De Betere Tijden — Restaurant in Groningen

Two 'Brabanders' left their province to travel to the 'high north' and found a restaurant which made them feel very much at home. We sometimes think we have a sole claim on 'bourgondisch' lifestyle in the Netherlands but would be clearly wrong in claiming so. De Betere Tijden served us with 5 courses of loveliness and some very nice accompanying wines for a very fair price. The tone was immediately set with some creative and surprisingly good tastes of the amuses. Not a single course disappointed but the fishy starters and cheese plateau were definitely my highlights. We were treated to a wide selection of cheeses and not the usual selection of three or four but ten different cheeses with a range of five ports to accompany them. Service was fun and chatty but also very attentive (small things like the unasked swapping out of almost empty water bottles and rushing to collect the breadcrumbs I had inadvertently swept from our table and had no place to leave). The restaurant itself looked neat and tidy and the large bathroom was very nice too. Certainly no sound issues where we were seated as conversation was easy with some nice music playing in the background. That said, to our surprise the restaurant's 8 o'clock timeslot was not fully booked on a saturday (come on...

I was nervous and very curious to taste their suprise dishes, as there is no specific menu, actually no menu at all... So as soon as I arrived at the restaurant, I was very well attended and everyone was really friendly. They were always explaining in detail what was in the dish showing not only the love for the dishes they are serving, but also that they take care of their customers. Just to raise curiosity, For us they served us a delicious starter that included a shot which included specifically cheese, chorizo,... And well, extremely tasty, very good, moreover, we also got a mini taco, and I was once again suprised of how tasty it was and even how different it was from what I tasted until now. I will only tell you the started and not all the other dishes, to keep it a surprise 😉 To add to my review, the team of the restaurant always listened with full attention of what we asked for, as in this case I was there with my girlfriend and we have different tastes for drinks especially. To conclude, unique and awesome taste, very good food, good drinks and good service. I recomend everyone that is visiting Groningen, to go to this restaurant. To the team, keep up the good work! I am giving 5 starts because it is the max, otherwise I would give...

The food is amazing: modern and innovative without being pretentious. They have one set menu that changes constantly and is supplied by local suppliers. The best way to describe the cuisine would be culinary and refined but without trying to much. Honestly impressive food.

And than the atmosphere: refined and intimate without being overly trendy and obnoxious. Perfect for a date, a family dinner but also for a long evening with friends.

And as if I can anymore gushing: the service is outstanding. Kind, knowledgeable and accommodating.

Did i mention their beverages yet? They offer a very reasonably priced wine pairing with the menu, wine not your thing? Beer pairing: No alcoholic? They offer a juice pairing ad well! Can't make up your mind? No problem just choose the kind of drink you want with every course.

The restaurant is living room style. Meaning no loud music and an intimate and personal atmosphere. Perfect for those of us who enjoy great food and perfect service but are done with "concepts" and loud and dark restaurants.

Honestly, if after this review you are still not convinced to visit: don't go. I didn't even really wanna write this review cause I wanted to keep this gem to myself. But the restaurant...