Cindy-Lou Dale

Just over two hours drive from Brussels (or an hour and forty-five minutes from Amsterdam), in a landscape of small green fields akin to a shaken-out quilt just settling back onto a bed, lies the steepled village of Arcen, a hidden treasure the Dutch have understandably been keeping to themselves.

About the town: Arcen, on Holland’s border with Germany, is a quaint picture postcard hamlet with mysterious place of interest, like the historic Watermolen Distillery where patrons appreciate Schnapps-like Ijsvogel liqueurs, distilled bitters, brandy and corn wine; or the Arcen Castle Gardens, home to Holland’s most beautiful landscaped garden of perennials, with appealing little stores selling local arts and crafts.

Stroll along the village main street and wander past elegant little shops, like the designer milliner Hoed van 't Hof; or the renowned ice cream parlour, Clevis, who supposedly make the best ice cream in Holland; beside which is the Bekkerke bakery overlooking the village square and attracting patisserie connoisseurs from across the border; but perhaps the most peculiar attraction of all is the National Asparagus and Mushroom Museum on the village outskirts.

Asparagus is big in Arcen. It was first introduced to the district some fifty years ago by the Smits family who own and run the stylish Romantik Hostellerie de Hamert restaurant - legendary across Europe for its marvellous asparagus menu. During the short asparagus season, mid-April to end-June, Chef Harold Kok, allows his creativity to flow in the kitchen, producing the most ingenious asparagus based dishes such as terrine of smoked ale with asparagus cream and a vodka-jelly; or steamed asparagus with baked slivers of Dover sole; ear of corn asparagus with lobster and cream truffle sauce.

About the hotel: In fact, the Hostellerie de Hamert is in such an idyllic location you may decide to stay a while and book a room in their ten-room hotel adjacent to the restaurant. All their rooms are spacious, luxuriously decorated with large balconies offering uninterrupted views across the lazy Maas River showcasing working barges quietly purring by on one side and woodlands on the other.

About the restaurant: de Hamert is a stylish silver-service restaurant with an ambiance reminiscent of an old country inn, offering views across the Maas River and the fields beyond. This, together with the renowned hospitality extended by my attentive hosts, Monique and Roger Smits, must be one of the top restaurants in all of Holland. Roger, a wine connoisseur and collector, has an extensive selection of wines in his cellars and carefully selects an arrangement of wines to accompany each course. De Hamert has truly spoilt my pallet for any other chef.