These are the best new hospitality venues of 2024, from rooftop bars to fine dining
Last night, the highly coveted Entree Awards from hospitality trade magazine Entree Magazine were presented. In various categories, the best new hospitality venues in the Netherlands were brought onto the stage and awarded a substantial trophy. Get your pen and paper ready, because these are the places you definitely want to visit.
Earlier, we shared the list of nominees for the most notable new hospitality venues of 2024. An independent professional jury including trend watchers, hospitality entrepreneurs and cocktail experts visited the 54 (!) nominated hospitality businesses over the past few months. These are the absolute winners:
Best new dine & drink venue (fewer than 100 guests)
Bar Bù in Rotterdam: The restaurant of Robin Bravenboer, Merijn Sips and Christiaan Bergers – also the owners of River Bar in Rotterdam – opened in early April. At Bar Bù, Cantonese and French cuisine come together. The menu features a range of shared dining dishes, ranging from Chinese ham, frog legs, sea bass and wagyu to homemade spring rolls and dim sum. The restobar does not have just one eye-catcher; there is plenty to look at. When you enter, two antique Chinese temple lions stand on plinths, there is a Chinese statue in the hallway and many antique ornaments can be found throughout the space. The antiques are brought into harmony with modern furniture.
Best new dine & drink venue (100–125 guests)
Mairie in Berkel en Rodenrijs: Mix Mediterranean flavors from France, Italy and Spain with stylish design and you get the hip restaurant Mairie in Berkel en Rodenrijs. The centerpiece of the venue is the bustling bar, where you can take a seat for refreshing cocktails and small bites. And the bar is not the only thing buzzing, as a DJ also performs on weekends. Prefer to throw your own party? That is possible too: the basement beneath the restaurant can be rented for parties, events and meetings. The entrepreneurial duo Letty Wuyts and Sam Oosterveer also run the nearby restaurant Ferro.
Best new dine & drink venue (more than 125 guests)
1NUL8 Basement in Rotterdam: 1NUL8 Basement ticks all the boxes for both dining and drinking. This venue with Mediterranean influences is the place for a quick drink, an elaborate dinner, a business lunch, cocktails with friends or a get-together with family. Anything goes here. 1NUL8 Basement is decorated in green, gray and beige tones, and the carpet features the curves of waves. In the middle of the venue, you will find a large 3D-printed bar with those same waves. The tables and chairs are made in shades of weathered wood, while the benches and armchairs are upholstered in soft fabrics. Everything has a breezy and homey feel. As if you were sitting in a cool hotel bar in the south of France, but with a fantastic kitchen too.
Best new restobar
Café Kiem in Rotterdam: Restobar Café Kiem in Rotterdam has a homely vibe, a daily changing menu and an extensive wine list. René Cogenbach and Co Kossmann (formerly of Matroos en het Meisje) run Café Kiem and also work together in the kitchen. The dishes are simple but excellent; the cooking is very clean. The focus is on pure, organic ingredients from carefully selected local suppliers. The wines are equally carefully selected: clean, crisp natural wines that pair seamlessly with the dishes. It is truly of a very high standard. For the interior, they drew plenty of inspiration from the 1960s and gave it their own modern twist.
Best new cocktail bar
LuminAir in Amsterdam: Located in DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station. From this rooftop bar, you have an incredible view over central Amsterdam. The bar therefore draws inspiration from the different skies above the city. Cloud-shaped installations and light projections change with the mood of the day. The cocktail menu consists of eight alcoholic and three non-alcoholic creations based on eight different global winds and the countries where they blow. Thanks to the delicious bites, you can easily stay here all evening. The DJ adds to the atmosphere and completes the experience.
Best new all-day venue
Badhuis in Amsterdam: The long-standing neighborhood function of this building has been brought back to life. Badhuis is a café, restobar, dance venue and cultural event location. There is something to experience here at every time of day. The menu, featuring global and halal dishes, fits seamlessly with that. From delicious breakfasts and good coffee to refined late-night snacks.
Best new fine dining restaurant
Heimat in Utrecht: Heimat is the kind of place you walk out of and immediately think: who should I come back here to eat with next time? Heimat is a restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere where you feel at home right away, while at the same time tasting a refined menu of a high culinary standard. Chef Niels van Zijl has been at the helm of this fine dining restaurant since spring, serving a changing menu inspired by nature. The restaurant’s name refers to the emotional connection you have with your native land, or with the place where you feel at home. Utrecht, in the case of the chef, who previously worked at De Librije***.
Best new rooftop bar
Selva in Amsterdam: On the 24th floor of the design hotel nhow Amsterdam RAI. This Latin American restaurant is an ode to the Amazon rainforest, with dishes from Mexico, Peru and Brazil taking center stage. Whether it is sea bass ceviche, a grilled tomahawk steak or squid, the charm of the open charcoal grill brings every dish to life. The menu also includes vegetarian and vegan options. One of them is the colorful roasted pumpkin with green mole and cashews. With an interior inspired by the hues, textures and patterns of the Amazon rainforest, the restaurant reflects the organic forms of the rivers and creates a vibrant, lush atmosphere.
Best new terrace (open all year)
Van Heeckeren on Ameland: From the speed at which the first drink is placed on the table to the care taken with the cushions on the terrace, absolutely everything has been thought through. Van Heeckeren Grandcafé is located in the center of Nes on Ameland. You can sit outside on the terrace here all year round. Apart from a few tables with chairs, the terrace consists exclusively of comfortable lounge sofas. On weekends, it is extra lively with Vinyl Friday and Saturday. A DJ performs on the terrace, and there is a crate of records from which guests can choose their favorite tracks. They are fantastic evenings, always busy and convivial.
Best new entertainment venue
Duke of Tokyo in Rotterdam: At Duke of Tokyo, you rent a karaoke booth with friends, colleagues or family. You can also find Duke of Tokyo in Amsterdam and Utrecht, but the Rotterdam location is extra special. In addition to private karaoke rooms and a bar, it also houses a restaurant: Izakaya Duki. The menu features classic homemade dishes such as incredible wagyu that melts in your mouth, yakitori, takoyaki, sake clams, agedashi tofu and salmon tataki. Wagyu in a karaoke bar—what more could we want?
Read also:
