A highly regarded destination tasting-menu restaurant in a distinctive greenhouse setting, best for adventurous diners seeking a relaxed, personal and potentially overnight countryside experience.
Mearkas delivers exceptional food quality anchored in local produce and meticulous presentation, paired with attentive service and knowledgeable staff who elevate the tasting-menu experience. The greenhouse setting and rural destination appeal create a cohesive farm-to-table identity that resonates strongly with diners. Modest inconsistencies in execution and portion-value perception keep it just short of the very top tier.
Mearkas is a countryside destination disguised as a restaurant: follow the farm drive to a stylish greenhouse surrounded by vegetable beds, fields and open Frisian skies. Reviews repeatedly describe a peaceful, intimate setting, often beginning with terrace drinks and garden amuse-bouches. One guest’s impression captures the mood well: “The evening felt like a small escape, with the landscape becoming part of the meal.” The cooking is contemporary, locally minded and deliberately surprising rather than rustic comfort food. Multi-course menus move through fish, meat, vegetables and playful desserts, with the kitchen leaning into unusual combinations, careful presentation and strong non-alcoholic as well as wine pairings. The service is personal and explanatory, often involving chef-owner Kees, though a minority of diners found portions small or experienced less polish when the greenhouse was busy. Expect €69.50-89.50 for the menu itself, before drinks. Families can be welcomed, but this is best for older, adventurous children who can settle in for a long tasting menu. The menu offers sophisticated fish, lamb, venison and vegetable preparations rather than familiar children’s dishes; reviewers specifically note that there is no children’s menu or play area. Vegetarian diners are especially well served, and vegan options appear on the current menu.
Area vibe: Quiet Frisian village surrounded by farmland and lakes with a pastoral, low-density feel.
Safety: Very safe, low crime, quiet streets but limited evening lighting and footfall.
What's nearby: Near farmland, cycling routes, small local shops, and waterways; regional roads connect to Leeuwarden.
The best way to explore Mearkas is through a paced tasting menu featuring dishes such as roasted celeriac with shiitake, kingfish, venison, and Kriek beer sorbet.
Mearkas suits adventurous diners who can commit to a long meal, but picky eaters may find the portions, menu style, and greenhouse acoustics challenging.
Dinner unfolds in a stylish greenhouse surrounded by gardens and Frisian countryside, creating an intimate escape with one notable acoustic drawback.