New interior for Limburg’s top restaurant De Leuf

5-9-2022

Restaurant De Leuf in Ubachsberg, South Limburg, has a new interior. The top restaurant of the Van de Bunt family got a contemporary design with Asian elements executed in local materials. The interior is now even more in touch with the cooking style of De Leuf, which combines modern French cuisine with Asian influences.

The interior has been given a serene atmosphere with subtle Asian elements, executed in local materials. Tim Reiters of Ontwerpbureau Reiters in Maastricht signed for the design, which has the theme ‘Asian aesthetics using local materials’.

Reading time: 3 minutes.

Owner-hostess Sandra van de Bunt (54): “The Kunrader stone, millions of years old and mined nearby, is one of the pillars of the design. It is also the material from which the walls of the restaurant are made. The walls have been given a textured paint which, together with the new floor, provides a wonderfully tranquil basis. The tops of the round tables received eleven layers of micro-topping, which is a paste based on cement that is bound with synthetic resin. This material has also been used in other places. The bucket seats have a swivel base and are covered with a soft fabric. The fabric curtains also provide a soft touch.”

Rolling grain landscape

An eye-catcher in the 34-seat restaurant is the central table finished in travertine. From here, among other things, the wines are served. Above it hangs a rolling grain landscape in a blue-steel container. Another eye-catcher is the large cheese cart, which is made of travertine and other local materials. The Kunrader stone also forms the basis of the floral decorations on the tables, which are made with dried flowers from the region. These dried flowers reappear in various other places. The courtyard terrace has also been furnished with new tables and chairs. The garden design by Guy Wolfs, a landscaping company based in Eijsden, also reflects the Asian theme. The three guest rooms located above the restaurant have not yet undergone a restyling.

Even more experience

A show kitchen and a bar have been realized in the front part of the restaurant. Sommelier Michelle van de Bunt (24): “After the reception, we take the guest to the show kitchen for a welcome snack. Once at the table, we serve the aperitif, amuses and butter from a specially made side table. Many dishes are served by the chefs and partially finished at the table. We have beautiful new tableware, including a special coffee and tea set.”

Extra motivation

With the interior design, the choice was made to connect more closely with the kitchen of chef Robin van de Bunt (28), who together with his sous chef Thijs Gerards (29) conducts a modern French cuisine with clear Asian influences. It earned De Leuf a Michelin star, 17 Gault&Millau points and Robin got the award ‘Young Top Chef 2022’ from Gault&Millau. Robin van de Bunt: “All the pieces of the puzzle fall together, this interior fits so well with what we do. Thijs and I used to get most of our creativity from the dishes and now we get it from the interior as well. This interior gives us extra motivation. Now that the place is so beautiful, the food has to be even better. The total experience is very big, we are super happy with the interior.”

Surprising wine choices

In the show kitchen (non-alcoholic) cocktails are also made in front of the guest. Michelle van de Bunt, finalist in the competition for the National Hennessy Hospitality Award 2022, manages the wine list together with maître-sommelier Franc Michielsen. Michelle van de Bunt: “We have a lot of cool-climate wines and wines in a fresh style, because they fit well with our cuisine. Taste and a good match with the dish take precedence over famous names. In the wine pairing, the guest may therefore encounter an orange or natural wine, sake, unfiltered pinot noir from Canada or a wine from Dutch or Belgian Limburg.”

Ready for the future

Sandra van de Bunt: “We are very happy with the new interior. It is contemporary and warm and fits perfectly with our family business, our vision on hospitality and our young team. Robin and Michelle can now express their feelings even more through the company and that is important to me. I run the company full time and with great pleasure and that will not change any time soon, but we are now ready for the next step into the future.”

Opening hours

Restaurant De Leuf is open Thursday through Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Tuesday for dinner. The company is affiliated with restaurant association Alliance Gastronomique.

Website: Restaurant De Leuf.

• Product
• Price
• Place
• Promotion
• People