Opening soon: Restaurant Felix in 020
After years of renovations, Restaurant Felix will soon open in Amsterdam, inside the Felix Meritis cultural centre. We didn’t mind being among the first to taste what’s on offer. What a lovely place!
Felix Meritis—isn’t that the former clubhouse?
Indeed. It was founded in 1777 by all kinds of luyden from the prosperous bourgeoisie. The intelligentsia, so to speak. They cultivated knowledge and virtue there (their words) through the practice of the arts and sciences. They bought a plot of land on the Keizersgracht and had an imposing building erected, filled with references to their interests. So there is plenty of inspiration for both the front- and back-of-house teams at the new Felix!
Explain…
Well, the building still buzzes with creativity. That is to say, after the reopening in March, all kinds of concerts, lectures and other exciting events (pottery with a robot) will once again be on the programme. But chef Floris van Straalen (known from Envy) and sommelier Saskia Smeenk (formerly of Yamazato) are equally inspired by Amsterdam’s rich past. You can see that reflected in the interior too, for example in the wall covering with its pinkish-red cloudy sky. As if you were part of a painting by a Dutch master. Beautiful!
So what does the menu look like?
That remains a surprise. You choose a number of courses in advance, then sit back and enjoy the view over the Keizersgracht. And after that, the Great Tasting begins. If you don’t know what to expect, you taste things differently. Much more intensely. And you try to put into words everything happening in your mouth. Could that be what they mean by ‘feeding the spirit’? What they do reveal is that the kitchen revolves around New Dutch Cuisine. So every dish contains products from Dutch soil. And because sustainability is also highly valued, Floris prefers to cook with everyday products.
And what about the wines?
More than excellent! The enthusiastic sommelier wants to put as many countries as possible on the wine list. She has a distinct preference for elegant, pure and, um… feminine wines, as she puts it herself. But above all, she likes choosing unexpected wines. So let yourself be surprised. Just as the founders of the old society once were.
Examples, please!
Here you go. The dish ‘Chef’s Eggs on the Beach’ is a 62-degree egg (cooked sous vide) with Jerusalem artichoke, young garlic and caviar. It’s wonderful how those flavours melt together in your mouth. Served with a fantastic Godello from Valdeorras, north-western Spain. Another one? ‘Next in Line’ is a dish with pike-perch, accompanied by a sake that is also incorporated into the dish. One of the fun things about Felix: the sommelier (just like maître d’ Sander van Loenen Martinet, incidentally) worked at Yamazato for years and therefore knows her sake. What a delicious, soft, rounded surprise! (The sake, that is. But the sommelier is lovely too.) And then there’s the dessert ‘Smokey Buffalo’… Kohlrabi ice cream with horseradish and buffalo yoghurt. How do you come up with it? And yet…
No meat?
Absolutely. And that’s excellent too. But why order meat when things can be exciting without it?
Golden bar
After every lunch or dinner, you receive a thank-you gift featuring the menu that was served and a personally designed chocolate bar from the chef. If you get your hands on a brushed-gold bar, you may return entirely at Restaurant Felix’s expense for dinner for two.
Restaurant Felix officially opens on 31 January 2020. It’s also a great option for private dining (minimum 6 and maximum 10 guests); this can take place in the special Tea Room.
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