My pick for the Restaurant of the Year (for me at least) was a bit of a tough choice! I've visited many restaurants all around the world this year during whilst working. Some have been stunningly good while others have been stunningly ordinary! On the way, I've learnt to not be absolutely terrified of taking photos of food in public... however, I'm still mortally embarassed!

The choice that I finally settled upon was actually also my very first @tasteem review!, so it is quite interesting to see everything turn a full circle for the end of the year!

So, without any further ado, this is my choice for Restaurant of the Year!

Central Park by Ron Blaauw

A Michelin Starred restaurant is quite a special experience that is best saved for special occasions. My wife and I like to treat ourselves to a single starred restaurant on an important anniversary or a birthday, it is a chance to step outside the normal daily grind of life, to dress up and take some time out to enjoy the pleasure of eating and being served!

If you have never experienced the Michelen experience, the it is quite a stunning change from the normal restaurants. Right from the beginning, when you are welcomed into the restaurant, there is a great deal of care taken to presentation and style. There is a realisation that the act of eating and tasting the food is all tied into the non-eating parts of the experience.

By taking as much care with the decor and surroundings, the presentation of food and the ambience of the atmosphere and the quality of service, you start to realise that the food (which is also of incredibly high quality!) is further enhanced.

The food is always of high quality, but it is also the art of mixing unusual and interesting tastes that make these restaurants a step above the norm. That isn't to say that good non-Michelin restaurants are bad, but there definitely is different level of craftmanship that is at play here.

Often the food is paired with an equally impressive wine list, with a specialist sommlier on hand to provide advice on wines that will match the food. The wines are also individually sourced by the sommlier to be of a high standard that will match the style of the chef's cooking.

These restaurants are definitely not the sort of thing that is affordable to eat at every day (unless you are earning some pretty serious money), however, it is also the sort of thing that is even better when experienced sparingly. Too much of a good thing can make you lose sight of what makes it special in the first place!

So, all these things lead me to nominating Central Park by Ron Blaauw to be my @tasteem Restaurant of the Year. High Quality crafted artworks of food with impeccable presentation, wine matching and atmosphere of experience. It is an experience that will be treasured long after the food is digested!

Opening Times

Breakfast:
Monday to Friday: 700-1000
Weekends: 800-1100

Lunch:
Monday to Friday 1200-1500
Sunday: 1200-1500

Dinner:
Monday-Saturday: 1800-2100
Sunday: 1800-2000

Contact Details

Address: Oosteinde 14, 2271 EH Voorburg, Netherlands
Website: https://www.centralparkvoorburg.com/
Phone: 070-3872081
Email: [email protected]

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