Hotspot: at Restaurant Wils, enjoy incredible open-fire dishes in a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere
Just because the hospitality industry is required to close at 10:00 p.m. doesn’t mean you have to eat at home. You simply need to get fired up earlier. And where better to do that than at Restaurant Wils in Amsterdam, where everything revolves around cooking over an open fire? With Joris Bijdendijk, star chef at restaurant RIJKS® as a mentor, fantastic things happen here. The dishes are top-class, as are the service and atmosphere. What a great place!
Wils—an unusual name, but what does it mean?
It is the name of architect Jan Wils, who designed the Olympic Stadium, which the restaurant overlooks. Restaurant Wils is located in the Move Amsterdam building complex, overlooking the Olympic flame. Just as Jan Wils brought the fire of the Games back to the city, the chefs at Wils bring fire into the restaurant. Literally: at Restaurant Wils, everything is prepared over an open fire. And it is not only spectacular to watch—the heart of the restaurant is formed by the fire pit, which also gives all the dishes an incredible flavor.
What exactly are they burning on that little fire?
Whoa, not so fast—let’s start at the beginning. Wils is located on the third floor of Move, and you won’t be the first person whose jaw drops in amazement upon entering. This really is a stunning place. Spacious, stylish, with international allure. We walk to our table, which is incredibly long and stretches across the entire open kitchen in several sections. This is a great way to eat and watch in the kitchen! There are also several smaller tables set in the restaurant.
Because of the coronavirus, there are far fewer guests than usual, but the spacious restaurant still doesn’t feel desolate. That’s a relief—because what are we supposed to do with the hospitality industry at the moment? Thirty people in an evening… having everyone back outside at 10:00 p.m.… It’s no small feat.
Take your seats!
The menu at Wils consists of four or six courses, two of which are chosen by the chef and the rest by you. We opt for the full menu (€85), but without meat. A wine pairing costs €54. The wine list mainly features French wines, including Ayala Brut Majeur Champagne, which connoisseurs know is top-notch. There are also plenty of alcohol-free alternatives. The kombucha (a type of soft drink made from fermented tea with a small amount of sugar) we start with was made especially for Wils. And while that isn’t true of every kombucha, it certainly is of this one: it is genuinely delicious. The Prisecco is also worth mentioning—a wonderful glass of sparkling juice made from sour apple, quince and gooseberry.
Face masks— isn’t that strange?
Well, it remains a strange sight: all the staff wearing face masks. But most of the masks here are made of plastic, which is pleasant because at least you can see the staff’s expressions. Joris Bijdendijk is not actually present at Wils; head chef Erwin Oudijk and sous-chef Friso van Amerongen run the show here. And how! The highly driven team works together seamlessly. They work at a blistering pace—six courses and everyone out by 10:00 p.m.—which is truly full throttle, but the atmosphere remains relaxed and welcoming.
Did someone say bread sommelier?
After a delicious amuse-bouche, which also includes kombucha, the first dish is served: perfectly cooked pumpkin with almond in a wonderfully fresh sauce with sage and orange. Nice! Bread also arrives at the table. This is not just any bread, by the way; it is made by a genuine bread sommelier. Maxim Rolvink creates breads that complement or enhance Wils’s dishes. And he does so brilliantly—earning him a place on the ultimate list: the FavorFlav Food Top 100 2019.
Getting fired up with a flambadou
Alongside Wils’s open fire, which is fueled partly by Amsterdam urban wood, numerous tools hang nearby. The langoustine, for example, is prepared with beef fat from a so-called flambadou. This cast-iron, cone-shaped instrument is designed to be heated until red-hot, after which fat is placed inside the cone, catches fire, melts and drips through the opening at the bottom. This burning fat is then drizzled over the fish (or meat), imparting an incredible flavor.
The vegetarian dish also has a wonderfully smoky flavor. It consists of several preparations of Jerusalem artichoke: roasted Jerusalem artichoke with Jerusalem artichoke purée, raw Jerusalem artichoke, crispy Jerusalem artichoke and, to finish, a dressing of elderflower and hazelnut, roasted hazelnut and fresh truffle. Amazing!
The next dish of chicory, squid and fish roe is amazing too, served with a sauce incorporating, among other things, mussels.
The alcohol-free pairing with the chicory is a homemade juice of Granny Smith, nori and lemon. Fresh, tangy and with a striking seaweed aroma, it is especially delicious when cold. Once the glass has warmed up, the seaweed aromas dominate and the freshness of the apple recedes into the background. Tastes differ, and hey, we won’t argue about that, but personally I prefer the cooler version.
Incredibly delicious: the beurre blanc
The roasted fennel in the next dish sits on top of a potato purée with an orange sauce. It looks beautiful, but the starring role in this dish belongs to the beurre blanc. This classic sauce of white wine, cream, butter and a shallot is as simple as it is irresistible, and here they take it to the next level: it is made from 22 different types of vegetables. These are first turned into juice and then fermented for about three months. Then a great deal of butter is added. This beurre blanc is so divine that you can easily say the fennel is really just a vehicle for this heavenly sauce. Naturally, we wipe the entire plate clean.
Whole turbot
For the fifth course, a whole turbot goes onto the fire (a dish that can also be ordered à la carte). It is served with iceberg lettuce on the side, dressed with a thick dressing made from Dutch ricotta. Both the fish and the lettuce are flavor bombs, with the latter getting much of its impact from the generous dollop of orange, salty fish roe.
A sweet finale
It is already half past nine when the finishing touches are put on dessert—sea buckthorn with brown butter and honeycomb—while the kitchen is cleaned almost silently. Although we are already fairly satisfied, we finish this plate completely too.
Something for everyone
A little later, we stand outside in the pouring rain and unanimously agree: Wils is a beautiful, delicious restaurant where food is cooked at the highest level in a wonderfully relaxed, informal setting. This is absolutely the kind of place you recommend to friends, family and business associates. Prefer lunch? That’s possible too; in the afternoon, Wils serves a three-course lunch menu. It must be almost as fiery a feast as dinner. So if we have one tip for you today, it’s this: reserve a table soon! It’s a win-win on every front: delicious food and supporting the hospitality industry!
Restaurant Wils
Stadionplein, Amsterdam
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