Sergio Herman
🇳🇱 Netherlands · Dutch cuisine · b. 1970
The Zeeland-born chef who held three Michelin stars at Oud Sluis before reinventing himself as a restaurateur.
Biography
Sergio Herman is a Dutch chef widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Low Countries fine dining over the past two decades. He held three Michelin stars at his family restaurant Oud Sluis in the village of Sluis, Zeeland, from 2005 until he closed it at the end of 2013 — a decision that startled the European restaurant world, as the restaurant was at the peak of its critical reputation and ranked #24 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2013.
Herman was born in Sluis, a small town just across the Belgian border in the Dutch province of Zeeland, into a family of restaurateurs. His parents ran Oud Sluis as a traditional regional restaurant; Sergio took over the kitchen in 1990 at the age of 20 after training in Belgium, Spain and France, and progressively transformed it into one of the most avant-garde restaurants in Europe — winning its first Michelin star in 1995, a second in 1999, and the coveted third in 2005.
After closing Oud Sluis, Herman opened a series of more accessible restaurants designed to outlive the punishing rhythm of three-star cooking: The Jane in Antwerp (with his protégé Nick Bril, two Michelin stars from 2015), Pure C in Cadzand (one Michelin star), Air Republic in Cadzand, and Le Pristine in Antwerp (one Michelin star, opened 2020). He is also a prolific television personality in the Netherlands and Belgium, presenting the documentary series 'Fork' (2015) on his decision to close Oud Sluis, and has authored several cookbooks. His sea-driven, North Sea-rooted cooking — built on oysters, sole, brown shrimp, sea purslane and razor clams from the waters off Zeeland — is widely credited with putting Dutch and Flemish coastal cuisine on the European fine-dining map.
Cooking Philosophy
The North Sea on a plate. Herman's cooking is built around the produce of the Scheldt estuary and the Zeeland coast — Oosterschelde lobster, Zeeland oysters, brown shrimp, sole, sea purslane, samphire — and around what he calls 'pure, raw, salt' as the three baseline flavours of his region. He is a vocal critic of the lifestyle costs of three-star cooking and has spoken openly about why he closed Oud Sluis at its peak.
Restaurants
- Le PristineAntwerp, Belgium
Opened 2020 inside the August hotel district; one Michelin star. Italian-inflected fine dining with Herman's North Sea sensibility.
- Air RepublicCadzand-Bad, Netherlands
Casual seafood-driven restaurant in the Strandhotel on the Zeeland coast.
- Pure CCadzand-Bad, Netherlands
One Michelin star; opened 2010 in the Strandhotel with Syrco Bakker as head chef.
- The JaneAntwerp, Belgium
Co-founded 2014 with Nick Bril inside a former military chapel; two Michelin stars.
- Oud SluisSluis, Zeeland, Netherlands
Family restaurant; three Michelin stars 2005–2013. Closed at the end of 2013 at the height of its reputation.
Awards & Recognition
- 3 Michelin stars (Oud Sluis, 2005–2013)
- World's 50 Best Restaurants — peaked at #24 (Oud Sluis, 2013)
- 2 Michelin stars (The Jane, since 2015)
- 1 Michelin star (Pure C, since 2011; Le Pristine, since 2021)
Iconic Dishes
Cookbooks
- Desire (2006)
- Sergio Herman: My Way (2009)
- Air (2013)
- Sergio Herman Cookbook (2017)
Recipes in Sergio's Style
These recipes from our database reflect the dutch cooking tradition that Sergio works in. They are not direct reproductions of Sergio's copyrighted recipes, but traditional dishes inspired by the same culinary heritage.
In Sergio's Own Words
“I closed Oud Sluis because I wanted to live, not just to cook.”
— Fork documentary (2015)
“My pantry is the sea. Everything else is decoration.”
— Interview, NRC Handelsblad
Career Timeline
Begins his training at the hotel school in Bruges and works in Belgian and French kitchens including Apicius and the Kasteel van Ordingen.
Returns to Sluis at age 20 to take over the kitchen of his family restaurant Oud Sluis.
Oud Sluis awarded its first Michelin star.
Oud Sluis awarded a second Michelin star.
Oud Sluis awarded a third Michelin star — Herman becomes one of the youngest three-star chefs in Europe.
Opens Pure C in Cadzand-Bad with Syrco Bakker as head chef; earns a Michelin star within a year.
Closes Oud Sluis at the height of its reputation; Oud Sluis ends the year ranked #24 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list.
Opens The Jane in Antwerp with protégé Nick Bril, inside a deconsecrated military chapel.
The Jane awarded two Michelin stars; presents the autobiographical documentary Fork.
Opens Le Pristine in Antwerp; earns a Michelin star the following year.
Mentors & Influences
Frequently Asked Questions about Sergio Herman
Why did Sergio Herman close Oud Sluis?
Herman has spoken extensively, including in the 2015 documentary Fork, about the physical and psychological cost of running a three-Michelin-star restaurant in a small Zeeland village. He closed Oud Sluis at the end of 2013, at the height of its reputation, in order to live a more sustainable life and to focus on a portfolio of more accessible restaurants — The Jane in Antwerp, Pure C and Air Republic in Cadzand, and later Le Pristine in Antwerp.
Did Oud Sluis really have three Michelin stars?
Yes. Oud Sluis was awarded its first star in 1995, its second in 1999, and its third in 2005. It held three stars continuously from 2005 until Herman closed the restaurant in December 2013, and was ranked as high as #24 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list (2013).
What is The Jane in Antwerp?
The Jane is a restaurant Herman co-founded with his former Oud Sluis sous chef Nick Bril in 2014, in a deconsecrated 19th-century military chapel in Antwerp. Bril is the day-to-day head chef; the restaurant earned two Michelin stars in the 2015 guide and has held them since. It is one of the most architecturally distinctive fine-dining rooms in Europe.
Where is Sergio Herman from?
He was born in Sluis, in the south-western Dutch province of Zeeland, in 1970 — a town effectively on the Belgian border, less than 20km from Bruges. His parents ran Oud Sluis as a local restaurant before he transformed it.
What style of cooking is Sergio Herman known for?
He is closely identified with the produce of the North Sea and the Scheldt estuary — Zeeland oysters, Oosterschelde lobster, brown shrimp, sole, samphire, sea purslane. His style is technically modernist, with notable Japanese and Spanish influences from stages early in his career, but the flavour grammar is unmistakably coastal Low Countries.
Cook this hands-free
Get AI meal plans, step-by-step cooking mode, and your saved recipes in the free Bento app.
Plan your meals, track fasting and build your grocery list — free
MyCookingCalendar's dashboard runs right in your browser, no download needed.
Read more on Wikipedia