Restaurant in Meerssen, Netherlands
Michelin-noted value, easy to book.
A Michelin Plate-recognised farm-to-table kitchen in Meerssen with back-to-back awards in 2024 and 2025 and a 4.7 Google rating across 275 reviews. At the €€ price tier, Gaar delivers consistent, produce-led cooking that sits well below the cost of the Dutch €€€€ fine-dining circuit. A practical choice for special occasions, group dinners, and food-focused travellers routing through Limburg.
At the €€ price tier, Gaar is one of the more practical decisions you can make in the Dutch restaurant scene. Two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) signal consistent kitchen standards at a price point that sits well below the €€€€ tasting-menu circuit dominating the Netherlands' fine-dining conversation. If you want Michelin-acknowledged cooking without the three-figure bill, Gaar is worth the detour to Meerssen.
Gaar sits on Klinkenberg 173 in Meerssen, a quiet Limburg municipality southeast of Maastricht. The farm-to-table format here is not a branding exercise: the kitchen's commitment to seasonal, locally sourced produce is what the Michelin Plate recognitions are built on. The visual identity of the dining room and the plate both reflect that orientation — expect clean presentations that foreground ingredients rather than technique-for-technique's-sake showmanship.
Right now, in the current season, farm-to-table kitchens in the Netherlands are working with late-spring and early-summer produce: asparagus, early soft herbs, and garden vegetables that shift week to week. At Gaar, the menu moves with what's available, which means what you eat in June won't mirror what someone had in November. For the food-focused traveller, that's part of the appeal. For anyone wanting guaranteed dishes, call ahead or check for current menu information before arriving.
The Google rating of 4.7 across 275 reviews is a meaningful signal. At that volume, a 4.7 average isn't fluked — it reflects a consistently satisfying experience across a wide range of diners. That consistency, combined with the Michelin Plate, places Gaar in a reliable tier: not an experimental destination to gamble on, but a confident local kitchen you can recommend to guests without hesitation.
The farm-to-table format and mid-range price point make Gaar a sensible candidate for group bookings and private occasions. A €€ restaurant with Michelin recognition hits the right balance for work dinners, milestone birthdays, or family celebrations where you want quality without the ceremony-and-formality of a full tasting-menu restaurant. The venue data does not confirm a dedicated private dining room, so contact Gaar directly to clarify whether a private space or semi-private arrangement is available for your group size before building plans around it.
For groups comparing options, note that the €€€€ venues in the wider Dutch south , [Brut172 in Reijmerstok](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/brut172-reijmerstok-restaurant) and [De Lindehof in Nuenen](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/de-lindehof-nuenen-restaurant), for example , offer more formal private dining infrastructure but at a substantially higher per-head cost. Gaar is the more accessible entry point if the group's priority is quality cooking in a relaxed setting over production-level occasion dining.
Booking at Gaar is rated Easy. With a 4.7 Google rating and Michelin Plate status, demand is real but manageable , this is not a venue requiring three-week advance planning. A week's notice for weekend tables is sensible; weekday availability is likely better. Website and phone details are not confirmed in current data, so the most direct route is searching for the venue's current booking page or contacting them at Klinkenberg 173, Meerssen.
Dress code is not formally specified, but the €€ farm-to-table category in the Netherlands generally leans smart-casual. Avoid beach or sportswear; a relaxed but put-together outfit is appropriate and comfortable at this tier.
See the comparison section below for a full peer breakdown. For the quick read: Gaar is the practical choice if budget is a factor. The €€€€ Dutch fine-dining circuit , [De Librije](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/de-librije-zwolle-restaurant), [Ciel Bleu in Amsterdam](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/ciel-bleu-amsterdam-restaurant), [Inter Scaldes in Kruiningen](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/inter-scaldes-kruiningen-restaurant) , delivers more technical ambition but at two to three times the price. For farm-to-table peers at a similar tier, ['t Arsenaal in Deventer](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/t-arsenaal-deventer-restaurant) and [Auberge de Veste in Hertogenbosch](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/auberge-de-veste-hertogenbosch-restaurant) offer comparable format comparisons if you're routing across the country.
| Venue | Price | Format | Michelin | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaar (Meerssen) | €€ | Farm to table | Plate ×2 | Easy |
| Brut172 (Reijmerstok) | €€€€ | Creative | Star | Harder |
| De Lindehof (Nuenen) | €€€€ | Contemporary Dutch | Star | Harder |
| 't Arsenaal (Deventer) | €€ | Farm to table | , | Easy |
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gaar | €€ | Easy | — |
| De Librije | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Aan de Poel | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| De Nieuwe Winkel | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Fred | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| De Lindehof | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Gaar and alternatives.
Yes, at the €€ price tier with two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025), Gaar delivers a credible special-occasion experience without the financial commitment of a higher-tier venue. It suits birthdays or anniversaries where the meal matters but a four-figure bill does not. If the occasion demands something more formal, Maastricht and the wider Limburg region have higher-starred options.
Meerssen is a small municipality with limited direct competition at the same tier. For farm-to-table dining with Michelin recognition in the broader Limburg area, De Lindehof is the most obvious step up in ambition and price. Fred and Aan de Poel offer comparable Dutch restaurant credentials if you are willing to travel slightly further. Gaar remains the most accessible entry point by price.
Bar seating details are not confirmed in available venue data for Gaar. Given its farm-to-table format at Klinkenberg 173, Meerssen, the setup is likely table-focused rather than bar-forward. check the venue's official channels before assuming walk-in bar access is an option.
The €€ price point and Michelin Plate status make Gaar a practical group dining candidate — lower per-head cost reduces the coordination risk of a large booking. Specific private dining room availability is not confirmed in venue data, so contact Gaar directly for group minimums and any set-menu requirements for larger parties.
Gaar's farm-to-table format and €€ pricing suggest a relaxed but considered dress code — think neat casual rather than formal. Nothing in the venue data points to a jacket requirement. If you are coming from a business occasion or making it a proper dinner out, dress accordingly, but there is no signal this is a black-tie environment.
At €€, Gaar is one of the more straightforward value calls in the Dutch Michelin-recognised scene. Two consecutive Michelin Plates confirm the kitchen is cooking at a standard above its price bracket. If you are comparing it to a €€€€ Dutch fine dining destination, the gap in polish is real — but the gap in price is larger. For farm-to-table cooking with a credible recognition record, the value holds.
Specific tasting menu pricing and structure are not confirmed in venue data. That said, a Michelin Plate kitchen operating at the €€ tier is the kind of setup where a tasting menu, if offered, typically over-delivers relative to cost. Confirm current menu formats directly with the restaurant before booking around that expectation.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
