Restaurant In de Heerlyckheid — Restaurant in Deurne

I am an American traveling in Europe for the first time. I have heard before of how the Europeans will spend hours eating and fellowshipping over a dinner table and, before eating at this restaurant, I didn't understand how that was possible. In America, we are largely about sizeable portions and deadlines, so the idea of multiple smaller portions over a longer period of time was quite foreign to me. That is no longer true.

I and two friends decided on the 7-course surprise menu. Of particular interest here is that we are a kaleidoscope of dietary restrictions. I am a vegetarian/vegan, and my two friends are gluten intolerant. Both of these restrictions, when eating out of the house, often lead to salad, salad, and more salad. Not at this restaurant. These people have forever elevated my expectations of what vegetarian and gluten-free food can taste like.

Because we had seven courses, I am not going to individually describe each dish. What I am going to share are the things that stood out to me as absolutely amazing about this place and the food. For starters, the ambience is just delicious. This is a corner restaurant with lazy golden lighting, a quaint elevated cottage feel, and an open kitchen that you can peer in to and watch as the magicians in the kitchen create their art. The bathroom was amazing. Beautiful, bright, amazingly clean, real hand towels, and pleasantly perfumed. The tables are large enough for a party of four to enjoy as much food as they want, but not so large that you can't hear each other, even when you have a table of rather loud men sitting behind you.

For starters, since I am not gluten intolerant, I had the wheat bread. It was amazing. The crunch of the crust can be heard across the table, but the inner softness of the loaf is light and fluffy like a cloud. The butter that is provided with the bread has been whipped and glides across the soft, chewy center of the bread without damaging it in the slightest. Just the bread and butter alone are worth eating here.

Every single course was perfectly harmonized with the one before and after it. Every single course got better, without detracting from the one before it. The portions were perfection. The flavors, textures, aroma and beauty of the food was breathtaking.

From the spring roll decorated with cubed cucumbers and accented with a ginger sauce that tasted like the sun rising, to smoked mozzarella that smelled and tasted so good I don't know how to describe it, to the beef that I am told melted in your mouth, to the polenta and watercrest geometric shapes that were so smooth and flavorful, to the cheeses that are still lingering on the back of my palate accompanied with the most amazing accent of spiced apricots and Marcona almonds, to the ice cream atop creamed rice with pineapple and a lemon meringue that tasted and felt like a sweetened citrus cloud, this meal is one that I honestly will never forget for as long as I live.

I can now totally understand how one could spend nearly six hours eating and feel like no time had passed at all. You can taste how much these people love what they do. You can feel their love in the food, in the ambience, and in their willingness to chat and answer questions and simply share a hug after a meal that damn near felt like a spiritual experience. I would recommend this place to anyone. It is amazing. If you are in the Duerne area and looking for a meal that will never be forgotten, please don't pass this family establishment up. I promise you that you will...

Unbelievable excellent experience this Sunday 01/14. We (3 persons) opted for the surprise menu 4 courses. The amuse offered was delicious but it was followed by dishes so full of flavours, tasts and surprisingly combined technics. I will be 60 years old next week: néver had such a lunch menu so well cooked / invented. Now the service: waitress Amber brought all plates with an explanation and empathy. She knew where she was talking about! Wine- & Armagnac choice....thank you Amber. During our visit 2 visitors from Austria came in, this restaurant is famous not only in Deurne. Thank you team. Great...

Gemoedelijk en uiterst keurig restaurant. maar wel met een chique uitstraling. Klein vast team personeel die al vele jaren in min of meer dezelfde samenstelling samenwerken en goed op elkaar zijn ingespeeld. Verrassingsmenu besteld, van oa hertenbiefstuk en eend. Pauze tussen de gerechten is goed en gelijkmatig. Ongeveer 60 zitplaatsen, in een grote u-vorm, Voldoende privacy, weken reserveren voor in het weekend is zeker aan te raden. Restaurant is 5 dagen per week geopend. Het is een oud pand vlak bij het station, en geniet monumentale status. Het eten is van zeer goede kwaliteit. Ruime keuze en bijbehorend prijsnivo. Echter bij de eend zat nog een hagelkorreltje in het eten en dat hoort natuurlijk niet! Het had de bediening gesiert hier tijdens het opdienen de gasten voor te waarschuwen. Na het melden hiervan werd er echter naar mijn mening nauwelijks aandacht aan besteed. Goed wijnarrangement en bondige uitleg van de (jonge) sommelier. Gastvrouw hield alles nauwgezet in de gaten, kok (en mede-eigenaar) kwam later hier en daar aan het eind van de avond bij de gasten nog even een gemoedelijk gesprekje voeren en vragen of alles naar wens was geweest. Dit werd uiteraard...