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Leiderdorp · Netherlands

Brasserie Meelfabriek Zijlstroom

A modern-European brasserie in a converted flour mill on the Zijl, cooking seasonal regional produce with a generous plant-forward streak.

The essentials, at a glance

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Impact score
3 - Endorsed
→
Documented practices
Local sourcing
Seasonal cooking
Plant-forward menu

Style
Brasserie
Casual
Cosy
Cuisine
Dutch
French
Good to know
Terrace
Garden
Bar
Private dining room
Children's menu

The delicious details

Set inside a converted flour mill on the banks of the Zijl in Leiderdorp, Brasserie Meelfabriek Zijlstroom pairs the building's industrial heritage with a warm, contemporary brasserie. The kitchen works to a simple idea: let good regional produce lead, and follow the seasons rather than the import calendar.

That approach shows up in a menu with a strong plant-forward streak, where at least a third of every category is vegetarian or plant-based and the vegetable dishes are given real attention. Meat and fish sit alongside them, with beef drawn from a farm just beside the restaurant.

Several dining spaces fill the old mill, from a quiet flour loft and a conservatory to a garden house set in a green courtyard, making it as suited to a relaxed lunch as to a group celebration.

Menu
What's on the table, and what's left off

Modern-European menu with familiar brasserie classics and seasonal Dutch cooking. At least 30% of every category is plant-based or vegetarian, and the kitchen sources beef from a farm next door, keeping sourcing close to home. Dishes change with the seasons.

Cuisine
Dutch
French
Dietary options
Vegetarian options
Vegan-friendly
Impact score
How this restaurant rates
3 - Endorsed

Brasserie Meelfabriek Zijlstroom brings together regional sourcing, seasonal cooking, and a generous plant-forward offer.

It sources as much as possible from its own region, including beef from a farm immediately beside the restaurant, keeping supply lines short. The kitchen cooks to the seasons, leaving out-of-season and long-haul produce off the plate so the menu follows what the surrounding area is growing. Running through every category is a plant-forward offer, with at least a third of the dishes vegetarian or plant-based.

This plant-forward commitment is recognised by the Dutch Vegetariersbond, which has awarded the restaurant its LEKKER VEGA mark at bronze level.

The impact dimensions
Local & direct sourcing✓
Seasonal cooking✓
Low waste & circular practices
Sustainable animal products
Plant-forward menu✓

Sources local regional produce including beef from a neighbouring farm via a named produce supplier.

The restaurant states it cooks with as many local regional products as possible and sources beef from a farm immediately next to the premises, an unusually short supply line. Produce comes via a named supplier, Van der Mey, with which the chef describes short supply lines.

Regional-product focus is corroborated by editorial sustainable-restaurant listings. The adjacent farm is not named and no independent audit of sourcing exists, so the claim is concrete and self-declared rather than independently verified.

Strongest sourcezijlstroom.nl ↗

Kitchen follows the seasons, rotating Dutch vegetables and avoiding long-haul imports.

Seasonality is a clearly articulated, specific practice. The kitchen states it follows the seasons — no strawberries or green beans in winter, no scorzonera or Jerusalem artichoke in summer — and explicitly avoids long-haul and exotic imports like avocado from Kenya, jackfruit, or papaya in favour of Dutch seasonal vegetables that rotate through the year.

This practice is corroborated by both chef interview and editorial coverage of the restaurant's regional focus.

Strongest sourcepvandermey.nl ↗

Furnishing in the restaurant includes secondhand and handmade items made from old materials.

The circular practice evidenced is furnishing: furniture is described as secondhand or handmade from old materials, reflecting some material-reuse thinking.

Strongest sourcezijlstroom.nl ↗

Beef sourced from a neighbouring farm described as top quality, reducing food miles.

The restaurant serves meat and fish. Beef is sourced from a neighbouring farm described as 'top quality', a local and traceable arrangement that reduces food miles. Fish provenance and any sustainability certifications are not documented.

Strongest sourcezijlstroom.nl ↗

At least 30% of every menu category is vegetarian or plant-based; Dutch Vegetariersbond-recognised at bronze level.

Plant-forwardness is a documented strength. The menu carries at least 30% vegetarian or plant-based dishes in every category, a share the restaurant is noted to exceed, and the chef treats vegetarian cooking as a specialty, accounting for around 40% of the menu.

This plant-forward commitment is validated by an independent vegetarian body: the Dutch Vegetariersbond awarded the restaurant its LEKKER VEGA mark at bronze level.

Strongest sourcevegetariers.nl ↗
Visit & practical info
Address, price, and more
Address
Zijldijk 28, 2352 AB Leiderdorp, Leiderdorp, Netherlands
Open in Google Maps ↗
Price
€€
Format
Daily 10 AM – 11 PM, several dining spaces, seasonal à la carte
Hours
Monday10:00–23:00
Tuesday10:00–23:00
Wednesday10:00–23:00
Thursday10:00–23:00
Friday10:00–23:00
Saturday10:00–23:00
Sunday10:00–23:00
Style
Brasserie
Casual
Cosy
Good to know
Terrace
Garden
Bar
Private dining room
Children's menu
Web
zijlstroom.nl
Reserve a table
Reviewed by My Treats
Last reviewed 11 Jul 2026
Link copied
How we score
The My Treats impact scale

Every restaurant is assessed against SEERO, our six-dimension sustainability framework — covering sourcing, seasonality, waste, animal products, social impact, and plant-forward cooking. Each finding is weighted by how strongly it is corroborated. The combined result is translated into a planet rating from 1 to 5.

The five levels

SEERO is an acronym for Starting, Engaged, Endorsed, Recognised, Outstanding:

Starting First verified signals of sustainable practice.
Engaged Credible practice across two dimensions.
Endorsed Meaningful practice across three or more dimensions.
This place
Recognised Strong practice across four or more dimensions, with independent corroboration.
Outstanding Top-tier practice, confirmed by recognised third-party audit.

How a level is reached. Each level needs two things together: a minimum number of dimensions covered, and a minimum overall strength of evidence across them. A dimension only counts once its evidence is specific and substantiated — a passing mention doesn't qualify. Meeting only one of the two keeps a restaurant a level lower.

Ratings of four or five planets require human validation and, at the top tier, an external audit. Scores are based on publicly available evidence and restaurant submissions at the time of assessment.

Full methodology→
Impact dimension
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How this dimension works
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How evidence is weighted
Self-declared Stated by the restaurant on its website, menu or in a submission. Plausible, but not yet independently corroborated.
Researched Found through independent research; one credible third-party source backs the claim.
Vouched Corroborated across more than one independent source. Some gaps may remain.
Audited Fully corroborated across independent sources or by a recognised third-party certification.
What the sourcing checkmarks mean
✓ Full check — independently verified: corroborated across more than one source, or audited / third-party certified (vouched or audited).
✓ Light check — self-declared or from a single source. Not yet independently verified.
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