Visiting restaurants over the last years, means we have quite some material to compare one place to another. How and why the ratings, reviews and stars are awarded to a restaurant do (sometimes) puzzle us, as is the case with Restaurant Olivijn. Not intending to spoil the ‘fun’ in the first paragraph, we do wonder why this restaurant has one star….instead of the two it deserves!
The restaurant is located in the city centre of Haarlem, conveniently located about 15 mins walk from the train station or 5-10 mins from a parking garage. In the nice old building, you’ll find a somewhat modern interior of green walls, nice lamps and comfortable leather seats around each table. Don’t be alarmed by the “green walls” and don’t trust the photos on Tripadvisor as in real life it really is a nice-looking restaurant. Normally not a fan of a modern interior in an old(er) building, here it is done with real taste and eye for detail so the old and new somehow complement each other. The tables are placed apart sufficiently, obviously to ensure they are COVID-19-proof but it does not feel empty. Some tables, like ours, offer a small peek into the kitchen, where others offer a peek out on the street or the courtyard/terrace. To summarise, the setting in which you get to enjoy a meal is carefully designed.
Upon arrival, we were told that because we don’t have any allergies, the entire menu would be available to us, to what we answered that we did already discuss our list of allergies. Where this first caused some confusion, one of the head chefs quickly came to our table to put us at ease by mentioning that they know all about it and it is no issue for them. Soon after, the first of our amuses was served along with our glass of champagne. What followed was a very well balanced and varied menu with lovely combinations of flavour. Where one of us likes a cheese platter, chef and owner Menno Post came to our table to offer a special dish for the non-cheese-eater(s). The cheese substitute was tarte tartin with carrot and pineapple and it was delicious. A great ending to a wonderful meal.
Only the “mandatory” tea or coffee was left. The sweets always feel like the perfect present at the end of the evening. What followed was the check and although not a surprise in the sense that it was a high amount or anything, this for us was the moment when we realized the great value-for-money this restaurant offers. If you don’t normally visit Michelin-starred restaurants and need to save money for a special-occasion dinner, this is definitely worth a consideration: A two star meal for a one star price!
