Wine Bar Hemel & Aarde in Utrecht: a dream for wine lovers
The wonderful Hemel & Aarde restaurant, located in the impressive Polman’s Huis on Keistraat in Utrecht, recently gained an in-house wine bar. A beautiful and lovely place to discover surprising wines and enjoy delicious food alongside them.
Last year, the extra space next to the restaurant was still filled with a few boxes of wine; now it is a delightful little sister to the restaurant. And to strengthen the link with the restaurant, the name is just as effective as it is appropriate: Wijnbar Hemel & Aarde. An informal setting where you can drink excellent wines.
Wine and food pairings
I love wine bars, anyway. Because a wine bar offers so many different types of wine, it is the perfect place to discover new wines that you might not otherwise try. The atmosphere in a wine bar is often cosy and relaxed, and a wine bar frequently also offers small dishes that pair perfectly with the wine you are drinking—and that far exceed the level of an ordinary bar snack.
Wijnbar Hemel & Aarde interior
Here, you can order your wine and matching dishes at the bar, at one of the high tables, at the round tables or while relaxing in one of the generous chairs along the wall. When we take a seat at one of the round tables, we are immediately welcomed with olives and delicious smoked almonds. And when the bowls are empty, a new set is simply placed on the table. Delicious!
Delicious bubbles
The cheerful and knowledgeable sommelier Sanne van den Brink serves one gem after another and accompanies them with an entertaining story. No Tesla robot can compete with that. We start with two very different sparkling wines. A Belgian bubbly, Wiscoutre from Entre deux Monts, made from Chardonnay and Auxerrois. Fresh and aromatic, a perfect aperitif. And made exactly like a champagne. This is followed by a glass of ‘real’ champagne, Les Grandes Côtes from Pierre Gerbais, made solely from Pinot Noir (a so-called ‘Blanc de Noir’). Wonderfully sultry and refreshing at the same time. It is one of Sanne’s own favourite champagnes, and we are delighted that she selected it.
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On the drinks menu
The wine list changes with the seasons, as do the snacks on the drinks menu. Rene van der Weijden, the restaurant’s chef, has put together a delicious and concise menu for the wine bar. It features fantastic charcuterie (including homemade ossenworst), creative dishes such as Korean-style sweetbreads (delicious!) and small dishes to share. Definitely order the liquorice-like dry-aged beetroot with a toasted nutritional yeast sauce and some smoked almond as well.
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- Cider & charcuterie bij Wijnbar Hemel & Aarde
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- Korean Style zwezerik
Special bottles and formats
Alongside sparkling and still wines by the glass and bottle, the menu also features ‘odd size bottles’. So we move on to a delightful magnum of Riesling: Devon-Terrassen from 2017 by Weingut Loersch from Germany’s Moselle region. It is served using a Coravin. This ultimate wine gadget allows you to pour a glass of wine without removing the cork from the bottle. That naturally sounds like pure magic, and in this video we reveal the trick.
Alcohol-free options
Just as effortlessly as Sanne serves juicy wines, she comes up with exciting alcohol-free options. From special shrubs (cold-infused syrup, acidified with a vinegar-like component) to distinctive distilled alcohol-free botanical drinks, such as Jörg Geiger dzin Bitter. By nine in the evening, the place is pleasantly busy, with a striking mix of guests. Two friends, a somewhat older couple, a group of friends—such diversity is lovely.
Opening hours and reservations
You can make a reservation via the Wijnbar Hemel & Aarde website. You do not necessarily have to reserve to discover new wines; they always keep a few spots available for those who prefer to drop in spontaneously. The wine bar’s cellar can also be booked for groups or business gatherings. Opening hours: Tue & Wed from 15:30–00:00, Thu, Fri & Sat from 12:00–00:00. The wine bar is closed on Sundays and Mondays. We will certainly return for dessert: a warm, caramelised brioche French toast drizzled with some sweet PX sherry!
Hemel & Aarde, Keistraat 8, Utrecht
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