Years ago, Jacques Pepin mentioned that he prefers mainly one-star restaurants when he’s across the pond. The food and service are Michelin quality and are reasonably priced. I do the same, generally dining at lunch as I enjoy eating the multi-course, less expensive meal midday. 

This time when visiting my family in Den Haag, I dined with my daughter-in-law at Restaurant Calla Lilies, named after the flower ‘Calla, an originally Mexican flower and the Greek word for “beautiful.”   We opted for the 3-course lunch menu (€57.50; $62.41) per person.

Our aperitifs — along with a glass of Charles Heidsieck, NV Brut Reserve (€17 each; $18.43) — included Dutch cheese crackers with cumin and a 2-year-old farm cheese plus seed crackers with cecina de león (cured beef), panna cotta eggplant, Marshmallow sojasauce, g0masio. 

 Our first course was a liquid of tartar of mackerel, sort of a white gazpacho made from a roasted fish bones bouillon, served with Charles Heidsieck, NV Brut Reserve.

Next, we dined on their thinly sliced sea bass with chanterelles, Indian cress and calamint served with 2022 Pieropan Soave Classic, followed by North Sea sole with thinly sliced langoustine, potato mousseline with chopped macadamias in verjuice served with 2021 Laurent Miquel Lieu-did la Vérité.

We opted to add one Dutch cheese platter (€18; $19.52) with Picobello-Heeze, Rember Olde-Lunteren, Rauwe van Steenberg- Epen, Leidse sleutelkaas 15 mnd, Warond, Lady’s Blue Nooitgendacht pairing it well with a 2019 Cruz de Alba Crianza. 

Our finale was charred pineapple with jasmine rice, lovage, and lemongrass garnished with white chocolate leaves.

I do recommend a visit when in Den Haag, The Netherlands.

Restaurant Calla Lilies
Laan van Roos en Doorn 51a
The Hague, ZH, 2514 BC
Netherlands
restaurantcallas.nl