We sat down with Michelin-starred Executive Chef Bas van Kranen of Restaurant Flore at Hotel De L’Europe in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is the best chef-driven restaurant in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Experience conscious fine dining in an intimate setting at 2-star Michelin rated Flore. Flore takes its guests on a culinary adventure, bringing their awareness back to the small, local biological farms and sustainable fishmongers that supply its dishes’ ingredients. It is because of this passion for sustainability that Michelin also awarded them a Green Star.

Where did you grow up, and where have you traveled to that has helped inspire and shape your cooking philosophy?

I had the opportunity to grow up in the south of the Netherlands with a lot of space and farms around me. At the age of six, I began to help my friend’s dad out in his bakery preferring dough-kneading to after school playdates. During my 14th birthday dinner at a local two Michelin-starred restaurant, I flew into the kitchen mid-meal to see if I could help with washing up. A year later, finally of legal working age and a dish cloth at the ready, I joined the team—witnessing firsthand the fine dining techniques, attention to detail and enthusiasm for cooking which really was the start of my career. I did find a lot of inspiration in Asia, because of the amazing aging and fermentation techniques and clean kitchens I got to know during my travels to Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. However, my philosophy did dramatically change during the pandemic where we took time to research and self-reflect on the food and restaurant industry.

Tell our readers an interesting fact or two about yourself.

The most interesting fact is that I want to bring awareness with my cooking, for example not cooking with farmed meat or dairy and sourcing local ingredients in the Netherlands. During and following the pandemic we launched a new conscious concept after doing intense research into the food industry. By launching the new conscious fine dining concept, Flore, the menu became an expression of my connection to the land where fresh, high-quality ingredients are transformed into simple yet exceptional dishes that move with the pace of the seasons. Using our creativity in the kitchen and by having a conscious mind set, we learn every day to work with the finest ingredients. Not only is the taste pure, it gives us joy and fulfillment to think outside the box on the highest level of cooking.

Tell us about your absolute favorite food and why readers should try it if they haven’t already.

My absolute favorite food is well prepared food! I’m enthusiastic about every perfect prepared plate where you taste passion, good seasoning, and technical skills of a chef. It could be anything according to those 3 pillars!

What are three ingredients that you simply couldn’t live without?

Rose petals and rosehip, pinecones and spruce tips, or Dutch miso’s.

Booking.com

We love the art behind plating. What do you love about designing the perfect dish?

Simplicity and the use of one color to create comfort and design to the eyes.

Tell us about one of the most creative dishes you’ve created?

A recent dessert in the Ocean menu is combined with crispy sugared seaweeds, toasted rye milk sorbet and caviar. It tastes like salted caramel where we made a rye amazake from fresh rye koji to add sugar to the dessert.

What is one of your greatest accomplishments and/or recent awards you've earned?

To be honest our greatest accomplishment is the transition of the classic kitchen with ingredients from all over the world to a sustainable approach and leading function in the Dutch gastronomy to inspire chefs and change their kitchens. For me it’s the unpretentious approach to fine dining which puts the focus back to where it belongs: on a shared love of food. Quality and freshness will always be the most important thing in my kitchen. But if I can make this change in a smaller restaurant or create a new way of thinking than the norm, then I know I can make a big difference. The recognition you get from your team, your guests, your owners and stakeholders are then of course truly amazing!

What are some of the latest trends you’re seeing in top restaurants across the globe?

A lot of chefs try to cook more with vegetables, and I see a big trend in techniques such as fermentation, aging from fish and meat, but also the simplicity on the plate.

What’s your favorite cocktail or beverage of choice?

My favorite cocktail is a honey clover martini, made with Dutch spirits and foraged herbs.

What do you love about being the Executive Chef of Restaurant Flore at Hotel De L’Europe in Amsterdam, Netherlands?

Flore is literally located in the heart of the city centre in one of the most iconic five-star luxury hotels in Amsterdam, Hotel De L’Europe. As it’s the only independent hotel in Amsterdam, it gives us the room and the space to be innovative and creative. With such an international attraction, it is so inspiring to work on a very local scale. Also, the great team around me who bring the most amazing ideas to the table and bring in the development we need daily. With this new philosophy, it is key to be conscious in all that we do to maintain the process and keep the quality where we stand for.

MAKE A RESERVATION AT RESTAURANT FLORE

RESERVE YOUR STAY AT HOTEL DE L’EUROPE

Booking.com

Note: This information was accurate when this article was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Advertiser disclosure + editorial note