Restaurants

Trial Stay: Hotel de Hallen / Remise47, Amsterdam

Hotel de Hallen

Hotel restaurants, once the neglected stepchild of the hospitality industry, have suddenly become the only places where we can still eat out. And completely safely, too! The only drawback is an advantage: you have to stay overnight. In the coming weeks, we will therefore be trying out hotel stays. In search of the best restaurant hotel, but also to give the hospitality industry a helping hand. Today: Hotel De Hallen and Remise47.

Foto van culinair journalist Vincent van Dijk
It is quiet on the streets. All the little restaurants and bars around Bellamyplein now form black holes in the otherwise lively Hallenkwartier in Amsterdam-West. When I walk into the hotel, I feel a cosy warmth. Christmas has already begun inside. ‘Here is your room key; tomorrow morning there will be a little bag with your breakfast outside the door. You can have breakfast in your room or downstairs. Your room is over there.’
He points upstairs, towards the end of the hall. ‘When you open the curtains tomorrow morning, you will look out over the beautiful lobby. Would you like a drink at the bar later?’

No Screeching Trams

The lobby is filled with carefully collected works of art and vintage furniture. Suspended from the high ceiling are sculptures of a man and a woman on the rings. Rooms line both sides of the elongated atrium. Like a prison complex with wooden bars, but warm and tastefully decorated. This used to be a tram depot, but instead of screeching trams, cheerful music now fills the space.
I walk upstairs. The room feels safe and comfortable, and the interior is sturdy. Every detail has been considered. The international sockets next to the bed, the cupboard with space for luggage, the light switches. I open the net curtains and curtains and look through the vertical beams. A couple are studying a map of Amsterdam. A little girl waves at me from the ground floor. I go to the bar for a beer.

Holiday by the Sea

At half past six, guests trickle into the restaurant. Laughter surrounds me; everyone looks happy. Happy that they can still eat out after all. The menu combines familiar hotel favourites with some more exciting creations. I opt for the mackerel tartare with marinated beetroot, sweet-and-sour radish, dill oil and horseradish mayonnaise. The dish is fresh and inviting, and tastes like a holiday by the sea.
The main course is a grilled poussin with grilled vegetables, Roseval potatoes and parsley mayonnaise. The bird is succulent, the vegetables are wonderfully al dente with a fine grilled flavour. The dessert of mandarin, mandarin ice cream, a pistachio carré and tangy hangop is refined, with a cheerful hint of Sinterklaas.

Breakfast Bag

After dinner, I go back upstairs to subject the soft bed to a thorough test and immediately fall into a deep sleep. It is not until the next morning that I wake up with a slight feeling of hunger, but I do not really want to leave the safety of the room. I creep to the door and open it a crack to snatch the breakfast bag without anyone seeing me, but the floor outside the door is empty. I open the door a little further and see a bag outside the neighbours’ room. For a moment I have to restrain myself from taking it, but then I decide to shower and go downstairs for breakfast.

‘Didn’t you have a breakfast bag?’ the hotel manager asks with a laugh. ‘Sorry. I’ll get one for you.’ The bag contains yoghurt, orange juice, an apple, a banana, a muffin and a crisp croissant. At the breakfast buffet, I get an egg and coffee. SANS SOUCIS is spelled out in colourful letters on the wall above the Christmas tree. Carefree.

Festive Culinary Getaway

Hotel De Hallen is located in the complex of the same name, which for several years has housed restaurants, a cinema, creative shops and businesses. The four-star hotel is decorated in an ‘urban vintage’ style, with a great sense of design and art. It is run by a wonderfully hospitable team. It is a lovely place to escape the daily hustle and bustle for a while, with a great price-quality ratio, comfortable rooms and a fun restaurant.

For 135 euros, you can book a Festive Culinary Getaway with a double room and a festive three-course menu. And through The Fork, you can book a culinary hotel package with lunch or dinner from 60 euros per person. In short: you’d be crazy not to take this opportunity.

Hotel de Hallen, Bellamyplein 47, Amsterdam

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