Marco Helsloot

Coming Up

In North Holland cooking, locality is not a garnish; it is the structure. Marco Helsloot works from that premise, drawing on the fishing town of Volendam, where water, weather, and close-to-hand ingredients shape a practical way of thinking about the plate. French technique gives the food its frame, local fish and vegetables keep it tied to North Holland, and a light Asian inflection adds lift without disturbing the balance. The result is precise cooking that stays loose in the hand.

Where They Are Now

At Merlet, the kitchen language is clear: local products, local fish, and local vegetables are placed under French technique rather than buried by it. Marco Helsloot uses that combination to build plates with freshness, texture, and enough contrast to keep the dining room engaged. The style is polished, but it does not lean on polish for its own sake; it lets the ingredient lead while keeping the composition tight and deliberate. It is contemporary regional cooking with its priorities in order.

Signature

Marco's signature dishes include lijngevangen Waddengoud zeebaars. Read as craft rather than signature flourish, it points to the same working method seen across the menu: respect for the sea, attention to quality and locality, and a clean treatment that lets the main ingredient carry the plate.

In Their Words “We are a restaurant in North Holland, so we like to emphasize that too: we work with a lot of local products, local fish and local vegetables.” That line sets out the kitchen’s operating logic. Locality is used as a practical frame for flavor and season, not as branding language. “I want people to go home and think: Jesus, what is happening there!?” The point is effect, but not chaos. He is aiming for a plate that catches the guest off guard, then stays with them after the meal is over.

Honors

Marco's honors include Jonge Chef van het Jaar. The recognition fits a cook whose work is built on repetition, discipline, and a clear regional point of view that has sharpened over time.