Most of the well-known restaurants are in the big cities, like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. This does not mean that there aren’t any good places in other cities. In Den Bosch, we have recently visited “Auberge de Veste” and discovered this really is a hidden treasure…..
The restaurant is located in a nice old building along a canal. To my surprise, on the canal, there was a continuous stream of tourist (sightseeing) boats. Right next to the restaurant there are a few tables set up on the terrace. The interior is, apart from some minor drops on the carpet, spotless and very well maintained. Entrance to the restaurant is rather small, but fitting considering the age of the building. Big windows on three sides of the dining room, means the restaurant is nice and light.
Since we are here for lunch, we’re having the three-course set menu. As is the case with most of the restaurants we visit, the lunch is kicked-off by some amuses: Curry mayonnaise with cassava, accompanied by the most delicious grape juice (no alcohol, just grape juice). It was followed by a cone of tomato stuffed with tuna and a meringue with ham made of tuna. All of the amuses were absolutely delicious, although we would not present the second amuse on coarse salt as this tends to stick to the amuses itself which could affect the flavour/balance of the dish.
The starter was one of the visually most attractive dishes we have seen in quite some time. Pickled root vegetables, like carrots, radishes etc. with cucumber and herbs. As a protein, it had some corvina, partly “cooked” in citrus. not only did it look perfect, the flavours were there too; Very well balanced with just enough acidity and crunchy vegetables. in between the root vegetables was also some cauliflower plus romanesco, which was a nice addition and flavour-wise it went well with the rest of the dish. An excellent start of the meal that raises expectations for what is to come.
For the main course, the choice was between veal or skate. As we had never eaten skate before, we opted for the fish dish. The restaurant was empty apart from our table, so the chef took the time to show us the fish and explain how he was going to prepare it. Nice touch that shows they really make an effort to make their guests happy. Because we had never eaten it, we did not know what to expect. As was the case with the starter, we were really happy to eat this. Thee fish was accompanied by gnocchi with summer truffel. Of course, the truffel was “grated” at the table and they were not stingy: Generous but not too much of it. The fish was “swimming” in a broth/sauce of shellfish. All of it went really well together. The meaty fish with the creamy gnocchi and earthy tones of the truffle, in one word: De-li-cious!
A seasonal favourite of ours was on the menu for dessert: Strawberries. The quality of this was in line with the two previous dishes. Beautifully presented three different preparations of strawberry: Marinated strawberries with basil ice cream, a crumble of strawberry and last, but not least a mousse of strawberry. Please don’t ask which we liked best as they were all very well prepared and packed with flavour.
When you are in Den Bosch and you have something to celebrate or you decide you deserve a treat, lunch at Auberge De Veste is highly recommended. For a three-course lunch you’ll spend about EUR 60 (incl. drinks). This may sound like a lot of money, but it really gets you a very good meal with matching service. So far, this is easily our favourite restaurant in the greater Den Bosch area and well worth a visit (even if you have to take a detour for it).
Restaurant location: View on Google Maps
Restaurant website: http://www.aubergedeveste.nl