in Groningen – Netherlands

Restaurant Noor is situated just outside the city of Groningen, in the village of Hoogkerk, where it occupies a former Roman Catholic chapel from 1927. The building, known as the Theresiakapel, once played an important role in the local community before falling out of use. Its transformation into a restaurant preserved much of the original architecture, allowing the history of the space to remain visible and giving Noor a distinctive sense of place that connects past and present. Arriving here feels slightly removed from the bustle of the city centre, as if you are stepping into a destination that was chosen on purpose: calm, distinctive, and defined by the character of its walls.

At the helm of Noor are Jeroen and Marleen Brouwer, both chefs and partners in life and work. Their culinary journey began during their studies at Drenthe College in Assen, where they met while training to become chefs. From the outset, they developed a shared ambition to grow within the profession together, choosing to build their careers side by side rather than separately. That shared path is still visible today: Noor is not presented as a solo project with a supporting cast, but as an ongoing collaboration between two chefs who have shaped each other’s approach over time.

After completing their education, Jeroen and Marleen gained experience in a range of respected kitchens in the Netherlands and abroad. Early on, they worked in Belgium at In De Wulf under Kobe Desramaults, an environment often associated with strong personal signatures and a focus on craft. Back in the Netherlands, Marleen worked at De Librije, where she continued developing her technical base and expanded her professional outlook. These years in other kitchens were not just a list of names on a résumé; they were formative stages that helped them build confidence, absorb different ways of thinking, and refine what they wanted their own restaurant life to look like.

In 2016, Jeroen and Marleen took a major entrepreneurial step by taking over De Loohoeve in Schoonloo, a restaurant with rooms in the province of Drenthe. Over the following years, they ran the establishment together, gaining experience not only in the kitchen but also in the broader responsibilities of ownership: building a team, shaping a concept, and turning a shared vision into a place that functioned day after day. For many chefs, this is where the idea of “their own style” becomes real, because it has to live beyond a dish and extend into service, rhythm, decision-making, and consistency.

After several years at De Loohoeve, they decided to close that chapter and focus on a new project that would fully reflect their ambitions. That decision ultimately led them north, to Groningen, where they found the Theresiakapel and began shaping what would become Restaurant Noor. Opened in 2022, Noor represents the continuation of a long, joint journey, rooted in years of learning, collaboration, and gradual growth, with Jeroen and Marleen working together in every aspect of the restaurant.

Our own experience at Noor began with a series of three amuses, each one setting a tone of playful misdirection and careful contrasts. One arrived with the look and aroma of a sweet praline, only to reveal itself as a savoury bonbon built around liver. Another was a small tartlet combining beetroot and piccalilli, a pairing that leans into boldness rather than caution. Right from the start, the pacing suggested a kitchen that likes to surprise without turning the meal into a guessing game, using familiarity as a reference point and then pivoting away from it.

A course that stood out for its restraint involved skrei with a touch of smoked eel. Smoked eel can easily dominate a dish, but here it was used as an accent rather than an anchor, creating a balance where the smoky intensity remained present without taking over. It felt like a deliberate exercise in finding the boundary of a strong flavour and then stopping just short of crossing it, allowing harmony to come through instead of heaviness.

Later came a fish dish based on beekridder, a lesser-known fish for many diners, paired with bacon and sauerkraut, and finished with morels filled with a chicken farce. It was an intriguing combination on paper: fish, meat, and poultry sharing the same plate. Yet the dish read as an intentional composition rather than a collage, almost like a fine-dining take on surf and turf, but expanded into something more layered. The morels, in particular, added a sense of technique and structure, functioning as both garnish and statement.

For the main course, roe deer took centre stage. Game appears frequently in ambitious kitchens, but what mattered here was the sense of timing and control. The meat arrived tender and full of character, with the cooking degree landing exactly where it needed to be. It is one thing to choose a classic fine-dining product; it is another to show, quietly and confidently, that you know precisely when it has reached its ideal moment.

Dessert brought a nod to a concept described as a new version of “Nederland,” now featuring Groningen. It was a return based on repeated requests from guests, which says something about how certain ideas develop a life of their own once they become part of a restaurant’s identity. In a setting like Noor, where personal journeys and place are clearly important, that kind of returning signature can feel less like repetition and more like continuity.

Alongside the meal, the non-alcoholic pairing made a strong impression. Built around juices and infusions, it offered full flavours and frequent surprises, showing that a pairing can have structure and progression without relying on wine. For those who do want bubbles, the house Champagne mentioned on the table was Solessence by JM Sélèque, an extra brut with a notably low sugar level, introduced with the kind of casual confidence that suggests it has become a familiar favourite in the room.

This was our second visit in a year and a half, and what struck us most was not a single dish but the sense of momentum: the feeling that Noor is not trying to freeze a concept in time, but to keep moving it forward. In a restaurant led by two chefs who have grown together through training, formative kitchens, ownership, and reinvention, that forward motion feels like the most fitting thread to pull through the entire story.

Chef: Jeroen and Marleen Brouwer
Date of visit: March 28th 2026
Website: https://www.noor.nl/
Michelin: 1 star
Gault & Millau: 16.5