When Ronald van Roon and Bianca Fellinger took full ownership of Calla’s on 1 July 2025, they insisted that guests would notice little difference. Nearly a year on, that has largely proved true. But not everything has stayed exactly the same.

For some, it may seem like a minor detail, and most guests won’t even notice it, but regular patrons of this hidden establishment on Laan van Roos en Doorn will spot a subtle difference right away when they visit the toilet: the bottle of Molton Brown has disappeared. A break in style! Anyone who is familiar with Marcel van der Kleijn, co-founder of this Michelin-starred restaurant, will know that he is attached to this brand of British luxury hand soap. Just stop by his other premises, Tapisco: Molton Brown is there too.

Van Roon, as relaxed as ever and sitting at the chef’s table while cooks silently chop turnips behind him, sniggers: “Oh yes, that’s true. We have new soap.”

Bianca Fellinger, who has just placed a few glasses of sparkling water on the table, adds: “Nothing has changed for the guests, but now we handle the administration. Previously, Sharon (van Tongeren, Van der Kleijn’s wife and co-founder of Calla’s, ed.) took care of that. We have to pay the bills ourselves and see exactly what comes in and what goes out. That gives us more freedom, but also more responsibility.”

Does it mean that Van der Kleijn – who stopped by several times a week, sometimes to bring ice cubes, at other times to check the cleanliness of the toilets with a cotton swab – no longer shows up at all? Van Roon: “Well, it’s still his first child, but he already took a step back when we arrived here 10 years ago. When I have a new menu, I call him, and we taste it together, which is always nice.”

Michelin star

The Michelin star earned by Van der Kleijn in 2002 continues to be held by the restaurant under Van Roon. “That hasn’t changed. No Michelin inspector has visited recently, but we have great confidence we’ll retain it. The standards remain high. Cooking schools such as the Cas Spijkers Academy and ROC Mondriaan only send students with potential. We really get the cream of the crop.”

Read also: Looking for more Michelin-starred dining in The Hague? 8 Michelin-starred restaurants in and around The Hague

Looking back on the past 10 years, the star couple appear to have faced few setbacks. The success of the take-away menus during the COVID period exceeded all expectations. However, there was that incident last January when around 30 animal activists covered the façade with red paint in protest, demanding that goose and duck foie gras be removed from the menu. For now, the activists have had their way. “Will we ever serve it again? Maybe... but so far, no guest has missed it.”

“It does make you think,” Van Roon continues. “We no longer serve endangered species, such as tuna.” Fellinger adds, “We try to work as sustainably as possible. The vegetable scraps are not thrown away; we use them to make our vegetable jus.”

Wild rocket

Calla’s also has its own garden “Laantje Voorham” in Wassenaar, where they harvest vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. “The guests love that. We currently have wild rocket on the menu. By the way, you can also just pick it in the dunes in The Hague. Hardly anyone knows that. We now also work with Kruyd, a small-scale flower and herb grower from The Hague. They supply us with Voorschotense chives, among other things. People also find that very special.” Fellinger laughs. “Isn’t that a fantastic story?”

They’ve noticed that more and more chefs in Michelin-starred restaurants in the Netherlands are changing their menus. Van Roon: “Menus are becoming more accessible.” Especially in the provinces, there is less demand for multi-course menus, though the chefs themselves don’t really notice. “Yesterday was Tuesday. The place was full and everyone ordered a seven-course meal.” Calla’s has relied on a loyal circle of regular guests for years, although preferences have changed, especially at lunchtime. “It has to be faster, and people choose more consciously – more vegetarian, more vegan. Ten years ago, we didn’t have a non-alcoholic drinks menu. That simply wouldn’t be possible now.”

A well-known businesswoman from The Hague, Sylvia Tóth, gave the couple a 10 when she dined here. Fellinger proudly shows the message: “Great dishes and the best hostess I’ve experienced in years!” She adds, “Yes, reviews like these show that people appreciate what we do.”

What will the next 10 years bring? The couple think they will still be here at Calla’s. Will there be many changes? No, preferably not. A second restaurant perhaps? They exchange glances: “Two years ago, we thought that something approachable on Denneweg, similar to Bistro Le Mer in Amsterdam, would be a nice idea. But costs have risen drastically.” Van Roon leaves the door open: “We’ll see if something comes our way. And if it does, I’d mainly focus on fish. Shared dining? No, I don’t see that happening any time soon. If we do something else, there will simply be an à la carte menu.”

www.restaurantcallas.nl