October 2, 2023 · Culinary Journalist
Besides their love for food and drink, what owners Mick Mosterd and Maarten Meijst have in common is the letter M. In both their first and last names. Coming up with a name for their restaurant was therefore not a difficult task.
The restaurant is situated in a fairly well-known hospitality location for Groningen residents. And it has been for almost three years now. In the preceding years, you could already dine at a high level there at Proevens and De Parelvisser. It is somewhat hidden away on Gelkingestraat, but as soon as you enter, you step into a kind of oasis of calm. Especially when you see that their terrace at the rear borders the inner courtyard of Schimmelpenninck Huys.
A fine-dining restaurant, that is how the entrepreneurial duo describes their establishment. With lunches ranging from 2 to 5 courses on Fridays and Saturdays. And dinners of 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12 courses from Monday to Thursday, and dinners of 6, 9, and 12 courses on Fridays and Saturdays.
They make everything themselves, working in an artisanal way, in a classic style and with a modern twist. The focus is on Europe, and particularly French cuisine. While classic French cuisine often still revolves mainly around meat or fish, Chef Meijst gives it a different spin.
Half of the 12-course menu that restaurant M what is offered consists of vegetarian dishes. Admittedly, the cheese course and dessert are secretly included in the count, but still. Vegan dishes, on the other hand, are not something they do. "That is not feasible for us," says Mosterd. "In French cuisine, a lot of cooking is done with butter and cream." "The bread we start the dinner with is also brioche; that would have to be different right from the start," adds Meijst, "12 vegetarian courses, that is certainly possible."
The men work with a small, close-knit team. Service and quality come first, but the two consider enjoyment in their work at least as important. ‘We just want to have fun,’ says Mosterd. Meijst agrees. ‘We started this out of enjoyment and, of course, passion for the profession. We have seen in many businesses around us that the fun was gone because making money comes first. We try to pass on our enjoyment to our staff as well, and in turn, it reaches our guests. People come here for a fun evening, and that is what we want to give them.’
If you go for the full monty and choose the 12-course menu, you should brace yourself for a long sit. But to ensure you can actually keep going, one of the dishes is prepared right in front of you in the kitchen. And in the meantime, you can stretch your legs. And do you actually drink 12 different wines with that, I hear you thinking? Yes, that is certainly possible. Mosterd has put together a lovely matching wine pairing, for which it is naturally convenient if you drink half glasses. But you can make it as extravagant as you like.
The dish Meijst is currently most proud of is the duck liver terrine with smoked corn-fed hen. ‘Or duck with chicken, as we sometimes call it in the kitchen,’ laughs Meijst. ‘But then again, that doesn't sound very appetizing at the table, of course.’
Restaurant M is open from Monday to Saturday for dinner, and on Friday and Saturday also for lunch.
