Ron Blaauw to close Ron Gastrobar in Amsterdam-Zuid

Ron Blaauw will close Ron Gastrobar, his Michelin-starred restaurant on Sophialaan in Amsterdam-Zuid, in mid-February 2027. After some fourteen years, the chef says it is time for something new.

Blaauw announced the news himself on Instagram in early November. "I feel it again," he wrote. "That it has to be different." According to trade platform Food Inspiration, he is working on a new and broader hospitality concept. What will replace Ron Gastrobar has not yet been announced.

It is not the first time Blaauw has changed course. In 2013 he gave up the two Michelin stars of his previous restaurant, Blaauw, because he wanted a more accessible place without fuss, as Amsterdam broadcaster AT5 puts it. That became Ron Gastrobar, a more casual format that ended up holding a Michelin star of its own.

I feel it again. That it has to be different.

"Hospitality is not what it used to be"

Blaauw has long been one of the most outspoken voices in Amsterdam's restaurant scene. In 2018 he even called for a stop on new restaurants in the city. He remains critical of the local landscape today. "Hospitality is not what it used to be," he told AT5. "Everything is getting more expensive."

Trade title Misset Horeca led with another of his remarks: going out to eat has changed completely. That view is not an isolated one. Higher costs for staff, energy and ingredients have been squeezing restaurant margins for some time, especially at places with a large kitchen brigade and an ambitious evening menu.

What it means for Amsterdam

With Ron Gastrobar, Amsterdam-Zuid loses one of its best-known starred addresses. The decision fits a wider trend of chefs looking for formats that depend less on an expensive evening menu. We have written before about what a tasting menu actually costs to put on a table and about the staff shortage on the restaurant floor.

Ron Gastrobar stays open for the coming months; the doors only close in mid-February. AMUSE will follow Blaauw's next concept as soon as more is known about its location, format and opening date.