"Can we do this by phone? I'm busy with a big lunch." Erik Tas, chef and owner of Michelin-star restaurant 't Ganzenest in Rijswijk and bistro Bij Erik in Leidschendam, can’t come to The Hague for a chat about his cuisine right now. It's the holiday period, the weather is lovely and lunch has become more popular recently. "We have more guests at lunch than at dinner on some days," he says. No problem, we'll talk on the phone.

't Ganzenest

't Ganzenest is a relatively young restaurant serving classic French cuisine with innovative elements. Sitting amid natural greenery, it is calm and relaxing. The restaurant has a classic look with linen on the tables. An amazing achievement: only 9 months after opening, the restaurant received a Michelin star. You can eat and drink at the highest level in the restaurant, on the garden patio – ideal for parties, weddings and business events – or have an intimate dinner at the chef's table. Oh yes, you can also get married here, as 't Ganzenest is an official wedding venue.

Parking is free. Guests come from the region, even the neighbours at times, but people also travel to Rijswijk from all over the country especially to taste Erik’s dishes. Overnight guests can stay in one of the two hotel rooms, so you don't have to drive home after dinner. "Just getting away from it all, that's a luxury in itself! The rooms have a private patio, you have a view of the golf course, and you wake up to bird song. We want people to feel at home here. That feeling is so important," Erik explains over the phone. If you do have commitments, tram 1 is just around the corner. In short, Erik's second restaurant radiates accessibility and homeliness.

Star restaurant 't Ganzenest in Rijswijk.

Low threshold

Those values can also be found at Erik's first restaurant, Bij Erik in Leidschendam, which is celebrating its second anniversary this year. The restaurant, a real French bistro, was awarded a Bib Gourmand by Michelin a year after opening: a good price-quality ratio. Low threshold, in other words. Erik says, "We now have a new lunch menu in my bistro, of course with the same beautiful bottles of wine you can get at dinner – including those that we store in our wine cellar at 't Ganzenest. There are more than 1,300 different bottles."

He continues enthusiastically, "It was really my dream to work in the kitchen, from a young age. I started as a dishwasher at 16. After that, I went to chef school and had the opportunity to work in classic star restaurants such as the Zwetheul in Delft and Parkheuvel in Rotterdam. I always aspired to a Michelin star and I achieved it with 't Ganzenest."

But how do you do that? "First and foremost, you have a passion for food and drink and you put your heart and soul into what you want." He will now use that drive at Hotel Indigo on The Hague's Noordeinde, where he is kicking off a whole new restaurant concept, including menu, wine list and a completely new bar. "I can't give anything away yet, but from January everyone is welcome!"

www.ganzenest.nl and www.bijerik.nl