Restaurant in Hoofdplaat, Netherlands
Zeeland's best regional kitchen. Book it.
De Kromme Watergang in Hoofdplaat holds a Michelin star, a #321 OAD Classical Europe ranking for 2025, and 92.5 La Liste points. Chef Tom Vinke leads a kitchen built around Zeeland seafood and produce from the restaurant's own 1-hectare garden. At €€€€, it is worth the journey and the price, but book four to six weeks ahead minimum.
A second visit to De Kromme Watergang in Hoofdplaat confirms what the first one suggested: this is one of the most coherent restaurant experiences in the Netherlands, and the journey to Zeelandic Flanders is part of the point. The setting is deliberately remote, the sourcing is hyperlocal, and the cooking has grown sharper since Tom Vinke stepped up to lead the open kitchen alongside his father Edwin. If you came before and wondered whether it would hold up, it does.
De Kromme Watergang holds a Michelin star (2024), sits at #321 in the Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe ranking for 2025 (up from #244 in 2024), and scores 92.5 points on La Liste's 2025 global list. Its Google rating is 4.8 from 321 reviews. These are not courtesy credentials for a restaurant that happens to be in a quiet corner of Zeeland; they reflect a kitchen operating well above its postcode. For context on how this compares to other Michelin-starred Dutch destinations, see our guides to Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen and Ciel Bleu in Amsterdam.
De Kromme Watergang opened in 1993 and has spent three decades building its identity around a single, disciplined idea: cook what Zeeland produces, and cook it with precision. The Eastern Scheldt and the North Sea provide the briny, saline backbone of the menu. De Zilte Hof, the restaurant's own organic garden directly across the road, supplies around 260 varieties of vegetables, fruit, and herbs grown from seeds sourced worldwide. Edwin Vinke, who holds the title of ambassador of Dutch Cuisine and is recognised by We're Smart as one of the great masters of the Zeeland kitchen, built this garden so the kitchen would never depend on a greengrocer. That self-sufficiency is now the restaurant's defining structural advantage.
The flavour profile here is built on contrast: the bold, salty character of Zeeland seafood is met with garden herbs, acidic fruit notes, and occasional spiced or exotic seasonings that keep the palate moving. Tom Vinke's approach includes techniques like poaching bycatch fish in butter before briefly barbecuing it, then finishing with a foamy dill jus and herbs from the garden. The result is food that tastes of its geography but doesn't feel provincial. The vegetarian menu, introduced with Tom's arrival, now runs to five courses and has earned specific recognition from We're Smart. If that's your preference on a return visit, it is worth exploring rather than defaulting to the seafood-led progression.
Hoofdplaat is a small village in Zeelandic Flanders, and De Kromme Watergang is the reason most visitors know it exists. This is not a city restaurant with a rural escape narrative; it is a rural restaurant that has built genuine international standing from its location rather than despite it. The suites on-site make an overnight stay practical, and for anyone travelling from Amsterdam or beyond, staying the night converts a demanding day trip into a genuinely comfortable experience. Our full Hoofdplaat hotels guide covers other options in the area, but the on-site accommodation is the most logical choice for a dinner booking here.
If you want to explore the wider area before or after your meal, the full Hoofdplaat restaurants guide is a useful reference, as are our guides to bars, wineries, and experiences in Hoofdplaat. For a more casual meal nearby, De Kromme Bistro offers a lower-commitment entry point in the same town.
De Kromme Watergang is priced at €€€€ and operates Thursday through Monday (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). Hours listed show service running across the full day on open days, though at this level the kitchen operates on a set menu rhythm rather than all-day casual service. Booking is hard: with a Michelin star, a strong OAD ranking, and a location that draws destination diners from across Europe, seats fill well in advance. Plan at least four to six weeks ahead for weekend bookings, and further out if you have a specific date in mind. There is no walk-in culture here. For comparison on booking difficulty, De Librije in Zwolle is similarly difficult to secure at short notice.
