Restaurant Château Neercanne

A Michelin-starred French dining room inside a working château above Maastricht, with terraced Baroque gardens and a valley view that makes it hard to concentrate on the menu. The team arrives with an aperitif trolley and a dedicated butter trolley, which tells you everything about the register. Vegetables come from the kitchen garden, and the chef weaves French classics with lighter, vegetable-forward instincts. The marl caves beneath the castle are worth the visit for an aperitif alone.

Two honors, in evidence: