Tip: dining at PARK in Amsterdam Oost
I’m an Amsterdam West girl, so you’ll rarely find me in Oost. A shame, really, because I lived there for years and loved it. But in all those years in Oost, I never visited Hotel Arena in the Oosterpark. Time for a change.
Hotel Arena is home to restaurant PARK, which you can reach by walking through the Oosterpark. The cliché is true, but you really do feel like you’re no longer in the city. The interior is lovely. Modern, with lots and lots of plants, a large bar, warm lighting and plenty of glass.
The service isn’t stiff (as I often find in hotel restaurants). Perhaps a little nervous, but that’s not surprising when you haven’t been open for very long and your restaurant is packed.
The ossobuco is tender and comes with fantastic mashed potatoes with plenty of butter
Classics
The compact menu is filled with Evergreens, true classics. My dining companion and I are curious about three starters, so we simply order them all. The salmon is well executed. Large pieces of marinated salmon with earthy beets. The steak tartare is also flavorful, the meat is nicely chilled and well seasoned in the kitchen with the classic garnishes. The poached egg with runny yolk finishes it off perfectly. Only the toast with porcini and Parmesan is disappointing. All the textures are soft, which doesn’t feel pleasant in your mouth.
The main courses
Then the main courses. Entrecôte with béarnaise and ossobuco. The entrecôte comes in three pieces and is grilled. The way it is sliced does not benefit the tenderness of the meat. It isn’t tough, but I would serve the meat in one piece. The sauce is excellent and comes in a generous portion in a separate jug. We both find the fries and mayonnaise disappointing; I’m guessing neither is homemade. A shame. The ossobuco is tender and comes with fantastic mashed potatoes with plenty of butter. However, the addition of paprika makes the sauce taste more like goulash than ossobuco.
I can definitely see myself having drinks here with friends
Generous portions
The portions are large, which means we can’t really manage dessert. So we share a cheese board instead. It’s good and comes with sufficient explanation, although the cheeses could be served at a slightly higher temperature.
I’m a wine lover, not an expert. So I had the staff pour me glasses throughout the evening, and they did a good job. They know how to pair the three starters nicely with one another, and they select the right reds for the hearty meat dishes.
Will I come back? Yes. The prices are extremely reasonable. A starter costs between 10 and 13 euros, for example, while the most expensive main course is 22 euros. I can definitely see myself having drinks here with friends, dining with a date and having lunch with family.
PARK café-restaurant
’s-Gravesandestraat 55
Amsterdam
T: + 31 20 8502450
Sun – Thu: 07.00 – 01.00
Fri – Sat: 08.00 – 01.00
Image: PARK café-restaurant
