ price point means you are getting Michelin-quality cooking without the €€€€ cover charge. The Star Wine List White Star adds further weight: this is a kitchen and cellar operating above their pricing tier. Compared to the region's starred options , De Librije or 't Nonnetje , you are spending significantly less for food that Michelin considers recommendable. The value case is direct.
It works well for a considered, intimate occasion where atmosphere and food quality matter more than spectacle. The historic setting and recognised kitchen make it a credible choice for a birthday dinner or anniversary. If your priority is a grander, more formal experience, the €€€€ options in the region , De Librije or 't Nonnetje , provide that. De Voorburcht is the right call when you want the cooking and wine to do the work, without the ceremony of a full starred experience.
Hattem is a small town, so the meaningful alternatives are regional rather than local. At a higher price point, De Librije in Zwolle and 't Nonnetje in Harderwijk are the nearest starred kitchens, both at €€€€. For a peer-tier comparison in Creative French at €€, De Ertepeller in Papendrecht is worth considering. If vegetable-forward cooking is your main interest and you want to explore that format at the leading of the market, De Nieuwe Winkel in Nijmegen is the reference point nationally, though at €€€€. See our full Hattem restaurants guide for more options.
The venue's character , a historic, intimately scaled space , suggests it is better suited to small groups than large parties. There is no publicly available capacity figure, and no group booking policy is listed. For groups larger than six, it is worth contacting the restaurant directly before assuming availability. Hattem is a small town, so logistically you will also want to sort accommodation in advance; see our Hattem hotels guide for options.
There is no confirmed bar or counter seating information in De Voorburcht's published data. Given the venue's scale and character as a seated restaurant rather than a bistro or wine bar format, a traditional bar-dining setup is unlikely. If that format is your priority, check directly with the restaurant. For bar-led experiences in the area, see our Hattem bars guide.
The combination of a considered wine list, a vegetable-forward tasting format, and an intimate room makes De Voorburcht a solid solo dining option for a food or wine-focused traveller. A 4.8 rating across 537 reviews suggests consistent hospitality, which matters when dining alone. The €€ price point keeps the solo cover charge manageable. If you are exploring the region solo and want to build a fuller itinerary, our Hattem experiences guide is a useful starting point.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Voorburcht | €€ · Creative French | €€ | De Voorburcht Hattem is a restaurant in Hattem, Netherlands. It was published on Star Wine List on January 27, 2026 and is a White Star.; The young team of Chef Dennis Mulder knows how to present vegetables beautifully and deliciously, even in a fully vegetable-based menu. It is important to ask for it, as the menu is not yet offered spontaneously. Highly recommended—refined, colorful, and always with an original twist. The former lords of the castle would have been delighted to dine here. We at We’re Smart can only recommend it; it is a complete experience. Definitely give it a try!; Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (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 | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Yes, and it punches above its €€ price point for it. Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmands (2024 and 2025) signal consistent kitchen quality, and We're Smart describes the vegetable-based menu as refined, colourful, and complete. If your group wants a celebratory dinner without the price tag of a full Michelin-starred room, this is a strong option in this part of the Netherlands.
Hattem is a small town, so your realistic alternatives sit in the wider region. De Librije in Zwolle (minutes away) is the area's three-star benchmark if budget is no constraint. For comparable value to De Voorburcht, De Lindehof in Nuenen or Fred in Groningen are worth comparing depending on how far you're willing to travel.
No group capacity data is in the record, so check the venue's official channels before assuming. What is documented: the kitchen runs a young team under Chef Dennis Mulder with a focused Creative French format, which typically suits smaller party sizes better than large groups. For parties of six or more, confirm availability and whether the full menu format works before booking.
Bar seating details are not available in the venue record. The address is Adelaarshoek 18, Hattem — check the venue's official channels to confirm seating arrangements. The Star Wine List White Star recognition suggests a considered wine programme, which makes bar seating worth asking about if that format suits you.
Nothing in the record rules it out, and the €€ price point makes solo visits financially accessible. The Bib Gourmand format generally suits solo diners who want a full kitchen experience without the commitment of a high-spend tasting menu. Call ahead to confirm counter or single-seat availability, as smaller restaurants in this category occasionally have limited solo options on busy nights.
At €€ with two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmands, yes. The Bib Gourmand specifically recognises good cooking at a moderate price, which is the clearest external signal of value this category produces. One practical note: the vegetable-based menu is not offered by default — you need to ask for it. If you don't, you may miss the dish format that earned We're Smart's highest praise.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
