Lode & Stijn

While Lode & Stijn is one of those restaurants where you’re in for a set, multi-course menu, they make fine dining fun with a chummy staff, easy-going interior design, and record player tunes ranging from light jazz to more zippy, experimental tracks as the night goes on.

Things kick off on a high note with Lode’s sourdough bread made from a family recipe, and say yes when they ask you mid-meal if you want to try their special scallop dish that swims in butter. The sommelier will regale you with origin stories and flavor interpretations of the artisanal European wines when you opt for a pairing.

Their alcohol-free pairing is just as exciting, with drinks like kombucha and kefir concoctions that are far more creative and intricate than simply a different juice for each course.