Restaurant Hemel & Aarde

Definitively the best culinary experience I ever had in the Netherlands. Each dishes was an ode to local produces. From peas to asparagus, beets and artichoke. Each dish had its own identity to magnify the products. The vegetarian menu has nothing to envy of the one with meat. The attention to detail and kindness of the staff made the experience even more enjoyable. We would definitely come back to try another season's menu

Amazing venue, fantastic food and a unique wine list that in itself is worth the visit. We really enjoyed this beautiful restaurant with its spacious indoor space surrounded by large windows. The five course tasting menu was a mix of modern, handcrafted delights based on fresh, often locally sourced ingredients. Their wine list was extensive and also featured Dutch wines which was a pleasant surprise for us. We found their Dutch Riesling especially well balanced being on the dryer side with the strong acidity one expects from Riesling.

November 2024, Had a real good dinner here. Staff was very attending and enthusiastic they really liked working here. Excellent wine choices. The food was good, loved the main dishes, the amuses and dessert a little less. The wild duck stood out for me, this was an excellent dish. The different kind of breads served throughout the dinner is a nice touch.

Service was good at Hemel, but the food wasn't the best, especially for us as meatlovers. Dishes were more vegetarian. The dishes were designed beautifully. But dessert gets the minimum rate! I never want that many spices in my dessert. We couldn't even have one spoon of desserts. The strength of night was tasty wines, though.

Amazing fine dining in the beautiful space. Every dish was delicious and always served with a phenomenal pastry or bread. The selection of desserts at the end was beautiful and the special birthday cake was a nice touch. The service was very friendly. One issue was that it was a little too slow for us, we spent four hours sitting in the restaurant.

We enjoyed a 6-course dinner at Hemel en Aarde in this beautiful, iconic, monumental setting with stunning high ceilings. All dishes were nicely presented and the flavour combinations were intriguing. However, several dishes were not completely balanced taste-wise and were overly salty, which overshadowed the flavour of the key ingredients. The staff was incredibly attentive, knowledgeable about the dishes and wines and subtly omnipresent throughout the evening. Overall, we had a really nice evening. Thank you!

For a medium-sized city without a Michelin star restaurant, Utrecht has quite a few excellent options for upscale dining. Think of Fico, WT, Concours, Karel V, and, of course, Hemel & Aarde (Heaven & Earth). Having tried all of them, I can safely say that these are all worth a visit. Hemel & Aarde works with a fixed menu of 5 or 7 courses, adjusted for the current season. For us, this was Fall. We took the 5 courses with wine pairing. Without spoiling too much, most dishes were a pleasant mix of flavours and textures. My absolute favourite was the ‘Leek’ course, which had intense flavours and a pleasant crunch. The most interesting and complex dish was the pumpkin desert. Lots of stuff was happening, but unfortunately the taste was a bit flat. The other dishes were certainly good, but I’d rate them as average for this price point. The wine pairings stood out though. All extremely interesting and highly complimentary to the dishes. Even the dessert wine was great. Combine it all with a fantastic interior, excellent seats, and a cozy ambience and you have yourself an excellent night out.

Best dining experience we have ever had. The food and service were excellent. The atmosphere was great too, plenty of space between tables and a roomy interior, which we really loved. Every dish was fantastic, like little explosion of flavors. Thank you!