Thomas van Santvoort FLICKA

Three great loves

“When I was young and started out as a plongeur, I knew I wanted to be a chef in my own restaurant. Opening Flicka in 2017 turned my dream into reality. Flicka is Swedish for girl, and the restaurant is named after the three great loves of my life: my wife and host Merlijn, and our daughters Filippa and Fosse.”

Top team

“Where I put my passion into cooking, Merlijn is a perfectionist in everything outside. She looks after guests and gives them an unforgettable experience, which is about not just pampering them, but the interiors of our suites and restaurant. Merlijn did all the decoration herself. We make a good team, though I say it myself.”

Crazy about skate

“My fourth love is about the stomach: it’s our dish with ray. Guests wax lyrical about it. If you look at the ingredients separately, they’re nothing special, but as soon as you put the ray together with smoked butter, chives, and mace, everything just takes off. It’s a unique flavour experience. Even fellow chefs come to us for this dish.”

Thomas van Santvoort (b. 1982) started out in 1996 washing dishes in a restaurant, and became hooked on working in the kitchen. He trained at the Ter Duinen hotel school, did internships at Chalet Royal and Beluga, and went on to work at Parkheuvel, Boreas, and elsewhere. In 2017, he and his partner Merlijn opened their own restaurant, Flicka, in Kerkdriel.