These are the 44 best new hospitality venues in the Netherlands, from restaurants to rooftop bars
Every year, hospitality trade magazine Entree Magazine presents the Entree Awards. During this glamorous evening, the best new hospitality venues in our country are rewarded with a coveted prize. The anticipation for the ceremony begins with the announcement of the nominees. Which exciting new concepts are in the running this year? These are the most notable nominees for the Entree Awards 2024—in other words: the 44 best new hospitality venues in the Netherlands.
The Entree Awards ceremony itself will take place this year on Monday, 2 December, at Theater Amsterdam. So there is still a little while to wait, but with this impressive list of nominees, we already know that an amazing evening lies ahead!
The 5 best new dine & drink concepts with fewer than 100 guests
Small-scale, but on point from top to bottom: that is what the best new dine & drink concept should be. A place with refined dishes, an interior that is a feast for the eyes and a great vibe. The kind of place you do not really want to leave—or at least stay longer than planned. Ron Blaauw (chef and owner of Ron Gastrobar*) and Jeroen Veldkamp (coffee expert and hospitality entrepreneur at Smelt, Coffeelab and The Villy) will serve as jury members for this category. Who is in the running?
- Bar Bù in Rotterdam: modern Cantonese cuisine
- Café Visscher in Leiden: French bistro-style cuisine (read our review of Café Visscher here)
- Harper in The Hague: global cuisine (read our review of Harper here)
- L’Amour Toujours in The Hague: future bistro and café
- Osteria Emilia in Utrecht: Italian shared dining
Read more about the nominees at Entree Magazine here.
The 5 best new dine & drink concepts with 100–250 guests
The same requirements as in the < 100 category: everything simply has to be right. Marijke Schreiner (director of StayOkay) and Christophe Beaumont (hotelier and entrepreneur at, among others, Beaumont Hotel and Brasserie Harry’s) will take their seats on the jury. There are five nominees here too. At Soulkitchen, we have already experienced for ourselves how good it is:
- Café-brasserie Nationaal in The Hague: modern Belgian cuisine
- Gio’s by the River in Amsterdam: funky Italian (read our review of Gio’s by the River here)
- Mairie in Berkel en Rodenrijs: Mediterranean shared dining
- Soulkitchen in Amsterdam: Peruvian fusion (read our review of Soulkitchen here)
- The Local Club in Gorinchem: cuisine using only local Dutch ingredients
Read more about the nominees at Entree Magazine here
The 5 best new dine & drink concepts with more than 125 guests
You want a restaurant in this category where you can take a picture for Instagram. We already knew that about The Siren—we featured it in this article about Amsterdam’s 15 most Instagrammable interiors. The food is excellent too. The other four nominees are bound to be no different. Who will take home the prize? Chong Chu (hospitality entrepreneur at, among others, Foodhallen and The Joint) and Ron Simpson (Skybox, The Avocado Show) will decide on 2 December. This is the list they can choose from:
- Beso by Simonis in Scheveningen: Spanish cuisine
- Ciao Belli in Breda: Italian
- 1NUL8 Basement in Rotterdam: restaurant/cocktail bar with Mediterranean influences
- Le Grand George in Amsterdam: cuisine inspired by the French bistro
- The Siren in Amsterdam: Mediterranean cuisine, lounge bar (read our review of The Siren here)
Read more about the nominees at Entree Magazine here.
The 5 best new restobars
The atmosphere of a bar, but with high-quality dishes that command respect. These concepts have been doing well for years. That is why we are quick to check out any new restobar that opens. Maartje Nelissen (sustainable entrepreneur at Plant FWD) and Gijsbregt Brouwer (trend watcher, de Buik) will decide who is the best newcomer this year. They will choose from:
- Café Kiem in Rotterdam: seasonal cuisine with natural wines
- Masa in Rotterdam: Mexican
- Petit Péché in Amsterdam: French-oriented
- Pitot in Utrecht: Eastern Mediterranean
- Roux in Amsterdam: traditional French with a modern twist
Read more about the nominees at Entree Magazine here.
