Restaurant Julemont is a wonderful gourmet restaurant located inside ‘Château Wittem’ in the town of Wittem, The Netherlands. In a classical and luxurious setting, Chef Guido Braeken and his team serve highly refined dishes with the very best products from the land and the sea. Wagyu, turbot, lobster or caviar: they are all served with respect for the product in visually stunning dishes, which excel in balanced flavours.  

Concept & Interior

Restaurant Julemont is housed inside the beautiful ‘Château Wittem’, a small yet remarkable castle located in the picturesque town of Wittem. Wittem can be found in the beautiful green fields and hills of the Limburg region in The Netherlands. It is conveniently located between the 3 major cities of Maastricht (The Netherlands), Liège (Belgium) and Aachen (Germany).

Upon entering the property, guests are immersed in the natural and historic environment. The castle dates back from the year 1106 and after a massive renovation of 9 months in 2019, it reopened its doors to the public as a hotel & restaurant in October 2019. Guests can now spend the night in one of the luxurious rooms and suites, named after owners from the castle history, such as ‘Floris II’ or ‘Winand’. The fine dining restaurant, too, is named after a royal family of knights: Julemont.

Inside the castle, classical and contemporary elements are blended into a luxurious and dreamy atmosphere. Guests can enjoy their aperitif (or after-dinner drinks) in the modern ‘Witham’ bar, located just next to the reception area. Behind the bar area, there’s a cosy private dining are as well. The dining room itself, opposite the bar, is compact and accommodates 6 to 8 tables. The beautiful views of the surroundings add a wonderful extra dimension to the meal.

The Chef & the team

Chef Guido Breaken started working in professional kitchens in 2004. In recent years, he gained experience in the kitchen of De’n Dillegaard, de Leuf in Ubachsberg, La Source in Belgium, and as the kitchen chef at Beluga Loves You in Maastricht. With this impressive track record he started as the Chef of Julemont in april 2021. Only one year after Guido started working at Julemont, the restaurant was awarded with no less than two Michelin stars. A remarkable achievement.

Gastronomy

At restaurant Julemont, chef Guido Braeken presents a menu that emphasises the characteristics of the Château environment: intimate, luxurious and a combination of the best from the past with the best of today. The classic French cuisine forms the basis, but dishes are presented in a modern and highly refined way. Balance in the flavours is key and only the very best products are used.

• Amuses & bread selection

• Hamachi is combined with jalapeño, fennel, wasabi and Imperial Heritage Caviar. It is served in three different – visually stunning – parts.

• A delicate tartare of Kagoshima Wagyu is beautifully presented with a small taco-like structure on top, and comes with unagi eel, black garlic and crispy onion.

• Turbot is served with Australian winter truffle, a sauce of vin jaune, and oil of East Indian Cherry.

• Norwegian Lobster is combined with sepia and finished at the table with delicious sauces based on Asian flavours of curry, coconut and basil.

• Sweetbread comes with bakuteh, chantarelle and leek. As a side dish, a delicious brioche is served.

• As a colourful main dish, Anjou Pigeon is served with a crisp of amaranth, cherry, purple curry, smoked pistache and foie gras.

• Cheeses can’t be missed in The Netherlands and the trolley at Restaurant Julemont is definitely worth it! Cheeses are served with a warm raisin bread and apple syrup.

• Strawberry is the main ingredient of the dessert, and is combined with chocolate, yoghurt and verbena.

• Petit-fours

Service & Wine

Chef Guido Braeken is assisted by two highly experienced cuisiniers; Sous-Chef Norris Neutelings and Max van der Sterren. The duo and the rest of the team are young, driven and above all very enthusiastic and creative. You can really feel that the team is pushing their own limits, resulting in a very powerful dining experience. In the dining rooms, an equally young, friendly and professional team serves the guests in a respectful and intimate matter.

To complement the food, Sommelier Philipp Bock has created a wonderful and very interesting wine list. The relatively small but beautiful wine cellar boasts a collection of exclusive and vintage wines, with French and other European countries representing the bulk of the collection. Do try Philipp’s pairing as well, as they are among the best we’ve tasted in The Netherlands.

Why go? 

A highly refined cuisine based on the very best luxurious ingredients should be your number one reason to visit Restaurant Julemont. But there’s more, like the unique castle environment and the wonderful wine pairings and wine list. Add the possibility to stay overnight in the castle and the young and driven team, and you know this place should definitely be on your “to-eat” list.