Parkheuvel is the two Michelin star restaurant of chef Erik van Loo. The restaurant is located in a park in Rotterdam. From the restaurant there is a great view to the Maas. There is also a terrace, unfortunately it was raining when we came to have dinner here. We ate here with friends in July 2021.
Champagne and amuse bouche
Upon entering we decided to have a glass of Champagne. Parkheuvel’s house champagne is Pol Roger, Sir Winston Churchill’s favorite champagne. Three amuse bouches were served with the champagne.
A bombe of Reypenaer cheese on a crispy biscuit from Reypenaer. A delicious cheese mousse on a very crispy cheese biscuit.
Tartelette with tuna and dashi was the second appetizer. The tuna was raw and made with beet powder. Spicy and surprising.
Finally, a cannelloni with sweetbreads mousse. This one was very difficult to eat, she broke immediately. It took some effort to pick up the cannelloni from the plate, but the taste was great. Deliciously creamy and delicious sweetbreads taste.
After we ordered, we got the last amuse-bouche, scallop with sweet and sour rettich and buttermilk sauce. The sour taste of buttermilk with the salty taste of scallop was a perfect combination.
The champagne goes well with all 4 amuse-bouches. We are sure it will be a very good evening.
Menu
There is a choice between a 5, 6 and 8 course menu. We chose the 6-course surprise menu with matching wines. You can also opt for a la carte. Various dishes are on the menu. These dishes are partly included in the 6-course surprise menu.
The first dish we get is lobster with horseradish and calamansi. The lobster is fresh and made with horseradish. There is a fair amount of lobster on the plate. Over the lobster a jelly of orange and buttermilk, very nice and fresh. The accompanying sauce was made from calamansi. A surprising dish. Nice fresh taste. We know what an evening it turned out to be…… Wonderful.
As wine we got a Riesling from the Moselle. A moderately sweeter wine that goes perfectly with the sour flavors and the lobster.
Then we get one of Erik’s signature dishes. I also know why this is a signature dish, the dish is magnificent. 3 types of foie gras. One with pinot gris, one covered with beetroot and a goose liver bonbon of dark chocolate. The bonbon covered with pinot gris had a soft taste. Beetroot and foie gras are a good combination, but the winner was the dark chocolate with foie gras. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. The liver is creamy. How the chocolates are made is the chef’s secret.
The wine is a Gewurztraminer from Alsace. Very surprising. Nice and fresh taste, slightly sweet, but perfect with the 3 preparations of goose liver.
Then turbot with zucchini slats with pea antiboise. Very finely sliced zucchini lay on a nice piece of baked turbot on the skin. The fish firm and very nice white. Cooked to perfection. Dressing of peas made the dish look greener.
The wine is a Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) that has been aged in wood for 3 months. Winery Michel Tephrit Achkarren is the winemaker of this wine.
Another chef’s specialty. This is a true classic from 1992 and is indispensable in Erik van Loo’s repertoire: Ravioli with Bresse chicken, wild mushrooms, langoustine and lobster sauce. The chicken is very finely ground and mixed with mushrooms, this is the filling of the ravioli. A fried langoustine is placed on top of the ravioli and lobster bisque is served next to the ravioli. In one word: divine. The flavors are so refined, it’s a shame that 1 ravioli is served, but class that the lobster bisque stays on the table. We wipe our plates with the delicious bread.
A Viognier from Australia is served with this dish. This combination is to die for.
As a main course venison with almonds and stew (sour meat). The roe is cooked sous vide and sprinkled with almond pieces. A sauce and carrot filled with sour meat. Sour meat is a dish from Limburg (the Dutch province). The chef is from Limburg, he would like to continue to show elements of his origin. A very soft piece of venison. Perfect of cuisson.
As wine an Italian Palazzetto 2019 from Tuscany. A very young wine. According to the sommelier, most wines from the better Italian regions are currently produced as storage wines. However, there must also be immediately drinkable wines. As a result, this winemaker wants to produce a good immediately drinkable wine. Despite being young she had quite a firm/full body.
We wanted cheese, before dessert, as an extra dish, but the sommelier asked if we wanted to turn the cheese and dessert because of the taste experience. We are of course here to be advised, so who are we to contradict him. We go first for dessert and then for the cheese.
For dessert strawberry with chocolate and sorbet ice cream. Again presentation is perfect. Dark chocolate with fresh strawberries, a strawberry biscuit and sorbet ice cream. Another very good dish.
The matching wine is a Merlot spätlese from Austria. Pretty smelling of strawberry and raspberry. Deliciously sweet and a perfect combination.
Finally, the extra course: cheese. 3 types of cheese: a goat’s cheese from the Ardennes, a cheese from the Savoie and a cheese from the Dourdogne. As wine a Chenin Blanc, Coteaux de L’Aubance from the Loire. A particularly daring combination for cheese, but a good match in our view.
Service
The sommelier Nick v.d. Heuvel acts as sommelier and host. He ensures that guests have a great evening. The staff works very coordinated. You see that people enjoy their work and have fun with each other. All staff members can answer anything.
Interior
The restaurant is luxuriously decorated. Round, linen-covered tables with comfortable chairs. Cupboards with glassware, art in the hall and a kind of bar. It feels like coming home. There is a corner stocked with Miele appliances. Could be cooked here.
Overall
Parkheuvel has 2 Michelin stars for a reason. Here you eat at a very high level. Erik van Loo knows his trade. The wait staff is alert and attentive. Erik is standing in the kitchen with his son, this promises a lot of good for the future.
The location is magnificent. Try to get to the restaurant by water taxi, it is a 5 minute walk after that, but this adds an extra dimension to the evening. We went from Hotel New York by water taxi to the other side of the Maas.
