Bellezza is the new Amsterdam hotspot you really want to visit ASAP
You know that feeling when you’ve eaten somewhere and the food isn’t just incredibly delicious, but the place also offers something genuinely new? Restaurant Bellezza is a different sound, literally and figuratively: over 5 courses, you’ll be blown away by the incredible dishes from chef Arturo Dalhuisen (formerly chef at Michelin-starred The White Room*), through both sight and sound. And at a remarkable location too, in the heart of the Red Light District.
If you want to go to restaurant Bellezza, you’ll have to search carefully; the new and intimate restaurant is hidden behind the houses along Oudezijds Achterburgwal and Kloveniersgracht, well concealed in a narrow alley between a sex shop and a strip club. In this old, freestanding warehouse in the courtyard of the Bethaniën monastery, nuns once walked and spices were traded. Now very different things happen here – in the hustle and bustle of the Red Light District, on a peaceful, secluded courtyard, Arturo and Xander Lelie prepare a five-course menu for a maximum of 24 guests per evening.
Food as an art form
Creator and owner Melcher de Wind wanted to establish something different, something unique in Amsterdam. A place where you dine at fine dining level, while your senses are continuously stimulated. Melcher: ‘Food is by far the most accessible art form you can find. With Bellezza, we want to show that everyone can sink their teeth into art.’
What does that mean?
Lifelike video projections
An evening at Bellezza takes you through three different spaces. The first four courses—light, colorful dishes with plenty of fresh acidity, entirely in the style Arturo is known for—are served at the communal, open round table in the mirrored room, where the space changes along with the courses; lifelike video projections related to the food being served at that moment are shown on all the walls of the restaurant.
Welcome to dessert heaven
After 4 courses, which take around 1.5 hours, the evening moves upstairs to the first floor, for course five in a heavenly dessert room, a space with an atmosphere all its own, decorated in pink tones and featuring paintings of angels.
Speakeasy cocktail bar
In the adjoining room of this sweet paradise is a stylish speakeasy, illuminated by low lighting, where you can enjoy a cocktail after dinner. Speakeasies originally referred to illegal bars that emerged during Prohibition in the United States in the 1920s. Although alcohol is no longer illegal today (fortunately!), the term refers to creating a retro setting from that era, with top-quality cocktails. Fun!
Something truly different
The insanely delicious dishes (halibut with a green herb cream and fried squid with pickled cucumber—so fantastic!), the amazing wines, and the audiovisual presentation tailored to the dishes; this really is a special night out, with an after-dinner cocktail in the beautiful bar as a bonus.
And also worth mentioning: each dish comes with special rolls and special butters—and that alone is already a treat if, like me, you’re a sucker for butter. The beurre noisette served with a fluffy orange bun is even better than a bonbon…
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- Foccacia met tomatenboter
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- Coquille met Jasmijn beurre blanc en bloemkool
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- Zwezerik met gebakken enoki en kalfsjus
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- Bun met beurre noisette
Go!
Each season, Bellezza introduces a new menu, including audio and video art by different artists. The first five-course menu can now be booked for €60. You can do so via restaurant Bellezza. You really should!
Restaurant Bellezza, Oudezijds Achterburgwal 99, Amsterdam
Also read:
- Food trends chefs hate, part one
- Food trends chefs hate, part two
- 31 favorite new addresses from top chefs