For other Dutch restaurants worth planning around in the same trip, consider Aan de Poel in Amstelveen, De Nieuwe Winkel in Nijmegen, De Lindenhof in Giethoorn, FG in Rotterdam, Tribeca in Heeze, De Groene Lantaarn in Staphorst, Brut172 in Reijmerstok, Ode in Dokkum, and Tres in Rotterdam.
Book this if you want a Michelin-starred meal that is genuinely rooted in its region, not a city kitchen that happens to have a garden narrative. The sourcing is real, the cooking has improved with the generational transition, and the setting rewards the effort of getting there. If Zeeland seafood with precise garden-led garnishes and a strong vegetarian option sounds like your format, De Kromme Watergang delivers it at a level that justifies the price and the journey.
The restaurant serves on Thursday through Monday with no fixed split between lunch and dinner service as typically understood. Given the destination nature of the restaurant and the recommendation to book a suite overnight, an evening sitting followed by a night on-site is the more comfortable format. If you are day-tripping, a lunch booking avoids the pressure of a long drive back after a multi-course meal.
There is no seat count in the available data, but at €€€€ with a Michelin star and a set menu format, this is not a venue built around large party bookings. For groups larger than six, contact the restaurant directly well in advance to confirm availability and any private dining options.
At €€€€, yes, provided you are booking for the full experience: destination setting, hyperlocal sourcing from De Zilte Hof, Michelin-starred precision, and a kitchen that has earned a #321 OAD Classical Europe ranking and 92.5 La Liste points. If you want a comparable Dutch fine dining experience in an urban setting, Aan de Poel or Ciel Bleu are easier to reach but deliver a different character.
Yes, particularly for occasions where the journey itself is part of the event. The remote Zeeland location, the on-site suites, and the Michelin-starred set menu format make it well-suited to anniversaries or celebration dinners where you want the day to feel deliberate. It is less suited to occasions requiring flexibility on timing or format.
Book early, plan to stay overnight in one of the suites, and come expecting a set menu built around Zeeland seafood and produce from the kitchen's own garden. The vegetarian menu is now a serious option, not an afterthought. The village of Hoofdplaat offers little else, so treat the restaurant as the destination rather than one stop among several.
Functionally yes: a set menu format works well for solo diners and the open kitchen creates a focal point. The price point at €€€€ is a consideration, but for a solo traveller who has made the trip to Zeeland specifically for this meal, it is entirely appropriate. Call ahead to confirm counter or single-seat availability.
There are no comparable fine dining alternatives in Hoofdplaat itself. De Kromme Bistro is the most accessible nearby option for a lower-price meal. For Michelin-level cooking in the broader Zeeland region, Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen is the closest peer. Beyond Zeeland, De Librije and FG in Rotterdam operate at a comparable tier.
