Te Koop

Ayant choisi d’emmener la famille de mon copain dans ce restaurant à Utrecht après avoir lu les précédents avis des Unilocaler, je suis rentrée dans ce restaurant avec la boule au ventre. En effet, la décoration très kitsch est surprenante de prime abord. Mais le service et les plats furent une très belle découverte. Nous avions choisi le menu a 3 services composé d’une première mise en bouche (velouté de poireau et traditionnelle boulette de viande hollandaise), suivie d’une assiette a base d’un poisson blanc superbement cuit sur un lit d’algues et recouverte d’une écume savoureuse, et d’un deuxième plat à base de viande de bœuf dont la cuisson était parfaite et les accords avec les accompagnements (patate douce et butternut) supers. Le dessert à base de glacé a la vanille et lavande était marié à des fraises et de la rhubarbe, un délice en bouche. Ce qui, je pense, est très important ici c’est que ce menu 3 services magiquement bien présenté sur l’assiette et goûteux à souhait né coûte qu’environ 30 €/​p. Bref, de passage à Utrecht, je retournerai volontiers dans ce restaurant!

Very solid discovery mystery menu, we had some great duck & a well cooked fish plus an awesome dessert all for only 22 euros per person. The décor is very nice and the service as well.

Many great things to mention about Te Koop!
1. Décor: Kitschy and cute, with lots of thoughtfully jumbled art and vintage style adornments on the walls. Tables and dining space are big enough to bring in a larger party (4 – 6), but still feels cozy overall. We called ahead for a reservation that same evening (Sunday), but likely could have just walked in and gotten a table.
2. Location: About a 10 – 15 minute walk from city center, easy to find.
3. Wait staff: Friendly and sincere. They didn’t have a menu in English, but they took time before approaching our table to double check on translations of certain dishes and food items from Dutch to English for us to understand, and were happy to help with suggestions. Our waiter was attentive throughout the meal, but we felt a bit stranded at the end of the meal awaiting a check as the last two people in the restaurant, and they were closing up shop.
4. Food: We received a tasty amuse-​bouche to start, which is always a pleasant surprise. Our appetizers were both nicely petite portions, and creatively plated (duck/​foie gras combo as a part of the prix fixe, and the mackerel). Our main dishes were surprisingly large, with an interesting combination of food and flavors. My tarte tartin was full of tasty veggies, but the tarte wrapped in endive was a bit underwhelming, and the dollop of cream on top was a bit excessive. For dessert, the white chocolate gâteau chaud was delicious.
5. Drinks: Nicely sized beer and wine list selection, smaller but manageable, and paired well with the food.
6. Cost: Reasonable for the quality, creativity, and amount you receive, specifically for the prix fixe menu.
I will definitely be returning!