Chef Niels van Zijl (28) always dreamed of having his own restaurant. Last month that dream became reality. Heimat then opened in the building at Biltstraat 48. Niels started his own company together with maître Arline Bronkhorst, among others. According to him, Heimat is a place where guests can expect dishes of a high culinary level in an informal setting. The focus is on local producers and makers. The menu changes and is inspired by nature.
Are you satisfied with how things are going so far?
“It’s going very well. I’ve always had this in mind. It gives a lot of energy if it succeeds. You suddenly feel a lot less about all the effort you put into the renovation.”
Why did you want to open your own restaurant?
“It was always my ambition to start my own business. I had also mapped out a whole route for that. When I couldn’t continue at DeZusters, I thought: ‘Now it’s time to take the final steps to start my own business’. That was two years ago now. I embarked on a journey that I had never done before in my life. I tried to have as many conversations about this within my network as possible. I also worked as a self-employed person in all kinds of places to see how they did things, from Soia to two-star establishments. I took the things that were important to me there. Once you have a property in mind, it suddenly becomes tangible and can therefore move quickly.”
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What type of dishes do you serve?
“We look at the origin and quality of the products. In this way we try to give them a stage with a certain depth. It is not about complicated or special preparation techniques. We look at how we can make the products even better and more special. For example, by working with preservation techniques, such as pickles and small fermentation techniques, a lot of depth is created in dishes. I think this worked out very well with the dessert we are serving now, for example. There is depth and a bit of tension in it, so we mislead the guests a bit. At the same time, it is also a comfortable and seemingly simple dish. That should always be the case with us. We can come up with all kinds of crazy things, but… in the end the essence of food should never be lost. It should always be tasty. We don’t invent fun techniques to entertain ourselves. It has to be completely correct on the plate.”
Where can you enjoy culinary delights in Utrecht?
“That is possible with Rosie, among others. The way of eating there is also how I like to see it: very comfortable, but of very good quality. And that for an excellent price. They also have a nice wine list. I also think this also applies to Terroir. Furthermore, Leon, from Karel V, puts so much soul and attention into that business. He also conveys that.”
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What is your fondest memory of Utrecht?
“I was at Pride in Utrecht with my sister last year. I then felt such a connection with the city and with everyone who was there. The sun was shining and everyone could do whatever they wanted. ‘This is my Utrecht’, I thought at the time. I had the same feeling during the Tour de France. There are also plenty of wonderful memories at FC Utrecht, both from the past and now. I like to sit with friends in the Galgenwaard on Bunnikside. There you see so much diversity around you: from purebred Utrecht residents to yuppies who have just moved to Utrecht. It all comes together there. I think that’s nice to see. I’m always amazed.”
Utrecht is…
“…the place that always feels like home. I have worked abroad and in many places in the Netherlands, but Utrecht has always been my home base.”
The name of the restaurant, Heimat, was invented by Niels’ girlfriend. The word refers to the emotional bond you have with your birthplace, or where you feel at home. For Niels, that is without a doubt Utrecht: the city where he was born. He also wants to convey that feeling of home with his restaurant. At 28 years old, he has already gained a lot of experience. Until 2021, he was at the helm of restaurant DeZusters in Maarssen. He also worked at star stores such as De Librije and the Danish Kadeau. Last year, the young owner was appointed ‘New Chef on the Block’ by Gault&Millau, which is an annual award for culinary talent.