The kitchen operates on a set menu, so ordering in the traditional sense is not the format. On a return visit, the five-course vegetarian menu introduced with Tom Vinke's arrival is worth trying if you took the seafood-led menu last time. The kitchen's strength is in combining briny Zeeland produce with herbs and vegetables from De Zilte Hof, so the menu naturally reflects what the garden and sea are producing at the time of your visit.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Kromme Watergang | €€€€ · Country cooking | €€€€ | Edwin Vinke is one of the great masters of the Zeeland kitchen, ambassador of Dutch Cuisine, and likes to work with vegetables, fruit and herbs that he combines with the salty Zeeland products. "They make a dish or a menu much easier to digest," he says. "They also have an enormous wealth of flavours and are of course very healthy". With his Zilte Hof, an organic garden of 1 ha, he no longer needs a greengrocer. With seeds and plants from all over the world he grows about 260 different varieties. The next phase has started with the arrival of son Tom Vicke in the kitchen, there is now also a 5-course vegetarian menu to enjoy! We at We're Smart are so happy with this that an extra radish can be added! Good job there in Hoofdplaat…; Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe Ranked #321 (2025); La Liste Top Restaurants (2025): 92.5pts; With the Eastern Scheldt and North Sea serving as primary suppliers, and De Zilte Hof vegetable garden across the street providing the chefs with vegetables, fruit and herbs, De Kromme Watergang takes full advantage of the bountiful ingredients Zeelandic Flanders has to offer. That ambassadorial role is also reflected in the respect they have for the produce, which is evident in their nose-to-tail approach. Open since 1993, this beloved restaurant now mostly sees Tom Vinke at the helm of the open kitchen, as he gradually takes over from his father, Edwin.Here, produce is king, elevated by the chef's carefully considered garnishes and spicy exotic seasonings. For instance, he poaches ling from bycatch in butter and barbecues it briefly. He then serves it up with a foamy jus with dill, crunchy peas and herbs from the garden. The bold briny favours of Zeeland are given a sophisticated twist and the occasional international touch.One final tip: Extend your stay by booking one of the lovely suites, and you will fall in love with the beautiful surroundings, just as the chefs have.; Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe Ranked #244 (2024); Michelin 1 Star (2024); Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe Recommended (2023) | Hard | — |
| De Librije | €€€€ · Modern Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Aan de Poel | €€€€ · Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| De Nieuwe Winkel | €€€€ · Organic | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Fred | €€€€ · Creative French | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| De Lindehof | Contemporary Dutch, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Hoofdplaat for this tier.
Lunch is the practical choice for visitors travelling from outside Zeeland, since the restaurant operates Thursday through Monday and listed hours cover daytime service. The full tasting menu experience, including the 5-course vegetarian option, is available regardless of sitting. If you're making the trip specifically for the Zilte Hof garden produce, a midday meal lets you see the surrounding landscape at its best.
Group bookings are possible, but this is a destination restaurant in a small Zeelandic Flanders village, not a large-format city venue. Parties of 4-6 are the practical ceiling for a comfortable experience. For larger groups, check the venue's official channels — suites are available on-site, which makes De Kromme Watergang a viable private-event venue if you're willing to plan ahead.
At €€€€ with a Michelin star, a La Liste score of 92.5, and an OAD ranking of #321 in Europe for 2025, the price reflects a kitchen operating at a credible international level. What makes it defensible is the sourcing: produce comes from De Zilte Hof, the restaurant's own 1-hectare organic garden growing around 260 varieties, alongside Eastern Scheldt and North Sea seafood. You are paying for genuine regional coherence, not a city restaurant with a garden narrative bolted on.
Yes, and the on-site suites make it one of the few Michelin-starred restaurants in the Netherlands where you can extend the occasion into an overnight stay. The combination of a 1-star kitchen, garden-to-table sourcing, and rural Zeeland setting gives a special occasion dinner a distinct sense of place that urban fine dining rarely delivers. Book well in advance, particularly for weekend dates.
Hoofdplaat is a small village in Zeelandic Flanders — this is a deliberate destination, not a restaurant you walk past. The kitchen has been open since 1993 and is now led by Tom Vinke, son of founder Edwin Vinke, with a gradual generational handover in progress. A 5-course vegetarian menu runs alongside the main menu, anchored by produce from De Zilte Hof garden directly across the street. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
It works for solo diners who are comfortable with a structured tasting menu format at €€€€ pricing. The open kitchen setup means a solo diner at the counter has a direct view of the cooking, which adds to the experience rather than leaving you isolated. That said, this is not a casual drop-in: make a reservation and plan the trip as a standalone destination rather than a detour.
There are no direct alternatives in Hoofdplaat itself — De Kromme Watergang is the reason most people visit the village. For regional fine dining elsewhere in the Netherlands, De Lindehof in Nuenen operates at a comparable Michelin-starred level with strong Dutch produce credentials. De Nieuwe Winkel in Nijmegen is the reference point if the vegetarian menu is your primary interest, holding a higher international ranking for plant-based tasting menus.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
