Restaurant Haricot. — Restaurant in Maastricht

Chef Mathijs van der Boon & Maitre sommelier Shiva Brugge are stepping out of their cradle of de Librije 200 miles closer to France. While these gents and the entire team at Haricot are in their twenties still, they mock the established order with their passion for tastes, textures and frankly ingredients made into an experience that moved me, taking my words away more than once. With a preference for boldly and successfully combining into a carnal sonata of sea and soil.

Expect some guilty pleasures, like a Foie gras that was modelled as a kletskop (traditional Dutch caramel wafer), where we gasped at the accuracy of the taste, subtly sitting on top of a bed of tartare of beef and herring, the latter cooked by an acid to make the perfect companion to the beef. It's this kind of dish that would become a signature, but I'm expecting Mathijs to stay away from signature dishes, given every week a shift in dishes takes place, to keep the team on their toes, and returning guests intrigued. Oh, about the guilty pleasures, we loved the gently toasted bread with our cheese plate, with bastante mantequilla and salt, both more generous than really needed, and exactly why we loved the combination so much.

You'll recognise the shape and colour of the ingredients before you smell and taste them, and we prefer it this way over bravoure that other gastronomic kitchens would offer. In fact we favour Haricot over any other kitchens we've ever tasted. And that's a big statement (see my other reviews and pictures), but needs to be said. "Hands down". The best, ever.

Opened just before xmas '24, Haricot is a cosy wood-panelled place, with its leather table cloths, and cutlery tucked neatly into what looks like a rolled up stone mason's gear belt. Are you ready to work your experience? Sound panels humbly keep conversations too their own tables, a touch that combines the warmth of a café and the intimacy you'd want in a dinner experience like this.

Humble is also Chef Mathijs, as only the careful eye would set him apart from his team, as sometimes they huddle over a delicate preparation, or in the way he does the final QA. Do not expect him to walk into the dining area to greet his guests, or to take compliments. Let's give him a decade and we expect he'll be more at ease. Throughout the evening it was clear the team was delivering a top performance and only towards the end allowed themselves a sigh of relief as the compliments from the tables were voiced along very, very empty bowls and plates coming back to the tiny kitchen in the back.

Sommelier Shiva is the warm generous and friendly host, playing close attention to his guests, engaging. He's at ease among them, creating a complementing palate rather than competing with the food presented. With so much happening in that bowl, it must not have been easy to choose wines that subtle shape shift their taste depending on the next amuse and course after each other. The choice of wines were not as radical as I've seen in other places, which would have led to that competition - Shiva knows his place, and is a team player. Well done!

This was French fine dining at its best. For this, especially in Wyck and Rechstraat there's space for this quality. It's said and true, that the experience is an expensive one, and to that, I'd say there's more than a happy few living in and visiting Maastricht for the decades to come. The place is right, the team is right, the experience is right. We will for...

A fantastic dining experience! The restaurant is located on a lovely street, and the beautifully designed interior immediately sets a welcoming atmosphere. You can tell that a lot of thought went into creating a space that feels both stylish and inviting.

The food was outstanding—every dish in the six-course menu was beautifully presented and perfectly balanced in flavor. It’s clear that a lot of passion and creativity went into the menu. The service was attentive and friendly, making the whole evening even more enjoyable.

Knowing that the restaurant was founded by a team of friends makes it even more special. You can feel their dedication in every detail, from the ambiance to the plating. It’s a place I would absolutely return to and highly recommend to anyone looking for a great...

I wish I could write a raving review about this place because I so wanted it to be the best but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. For the price of the menu I expected the food to be on par with a Michelin star restaurant. The dishes look amazing, the staff is incredibly kind but unfortunately the dishes are not as balanced as I would have hoped for. Really amazing ingredients but I couldn’t taste the core ingredients of the dishes as the sauce, albeit very tasty, overpowered the dish. I requested one dish to be changed due to dietary requirements but the dish didn’t compare to the one on the menu in terms of size, type of ingredients etc. It was the last dish on the menu and unfortunately left me feeling disappointed (and still a bit hungry). For €95 for a menu I...