Eating out the Zeeland way

Choice is a fine thing in Zeeland, especially when it comes to eating out. Be you a person seeking peace and quiet, or a beachgoer, a biker, a foodie or a fast young thing, there are restaurants to your liking. So varied is the choice – from beach to polder, from on the dike to outside it. For those who are unable to see the wood for the trees, we’ve put together eight culinary tips to help give your Zeeland experience a unique flavour!

Beach

Promise yourself to eat out at least once at the beach. Relaxing, absorbing the views of sea, beach and dunes. A sample: Beachclub Perry’s below Brouwersdam, or the Dam in Vrouwenpolder. Or enjoy an appetising cocktail or glass of fine wine at Strandbar Bombaai in Westkapelle, where you can sit and take in the glorious sunsets. In 2020, Bombaai was voted the best new beach pavilion in the Netherlands! On Sundays, Panta Rhei in Vlissingen puts on live music for its guests. In 2022, beach pavilion Breskens aan Zee was voted the best in the Netherlands by our neighbours in Belgium in a competition organised by Strand Nederland [an online beach magazine]. Check out the beach pavilions in Zeeland.

Harbour

A land in the sea, sure, has many harbours. Take a table next to the jetty, boat watching, people watching. In most Brouwershaven restaurants, you’re seated in the first row, the harbour is the stage. Lovers of fish dishes can go to Buutengaets on the harbor of Sint-Annaland. The café De Gekroonde Suikerbiet in Zierikzee is listed by Misset Horeca, a hospitality journal, as the best café in the Netherlands in 2017. Michelin-star restaurant AIRrepublic is located close to the marina in Cadzand.

Fishing villages

Plentiful they are, fishing villages in Zeeland. Some bask in international renown, such as Yerseke, Philippine and Bruinisse. Be sure to visit Colijnsplaat. At restaurant De Schelde it feels like time has stood still. It’s the same sweet story in the fishing village of Breskens: the lively fish auction sees to that.

Dinner on the farm

Zeeland has a rich farming tradition. It’s no longer just potatoes, carrots and onions which are farmed these days in its polders. De Schouwse Hoeve in Burgh-Haamstede is an ancient farmstead, which serves up a diverse cuisine, with almost all the ingredients being sourced locally. At Baeckermat in Westdorpe, all meals are prepared using products from its own farm shop. On the outskirts of Middelburg is Schellach, a dairy farm specialising in cheese. As well as a dazzling array of delicious products made exclusively on the farm, you can follow a themed footpath which acquaints you with the dairy herd and explains how its products are crafted.

Polder

It’s not something you’d perhaps expect, but the best Michelin-star restaurants are located in Zeeland’s polders. Three-star restaurant Inter Scaldes is located between the two arms of the river Scheldt in the polders of Zuid-Beveland. In the polders of West Zeeland-Flanders is De Kromme Watergang. This two-star restaurant serves up meals almost exclusively sourced from its own vegetable garden with additional regional produce. In total, Zeeland has no fewer than seven Michelin-star restaurants.

Beyond the dyke

For centuries, the dykes have protected Zeeland from flooding. We treat them with the respect they deserve. Our work, home and leisure activities largely take place behind the safety of the dykes. In some places beyond the dyke we live a little more dangerously. For example, at the most westerly point of Walcheren, straddling the impressive sea defences of the Westkappelse Zeedijk is restaurant Dijkpaviljoen De Westkaap, located just a few metres away from the North Sea. Dining here is a fascinating experience: you can ride out a passing storm, watch the ships sail by or enjoy a spectacular sunset.

Up on the dike

That we have numerous beach pavilions is a (tasty) given. Some parts of our coastline, though, are not dunes and beaches but sturdy, beefy dikes. On some, a dike pavilion has taken root. Such as Brasserie de Westbeer in Terneuzen which affords views of the shipping coming in and out of Antwerp. One such is 't Schor in Paal harbour, located at the edge of the breath-taking nature reserve ‘Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe’. You see, you feel, you taste the essence of East-Zeeland-Flanders. Fantastic vistas, surprising nature and some great food. You can also enjoy culinary delights at Brasserie De Zeester in Scherpenisse.

In the dunes

The restaurant Het Badpaviljoen in Domburg is located in the dunes. The dishes served here are a feast for the eyes, as well as the palate. And while you eat, you can take in the wonderful view!