ML

ML is a firm favourite for many a foodie. Mark and Liane Gratama's restaurant is housed in an imposing listed building in the heart of Haarlem. The modern decor blends vintage elements with chic design. The Chef’s Bar, next to the open kitchen, is the place to be if you want to watch the enthusiastic Mark Gratama at work. Each dish is a creative masterpiece, playfully combining a delightful variety of textures. His unique ingredient combinations demonstrate his willingness to experiment and push culinary boundaries. For example, he incorporates a hint of seaweed into a blueberry-based dessert and a zesty verjus sorbet. With meticulous precision, he unites the disparate flavours of seared langoustine and hearty beef sausage into a perfectly balanced dish. The finishing touch of an exquisite sauce or broth, frequently drawing on Asian influences, provides extra punch. It is inspiring to watch this consummate professional constantly evolve his craft.

Historic setting in a printer's courtyard

• Restaurant ML is housed in a monumental building on Klokhuisplein in Haarlem, located in the courtyard of the former printer Johan Enschedé and in the old parlor of the Enschedé residence, giving a unique historic backdrop.

A hotel-restaurant-complex in one building

• The site also operates a historic four-star hotel with 17 rooms and suites, where all rooms feature Hästens beds, making ML a combined luxury hotel and Michelin-starred restaurant.

French-inspired, but unusually paired menu

• Chef Mark Gratama creates a menu inspired by French cuisine with traditional and vegetarian options in 5–8 courses; a signature dish pairs coquille (scallop) with ossenworst and hollandaise sauce for a balanced, unconventional flavor.

Signature Ingredients

• Coquille (scallop): The scallop is a centerpiece in ML Haarlem’s menu. Gault & Millau highlights a signature pairing where coquille is combined with ossenworst and hollandaise sauce to achieve a balanced flavor, underscoring the restaurant’s French-influenced technique and emphasis on high-quality ingredients. The scallop brings delicate sweetness and a refined texture that stands out within ML's refined tasting menus.
• Ossenworst (Dutch beef sausage): A traditional Dutch product featured in ML’s signature dish alongside scallop and hollandaise. Its inclusion showcases ML’s commitment to local Dutch ingredients and its ability to fuse them with haute cuisine, creating a distinctive, savory depth that contrasts the seafood component.
• Hollandaisesaus (Hollandaise): A classic French sauce that serves as the binding element in ML’s signature combination of scallop and ossenworst. The hollandaise provides richness and a subtle acidity that ties the components together, reflecting the restaurant’s French culinary influence and emphasis on precise technique.