Restaurant in Loenen aan de Vecht, Netherlands
One Michelin star, serious technique, book ahead.
Tante Koosje holds a 2024 Michelin Star in the small village of Loenen aan de Vecht, making it the strongest case for a dinner destination in the area at the €€€ price tier. Chef Roland Veldhuijzen's kitchen is built on classical French technique — vinaigrettes, flavoured oils, precise saucing — rather than novelty. Book three to four weeks ahead minimum; it opens Tuesday through Saturday, dinner only.
If you have already made the drive out to Loenen aan de Vecht once, come back. Tante Koosje is the kind of Michelin-starred room where the second visit is better than the first: you know to ask for the terrace in fine weather, you know the kitchen leans on refined classical technique rather than novelty, and you arrive with calibrated expectations. Chef Roland Veldhuijzen is not chasing trends. He is making the case that disciplined French fundamentals, applied to quality Dutch produce, still produce some of the most satisfying cooking in the country. That case holds up.
The Michelin citation calls out two things specifically: Veldhuijzen's vinaigrettes and his flavoured olive oils. These are not garnishes. In French technique, a vinaigrette is a test of a cook's sense of acid balance and emulsification; flavoured oils are a test of restraint and timing. The kitchen here uses them to lift rather than mask — the described combination of ponzu vinaigrette, beurre noisette, and foie gras cream on veal tartare with pan-seared langoustine is a good illustration. That dish sits at the intersection of classical French craft and Japanese acidic brightness: technically demanding to balance, and the fact that the kitchen makes it work is a meaningful signal about what you are paying for.
The broader pattern is one of traditional technique producing intensity. Veldhuijzen occasionally introduces a modern twist, but Michelin's note is clear that the classical methods are doing the heavy lifting. For the food-focused traveller, this is the right kind of restaurant to benchmark a regional Michelin star against: not a showcase for avant-garde plating, but a disciplined kitchen where the cooking is the point.
Restaurant occupies the former home of Koosje Edema, a prominent local figure, on Kerkstraat in the centre of Loenen aan de Vecht. The interior is characterised by antique furnishings and soft ambient lighting — a genuinely old-world room rather than a designed approximation of one. In warm weather, the terrace beside the church changes the character of the meal considerably; it is the kind of outdoor setting that makes a dinner feel unhurried in a way indoor tables rarely do. Google reviewers rate it 4.7 from 418 reviews, which for a small-village restaurant at this price point suggests consistent delivery rather than occasional brilliance.
Tante Koosje holds a 2024 Michelin Star and opens Tuesday through Saturday, 6 PM to 10 PM, with Sunday and Monday closed. Booking is rated hard. For a restaurant of this profile in a village setting with limited capacity, reservations should be made well in advance , expect to plan three to four weeks ahead at minimum, and further ahead for weekend evenings or if you are building a trip around the dinner. There is no walk-in strategy worth relying on here.
For a full picture of the area: our Loenen aan de Vecht restaurants guide, hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tante Koosje | €€€ · Modern French | €€€ | This restaurant is named after Koosje Edema, once a prominent figure in this lovely village. Her former home is now a magnet for foodies. The old-world interior is cosy and charming, with soft ambient lighting and antique furnishings creating an intimate atmosphere. As for the terrace by the church… In fine weather, you could feel yourself transported to the Mediterranean! Drawing on a wealth of experience, versatile chef Roland Veldhuijzen is making his mark on this magnificent location with good old-fashioned culinary expertise, showcasing his wonderful vinaigrettes and flavoured olive oils. For instance, he elevates a dish of veal tartare and pan-seared langoustine with an exquisite ponzu vinaigrette, as well as a beurre noisette and foie gras cream. He occasionally gives his creations a modern twist, but it is the refined traditional techniques that really bring out their intensity. Tante Koosje would be proud of her successors.; Michelin 1 Star (2024) | 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 | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Dinner is your only option. Tante Koosje opens at 6 PM Tuesday through Saturday and is closed Sunday and Monday, with no lunch service listed. Plan around that schedule and book well ahead given its 2024 Michelin Star status.
There are no comparable Michelin-starred alternatives within Loenen aan de Vecht itself. If you want to stay in the region, Aan de Poel in Amstelveen is the closest peer in terms of format and recognition. For a longer drive, De Librije in Zwolle operates at a higher tier entirely.
At €€€ with a 2024 Michelin Star, yes — provided you are coming for refined technique rather than a casual night out. The Michelin citation specifically credits chef Roland Veldhuijzen's vinaigrettes and flavoured olive oils as markers of real craft, which is a more specific endorsement than most one-star write-ups deliver. If the drive to Loenen aan de Vecht feels like a stretch, it needs to be the main event of the evening.
Yes, and the setting reinforces it. The restaurant occupies the former home of local figure Koosje Edema on Kerkstraat, with an interior described in the Michelin notes as intimate, with antique furnishings and soft ambient lighting. The terrace by the church adds an option in good weather. For a milestone dinner away from the city, this is a strong call.
Group capacity details are not available in current records. Given the intimate, house-converted setting and its one-star standing, large groups should check the venue's official channels before assuming availability. Parties of two or four are the natural fit for this format.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
