Citizens of Belgium and Luxembourg have always prided themselves on the quality of their cuisine, which they claim is clearly superior to that of France. Not so the Dutch, whose kitchens have been traditionally characterized more by a satisfying stolidity than by any pretensions to delicacy or invention. Nowadays, however, influenced by the many cultures living within their borders, Dutch chefs work their own culinary wonders.

La Rive (in the Amstel Intercontinental Hotel, Amsterdam; tel. 020/622-6060): If two prestigious Michelin stars don't make your mouth water, then what will? La Rive even has a special table where you can watch how the chefs actually do it. While dining, you can enjoy the view through tall French windows to the broad Amstel River. The service and wine cellar are in the finest modern French traditions.

Le Restaurant (in the Hotel des Indes, The Hague; tel. 070/363-2932): The Hague's nickname "Dowager of the Dutch East Indies" could well apply to the elegant Hotel Des Indes. The food it serves is refined and delicious, combining European and colonial flavors.

Restaurant de Echoput (Apeldoorn; tel. 057/691-248): Game features prominently on the menu at this restaurant, set amidst the forests near Apeldoorn, on the edge of the Royal Wood. During the hunting season you can have wild boar, venison, and any kind of fowl, always succulent and prepared with flair. In spring and summer the menu is just as delectable, and in fair weather you can dine on the terrace in the fresh forest air.

Château Neercanne (Maastricht; tel. 043/325-1359): "To live like a god in France" goes the Dutch proverb expressing the pinnacle of earthly pleasure. You might imagine yourself to be both a god and in France if you dine at this château, which was designed following French models. What's more, in true French culinary style, the food here is seductively elegant and the wine cellar is unique and impressive--the wines are kept under perfect conditions in the marlstone caves behind the château.