The 5 best new cocktail bars
Fancy cocktail bars only for New York, Tokyo or Rio de Janeiro? No way! Here in the Netherlands, we have plenty of swanky spots where we can sip excellent cocktails. Amsterdam in particular is well represented, as you can see in the list of nominated newcomers below. Albert van Beeck Calkoen (including The Art of Drinks), Ingmar Voerman (beverage journalist) and Misja Vorstermans (ISAAC Academy) will decide who wins on 2 December. These are the contenders:
- Bar Break in Rotterdam: cocktail bar with a retro atmosphere
- Duke of Tokyo in Rotterdam: Japanese-style cocktail bar with a karaoke bar
- LuminAir in Amsterdam: rooftop bar at Double Tree by Hilton (read our review of LuminAir here)
- Sonora in Amsterdam: cocktail bar with an old Latin American atmosphere
- Prins & Aap in Amsterdam: ‘barstro’ (read our review of Prins & Aap here)
Read more about the nominees at Entree Magazine here.
The 5 best new ‘all-day concepts’
Whether you are rubbing the sleep from your eyes here in the morning or having a nightcap in the evening, an all-day concept welcomes you all day long for a great atmosphere and good food. Lunch and dinner too, of course. Sanne Huisman (hospitality entrepreneur at TEDS All Day Brunch) and Ad Schaap (hospitality entrepreneur at De Beren) will debate who has created the very best new all-day concept. Who will be biting their nails?
- Badhuis in Amsterdam: restobar with a dance floor in a nostalgic bathhouse
- Bar Bowie in The Hague: French-Mediterranean
- Kastan in Hoofddorp: hospitality venue in an atmospheric barn
- Polderfabriek in Leiden: brasserie, rooms and packages
- Volière in Noordwijkerhout: hospitality venue by a nature reserve
Read more about the nominees at Entree Magazine here.
The 5 best new fine dining concepts
The best of the best. An evening of fine dining is truly an experience. Not everyday fare, but the ultimate indulgence courtesy of the best top chefs. If you can pull that off, you could easily end up among Entree Magazine’s top five nominees. Whether you actually win? Anne de Buck (founder of Your Little Black Book) and Joris Bijdendijk (chef at, among others, RIJKS* and Wils*) will decide. These are the lucky contenders:
- Heimat in Utrecht: menu featuring local ingredients
- Het Kook Atelier on Texel: top gastronomic destination with nature at its core
- Mearkas in Eastermar: seasonal dishes in a greenhouse
- Ode in Dokkum: the new Frisian cuisine
- Showw in Amsterdam: haute cuisine comfort food
Read more about the nominees at Entree Magazine here.
The 4 best new rooftop bars
Ultimate enjoyment with an incredible view: if you have chosen a good rooftop bar, you will never forget an evening like that. Choose one of the four rooftop bars below? Then you are guaranteed to be in good hands. They are, in any case, among the best in the country right now. Monique van Loon (culinary journalist) and Liselore Perisutti (entrepreneur at Viral Solutions and Psst Agency) will decide which is the very best on 2 December. They will choose from:
- Hasta La Vista, Baby! in Amsterdam: rooftop bar with casual Spanish fine dining (read our review of Hasta la Vista, Baby! here)
- LuminAir in Amsterdam: rooftop bar at Double Tree by Hilton (read our review of LuminAir here)
- Selva in Amsterdam: rainforest-inspired rooftop bar (read our review of Selva here)
- Ventuno in Amsterdam: rooftop bar with panoramic views over Amsterdam (read our review of Ventuno here)
Read more about the nominees at Entree Magazine here.
The 5 best new entertainment concepts
A fun day or evening out starts with good food and tasty drinks, but a little entertainment never hurts either. Want to be truly entertained? Plan a visit to one of the concepts below. From karaoke to gaming; fun guaranteed. Kees Ndeke (concept developer and nightlife expert) and Vincent van Dijk (trend watcher and hotel expert) will choose the most enjoyable entertainment concept in December. These five are in the running:
- Rif010 in Rotterdam: surf pool in the middle of the city
- Duke of Tokyo in Rotterdam: Japanese-style cocktail bar with a karaoke bar
- Playhood in Amsterdam: play space for young and old
- The(Any)Thing in The Hague: hospitality venue with movie screenings
- The All Out in Amsterdam: games, music and more
Read more about the nominees at Entree Magazine here.
Read also:
- This supermarket has been named the best wine supermarket
- The 25 best restaurants in Rome according to locals (and conveniently organized by neighborhood)
- Gordon Ramsay: this is the very best cuisine in the world
Source: Entree Magazine. Image: Soulkitchen, Amsterdam
