De Swarte Ruijter

A thatched villa on the Holterberg where the pine forest pressing against the windows feels less like scenery and more like an ingredient. This Michelin-starred French restaurant draws its menu from the Salland countryside: mushrooms, venison, air-dried veal, and vegetables treated with a seriousness that makes the meat feel like the supporting act. The terrace, on a good day, makes it hard to go back inside.

Two honors, in evidence: