Hotel ML

We had dinner in the hotel Bistro. The receptionist, who was also serving as our waitress, and her colleague were both attentive, and the food tasted very good. We’ll come back to try the Michelin restaurant.

We came to the 1-star Guide Michelin restaurant at hotel ML in Haarlem for dinner, not to stay overnight. The dining room is in the middle of the hotel, with an open kitchen. You can sit on bar stools beside the cooks; we chose one of the two guest rooms instead. It combines historic character with modern design and feels chic, pleasant, and comfortable, with dark green walls. We got to watch owner and chef Mark Gratama and a colleague at work. They were calm, professional, and focused. Mark Gratama is well known and respected as a chef in Haarlem and the Netherlands. Service was simply perfect. Our host was friendly, attentive, and very professional, and explained everything clearly. Her wine suggestions suited the different dishes in our menu really well. All six courses were impressive, made with very fresh ingredients and lots of regional produce. The langostine with pork belly and ssamjang was a standout. That unusual pairing worked beautifully, with the flavors complementing and strengthening one another. The deep-fried zucchini flower, stuffed with ricotta and spinach and served with wild garlic and celeriac, was another surprise. It tasted fresh and brought plenty of umami. The entrecote with churros and chinichurri was creative and perfectly done too. At the end, Mark Gratama joined our table and kindly talked with us about his creations. A really good gourmet restaurant with modern, creative, impressive food. It deserves its 1-star Guide Michelin status and is a lovely choice for a special, exciting occasion. We’d be happy to visit again.

The room was comfortable, and the location, breakfast, service, and hospitality were all excellent. I’d definitely stay here again in Haarlem. They can arrange a taxi to and from Schiphol that’s allowed into the pedestrian zone and can stop right outside the hotel, which is handy with larger suitcases.

The range of ingredients and cooking methods at this 1-star Michelin restaurant was impressive, but the food didn’t taste as good as we’d expected overall. The worst part was getting symptoms of food poisoning that evening.