Arsenaal 1824, Nijmegen
Our Recs · Restaurant
Arsenaal 1824
A December dinner in Nijmegen, and one of the best of the year.
The oysters were fabulous — and we say that carefully, having eaten a great many of them. The lobster and prawn bisque that followed was divine: deep, glossy, and tasting of the whole shell rather than only the cream.
James ordered the chicken livers. The steak came to the other side of the table and was very good indeed.
Then the puddings, which did not let any of it down — rarer than it ought to be. Chocolate cake for James; a Romanov cream with vanilla ice cream and a glass of port opposite.
We drank another fantastic Pinot Noir, this one from Austria. We seem to be having a run of them, and we are not complaining.
The building deserves a word of its own. It is an arsenal of 1824 — brick, red-and-black shutters, an arched door with the date over it — and inside, gold chandeliers, the Christmas lights up, a great deal of colour, and none of the hush that so often comes with food this good. It is a room that wants you to enjoy yourself.
Nijmegen is the oldest city in the country and it is on far too few itineraries. This is one of the reasons to put it on yours.
The table
We pay for our own meals and we are not paid to write these. If a place is on this list it is because we would take you there ourselves. See the options.
