Restaurant Basiliek * | Harderwijk (NL)

French artisan cuisine with a contemporary twist.
I’m sometimes puzzled by Michelin’s choices, but this time they’ve hit the raw crème fraîche on the head!

Along the picturesque historic fish market in the old city centre of Harderwijk (NL) you’ll find Restaurant Basiliek. Once part of the “Agnietenklooster” monastery, the restaurant still shows the features of that, like the old vaulted ceiling and the Roman windows with modern stained glass. Owner Rik Jansma is also the Head Chef and his wife Tabitha runs front of house.

Restaurant Basiliek was founded in 2006, when Rik Jansma and his partner at the time, Andrea van Zoomeren, bought the closed down Michelin starred restaurant Olivio. Wim Zwaart, owner of Olivio decided he had enough of the Michelin Star pressure and preferred to spend more time with his family. He kept his bistro Ratatouille, just a stones-through away and started catering company Wentz. Rik Jansma had worked as sous chef at Olivio, prior to the closure. Before that he also worked at De Nederlanden in Vreeland, Lindenhof in Giethoorn and De Stenen Tafel in Borculo.

Restaurant Basiliek was awarded with a Michelin Star just a year after it’s opening and has held on to it ever-since.

Restaurant Basiliek is open for dinner on Tuesday to Saturday and closed on Sunday and Monday. The à la carte menu offers starter from €17.50, mains from €25 and desserts from €12.50. They also offer a number of tasting menu’s like a 5-course (at € 130,00) and 8-course (at at € 165,00) all-inclusive menu, which includes a sparkling aperitif, 6 amuse bouches, unlimited mineral water and coffee or tea with friandises.

We had dinner last week. As it was Restaurant Week in The Netherlands, Basiliek offered a special 5-course menu at €45. This is half the price it would normally be, so and offer we couldn’t refuse!

A beautiful array of apreritif bites arrived. On the left: Nori Seaweed with Sweet and Sour Lotus Root, Crème of Sesame & Algae Powder. Top middle: Herb Brittle of Linseed, Hempseed & Chia seed with a Vadouvan Dip. Top right: Herb Meringue with Goat Cheese, Citrus and Pink Pepper. Bottom middle: Waffle of Roasted Pepper, Salad of Roasted Pineapple with Lemon & Tarragon Mayonnaise. Bottom right: Flammkuchen with Tomato & Lovage.
Fresh, bright flavours that tickle the taste buds. Nice to see the craftsmanship in these homemade amuses.

And a final pre-dinner mouth-amuser: Baby Potato with Asparagus Salad, Parsley Crème & Potato Crackling. All tastes of a good potato salad in one bite. Lovely.

They asked if we would like bread on the table and they delivered nice wholewheat bread, served with olive oil, rock salt and Guernsey butter. Bit cheeky to charge extra for the bread, even at only €2,75. Better to include that in the price of the menu. Same goes for charging €1.75 per person for Unlimited Tap water. I get it, but I don’t. It just doesn’t work in a restaurant at this culinary level.

Lightly smoked trout and a trout mousse, both beautifully seasoned and lovely tastes. Sorrel crème nice and smooth with intense flavour. A great combination with the trout together with the courgette tartare and little kick from the jalapeño pepper. All together quite a creamy mouthfeel. The fish eggs help when they burst in the mouth, but I think a bit of crunch would elevate the dish even more.

Perfect cuisson of the cod, with a gorgeous golden crisp. Different preparations of the artichoke of which the artichoke crisp was a pleasant surprise. Olive tapenade brings a subtle saltiness. What an excellent dish and beautifully executed!

Halibut was grilled perfectly and had a lovely texture and taste. Old Bemeker cheese gnocchi for some bite. The buttery sauce with the morels and wild spinach was utterly pleasing. Excellent fish dish, with just a few ingredients that totally build the story on the plate. Love that!

Lamb was perfectly cooked, tender and butter soft. Asparagus and bitey peas accompanied the lamb very nicely. Deep flavoured and robust lamb jus and subtle sweet radishes completed the dish in a brilliant way.

We opted for a cheeseboard as an extra and I would recommend everyone to do the same when visiting Restaurant Basiliek. What a treat! A very extensive cheeseboard with a well chosen variety of cheeses from The Netherland, Belgium, Austria, France and the UK. With apple-pear jam and a pre-sliced batârd bread.

Rhubarb, strawberry, vanilla and elderflower in a perfect blend of flavours. Love the meringues with a hint of elderflower and the raw crème fraîche is exceptionally nice. Smooth textures with crunchy and not to tangy, rhubarb. Lovely dessert.

Couldn’t resist to order coffee with sweets, especially when we saw it being served on other tables. No less than 8 sweets in this mignardise collection. From left to right: 1. Boterkoek (Dutch for butter cake), 2. Apple Pie, 3. Madeleine, 4. Macaron with Salted Caramel, 5. Caramel Fudge, 6. Coconut Macaroon, 7. Clafoutis, 8. Chocolate Cake with Coffee Gel. I especially liked the macaron and the boterkoek!

The service is pleasant, correct and welcoming. Tabitha Jansma and her team bring a nice atmosphere with an emphasis on friendliness, or as the Germans say “Gemütlichkeit”. It’s also good to see the Head Chef coming out of the kitchen to discuss the menu and getting involved with the guests. That’s what you want to see in a Michelin Star restaurant!

This kitchen delivers a good balance between simplicity and complexity. Well thought-out dishes without fuss and feathers, and Jansma doesn’t complicate things with too many flavours. French artisan cuisine with a contemporary culinary twist, which deserves it’s place in the Dutch culinary landscape. I’m sometimes puzzled by Michelin’s choices, but this time they’ve hit the raw crème fraîche on the head!