Da Vinci

The glass-fronted kitchen puts the chef on full display, which at a one-Michelin-star French restaurant in Limburg is exactly where you want your attention. Margo Reuten has held her star since the late nineties, a run that has earned her a singular place in Dutch culinary history. The cooking is contemporary but rooted in classical sauces, precise and generous in equal measure. The sommelier's wine pairings arrive with the kind of conviction that makes you stop arguing and just drink.

Two honors, in evidence: