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It's obvious how much children like an evening at the New Veranda. Once in a while they will hurry over to mum and dad's table, a newly made friend in tow, and chatter excitedly. Most of the time, though, the huge indoor playground area of the restaurant absorbs all their attention. There they can climb and play all evening while an Ayi watches over them.

How comfortable for the parents, who can lean back and enjoy a good glass of wine. The New Veranda is spacious yet homey, with warm lighting and tasteful, unostentatious decoration. A fireplace can be found in the back and there's a cozy sofa-area. In summer, the veranda, to which the restaurant owes it's name, holds a few outdoor tables overlooking a quiet little river.

The New Veranda was opened in 2007 by the former director of a Dutch bakery chain and his Chinese partner, who spent more than 10 years in the Netherlands. Accordingly, the menu features a wide range of Dutch dishes, making this the only restaurant to serve this cuisine in Beijing. A few other countries' specialties can be found, as well.

After we took our seats at one of the nicely set tables, the friendly waitress brought us the menu which we perused for a while. For starters, we chose Bitterballen (24rmb for 6) and Sausage rolls (28rmb for 6). Bitterballen are meatballs rolled in breadcrumbs and deep-fried, once bitten into they reveal a creamy, warm filling of minced beef with bits of parsley. A slightly warm, hearty snack! So were the Sausage rolls, minced meat wrapped in puff pastry.

Chatting and sipping a glass of the house red wine (an Australian Royal Cellars Shiraz, 35rmb/glass, 150rmb/bottle), time until our main courses arrived passed quickly. I had ordered the Zuurkool met Rozijntjes (58rmb) - Sauerkraut with raisins stewed in white wine, accompanied by mashed potatoes and Speklapje, which are baked pork loins. The stewed sour cabbage may be a matter of taste, though I found it very enjoyable. Another dish that arrived to our table was the Nasi Goreng (65rmb), originally an Indonesian dish of soy sauce fried rice, which is very popular in the Netherlands and spiced to suit Dutch taste. It was served with two very tender chicken meat sticks covered in a tasty satay sauce, one fried egg, cold marinated vegetables and Kroepoek prawn crackers. A third dish was very tender Australian beef fillet (185rmb), which, only slightly seasoned, had a very pleasant, juicy taste. It came with fresh potato wedges and steamed vegetables. A delicious meal!

But how does the New Veranda do it - cook French, Australian, Dutch - and make it taste just right? It's not just because of the experienced chefs and the owners' broad knowledge of European food. To meet the authentic taste of the respective cuisines, customers, many of who are Europeans, have been asked their suggestions. The New Veranda is a popular gathering place for families from Europe, Asia and the Americas, whose children go to the neighbouring Western Academy in northeastern Chaoyang district (close to the airport expressway).

We ended the meal with a dessert of home made Vla with fresh whipped cream. Vla is a creamy custard-based dessert, which comes in various flavours such as chocolate, hopjes or vanilla. We decided for the latter and found it an excellent choice!

The New Veranda's cooking is not posh, but of a high quality. The main idea upon founding the restaurant has been to create a place with a comfortable atmosphere, where families can feel well and children are welcome. And it's not just a place for eating, but rather for gathering together and spending an evening with friends. Theme nights, like Indonesian buffet or pancake cooking competitions take place here as well as afternoon birthday parties for children.

The New Veranda offers a few specials from 58rmb including a soft drink. The drink prices are very fair at 17rmb for a Cappucino or 10rmb for a Coke. They have Chilean and Australian wines and a good choice of Whisky.

- by Julia Fiedler

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