Foodnews

These are the big winners of the Gault&Millau Awards 2025: from Best Chef to Mediterranean Restaurant of the Year

Today (10 February 2025), the new Gault&Millau Awards were presented. Here you can read who the Chef of the Year is, which restaurant was named Mediterranean Restaurant of the Year, and which restaurants, according to the Gault&Millau culinary guide, belong to the absolute top in the Netherlands.

Foto van culinair journalist Sharon van Lokhorst

door Sharon van Lokhorst

The new Gault&Millau guide 2025

During the event, where prizes were awarded in various categories (see below), the new Gault&Millau restaurant guide was also launched. The latest guide features 866 restaurants. The selection includes 111 impressive newcomers and 99 restaurants with an improving score. They are assessed on the basis of 20 points.

The fact that the Dutch gastronomic world never stands still is evident from the many new names added to the list. The printed guide includes 70 restaurants with a score of 16 points or more. Each one is a special place where you can expect an excellent culinary experience and equally excellent service.

Highest-rated newcomer and highest-ranking climber

This year, restaurant Demain in Cadzand-Bad is the highest-rated newcomer, with 16|20 points. At the restaurant in the Strandhotel, where the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Pure C used to be located, chef Dani Hoefnagels and hostess Romée Monkel now welcome their guests. The highest-ranking climber is De Nieuwe Winkel in Nijmegen, with 17.5 | 20 points. And how could it be otherwise for the best vegetable chef in the world!

Chef of the Year

Joris Bijdendijk, the chef whom Gault&Millau says is much bigger than the restaurants he works in, accepted the award for ‘Chef of the Year’. Kudos to the chef who keeps innovating and surprises us time and again with the tastiest collaborations.

Joris Bijdendijk

Young Chef and Hostess of the Year

Young Chef of the Year is Marco Helsloot, the talented top chef who replaced top chef Jonathan Zandbergen of restaurant Merlet last year—the chef whose recipe for stuffed chicken with truffle butter, Jerusalem artichokes and celeriac purée we shared previously. ‘Hostess of the Year’ is Mandy Overbeek of restaurant Joann in Enschede.

Special award for Jonnie and Thérèse Boer

Jonnie and Thérèse Boer of De Librije received the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for their exceptional careers. (Tip: docuseries ‘De Opvolging’).

Mediterranean Restaurant of the Year

New this year is the award for ‘Mediterranean Restaurant of the Year’. It went to a true classic: restaurant Toscanini in Amsterdam, run by Maud Moody & Leonardo Pacenti. Since 1985, this restaurant has been serving genuinely authentic, (seemingly) simple and flavourful food. Make this tonight: Toscanini’s spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli pepper (spaghetti aglio e olio).