Ode aan de Amstel is the new Amsterdam hotspot you really want to get to ASAP

You know that feeling of joy when you’ve discovered a new favorite restaurant? The kind of restaurant you’d love to go back to the very next day because it’s so fun and the food is so delicious? Where everything is just right, from the location to the service? I have one for you! The new restaurant Ode aan de Amstel is truly a fantastic new place, where you can enjoy yourself all day long—and it’s right on the water, too!

What a discovery! The brand-new restaurant Ode aan de Amstel is now located in the former Riva, on the Amstel within walking distance of Amstel Station. Everything is just right here: the location (you’re literally right on the beautiful Amstel), the wonderful service, the fantastic food and, last but not least, the great value for money. Believe me when I say that this really is a gem of the city that you’ll want to head to right away.

At the dining bar or on the terrace

And the best part: you can come here all day long. On the ground floor you’ll find an open kitchen that flows into the bar; for a peek into the kitchen, reserve a spot at the dining bar. We take a seat on the terrace. This is the perfect spot in terms of sunshine, whether you’re sipping a cocktail in one of the comfortable beach chairs, drinking a beer on one of the benches or having lunch, drinks or dinner at a table right by the water; the sun is yours.

The view is great here, too. Every now and then a boat passes by, along with a few people on paddleboards and a colony of ducklings—how lovely! The friendly and knowledgeable staff show us to a nice table and immediately make a great suggestion: would we like a glass of bubbly?

Pop!

I know few sounds that excite me as much as the hissing pop of a freshly opened bottle of sparkling wine. A close second: pouring it. As if they can sense that, because we start with a wonderfully fresh cava, imported from Spain by Ode itself. Fortunately, it isn’t served in an old-fashioned flute, but in a tulip-shaped glass by Lehmann that works like a slide, sending the cava perfectly gliding into your mouth.

Japanese Konro Grill

The menu is nicely straightforward, with a classic French cooking style and an Asian twist. It’s hard to choose my favorite dish, but definitely order the juicy corn-fed chicken thighs from the Japanese Konro Grill (‘Konro’ refers to a heat source associated with cooking) and the scallops, marinated with soy sauce and passion fruit foam. To accompany them: a Blanc de Noir Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), a wonderfully soft and fresh white wine made from blue grapes.

The chicken skewers are so tender and have that delicious grilled flavor you only get in Asian cuisine, while the grilled scallops are almost perfectly prepared, with a fantastic bite and accompanied by a surprising passion fruit foam. Alongside them comes a spicy salad with bean sprouts, pepper and fennel. What a great combination!

The salad of cherry tomatoes from Amsterdam-Noord with olive powder and a fantastic 12-year-old balsamic vinegar is equally good.

The turbot baked on the bone is also excellent; every dish stands out for both its refined flavor and its perfect preparation.

Catch of the day

The catch of the day, corvina, is a delicious collaboration between the French-trained chef and the Thai chef. The fish is grilled, with a wonderfully crisp crust and a perfectly cooked interior, and served in a coconut curry sauce with romanesco, the distinctive vegetable closely related to broccoli and cauliflower.

And then there’s the Ode’wagyu burger with Savora mustard, salad, cheddar cheese and the best fries we’ve eaten in ages—so crunchy. Be sure to order a beer with it, because Ode aan de Amstel has a bona fide beer sommelier on staff—one of the few female beer sommeliers in Europe—with her own specialty beer, Eau de Blond.

Oh, and don’t forget the grilled pineapple dessert with whisky sour: it’s incredible!

Sunday Brunch

Ode aan de Amstel is open daily for lunch, drinks & dinner from 11:00 a.m. to midnight. On Sundays, everything revolves around the Sunday Brunch: enjoy a long, leisurely meal by the water with a variety of savory and sweet brunch classics, such as Eggs Benedict with North Sea crab and French toast with red fruit. The Sunday Brunch starts at 11:00 a.m. and continues until 4:00 p.m.

Arriving by boat via the Amstel? Moor up and join us, or order your take-away via the website.

Read also:

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• I wanted to sit on a terrace and had a panic attack
• Eddie’s dining frustrations: terrace reservations