In our series on eating out we visit a Michelin-rated restaurant in the coastal resort of Noordwijk.

Ine Droogh-Goossens is charming, dynamic, and totally committed to her business, De Graaf van het Hoogveen in Noordwijk. Her parents-in-law used to run a modest pension in this coastal town, a few minutes walk from the beach, and when her husband showed more interest in the building trade than in restaurant management she decided to go for it alone. Twelve years on, the establishment boasts a Michelin star, a number of luxury hotel rooms and one of the most extensive wine lists in the country.

wine cellar is a connoisseur's paradise

The Wine cellar is a connoisseur's paradise; 15,000 bottles - some 650 different wines - are neatly arranged in hardwood racks. They all appear on the wine list, which is not so much a list as a book: its 41 pages include 140 clarets, four pages of Italian, three pages of German and two pages of Californian wines. In 1981 Mrs Droogh-Goossens received a Dutch wine award from HRH Prince Bernhard, and last year she was honoured with the American Wine Spectator Grand Award at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York.

"I am the driving force", she says with characteristic aplomb, as she hands me a glass of Lechère champagne (as served on the Orient Express). Without a doubt it was her guiding and motivating influence that helped young chef Nico Lijding keep the Michelin star when his predecessor left a few years ago.

A heaven of restrained chic in the bustle of the beach resort, the restaurant's décor features long, floral tablecloths, cane chairs and burgundy carpets. A plump oyster was served as an appetizer while we looked at the menu. Four courses including three glasses of wine are available for f 97,50 - good value when compared with the à la carte prices but here we'd already spotted some mouth-watering choices. Etuvée de légumes (f 30,--), my companion's starter, was beautifully presented, with young vegetables arranged around warm, sautéed sweetbread like a laurel wreath.

My own hure de saumon also combined excellent taste with artistics presentation. Salmon fillet, salmon eggs and a mixture of fresh green herbs embedded in aspic were surrounded by a red pepper sauce softened with Italian olive oil. Our choice of white wine, a Meursault1983 ( f 95.--) was a complex and intriguing Burgundy made from the Chardonnay grape, with   an extremely dry aftertaste. A soup course followed: crustacés à la nage for me (f 19,50) and crème de vollaille (f 15,--) for my friend. Mine was a strong broth of crustaceans in which floated two ravioli cushions, cooked al dente and stuffed with shellfish; full marks for flavour. Two poached quail's eggs punctuated my companion's cream of fowl, which had been given an attractive green hue by the addition of some puréed watercress. The1976 Château Léoville Lascases (f 125,--) that had been warming up in a decanter shaped like a test tube was an experience. A well-rounded Saint-Julien of great character, it was perhaps slightly past its peak, but we were glad to have chosen it. The lamb in my main dish (f 52,50), served with baby corn and broccoli, was almost too young; the taste had not quite established itself. Our second choice, however, wild rabbit from the nearby dunes ( f 55,--), was flawless. Farci à la chinoise in an egg coating with bean sprouts and mushrooms, it was appetizingly presented on a bed of potatoes and leeks.

a memorable evening

Both the cheese and dessert options are more varied and interesting than is usual in a restaurant of this class. A salad of Gruyère, celery and pine kernels in a nut oil dressing (f 17,50) is a lighter and more appealing interlude than the usual cheesebord, and I don't recall ever being offered a choice of five warm desserts. A modern adaptation in flaky pastry of the traditional tarte Tatin, baked to perfection, made a fitting end to my dinner, and my companion was equally enthusiastic about a layered confection of chocolate rounds alternated with vanilla mousse, in five different fruit sauces (both f 18,50). The conclusion is obvious: at De Graaf van het Hoogveen a memorable evening awaits both the discerning gourmet and the lover of wine.