What a discovery! Dinner at VINNIES in Amsterdam
Do you know that feeling? You go out to eat somewhere, just at a little place in the neighborhood, and you can hardly believe the beautiful dishes coming out of the kitchen? And all for a very reasonable price? VINNIES in Amsterdam’s Rivierenbuurt is one of those places.
Two VINNIES locations
VINNIES Scheldestraat isn’t new, by the way; you can already come here all week for breakfast and lunch. But from now on, you can also visit every Thursday and Friday evening for a 2- to 5-course menu. You may also know the name VINNIES from another spot in the city; Jules Ex and Vincent de Cloet opened their first location in 2012, VINNIES at Haarlemmerstraat 46 (also only for breakfast and lunch).
Cooking together
And can they cook! Vincent previously worked as a (sous-)chef at places including The French Café, Azur Bleu and George WPA, while Jules gained experience at RainaRai, among others, worked as chef at restaurant van Harte and also worked at George WPA and The French Café. And now they cook together, two evenings a week during Dinner at VINNIES in Scheldenstraat. With fresh, seasonal regional produce supplied by their favorite local producers.
The interior
Don’t expect anything overly trendy at VINNIES; the interior is understated and sober rather than hip, but fresh and welcoming. And although the mandatory one-and-a-half-metre distance is observed, it still feels very cosy here. That’s not only down to the interior, but certainly also to the incredibly friendly service and lovely atmosphere.
Exceptionally tender veal
The first dish is immediately a delicious introduction: exceptionally tender veal (from Lindenhoff’s own farm), with a corn cream, charred corn and lovage, plus a few drops of chipotle (smoked jalapeño pepper). A heavenly combination! The white wine we drink with it is also excellent: Venus blanc from Domaine Pinchinat in Provence. When people think of Provence, they always think of the delicious rosé produced there, but Provence also produces red and white wine. And this one is something else! Lush, ripe, powerful, mineral, delicious! The wine is made from rolle, the grape also known as vermentino. Highly recommended!
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- Supermals kalfsvlees met mais
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- Wat ‘n heerlijke Provence wijn!
Beetroot—who doesn’t love it?
The next dish consists of various preparations of beetroot, with a goat’s cheese cream. The dish looks beautiful (!) and is once again very tasty. Fresh and nicely balanced with little dollops of creamy, soft goat’s cheese.
Subtle
The gently cooked plaice fillet with smoked eel, confit potato and a watercress and verbena sauce is another great success. All the dishes stand out for their subtlety; no ingredient dominates, and the portions are exactly right.
Dessert wine
We finish with a panna cotta and a matching wine: the Coteaux du Layon from Château de Passavant is a dessert wine made from chenin blanc. Don’t expect the syrupy kind of dessert wine. No, this is fresh and sweet, with seductive aromas of pineapple, peach and honey. And with lovely acidity that keeps the whole thing beautifully balanced.
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- Panna cotta met blauwe bessen en bitterkoekjes, mmm!
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- Met ‘n heerlijke dessertwijn
Go!
VINNIES Scheldestraat is open daily from Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. And every Thursday and Friday evening for dinner. Three courses cost €36.50 per person, four courses €42.50 per person,
and five courses €48.50 per person. The lovely atmosphere comes free of charge. As far as I’m concerned, this is a restaurant I’ll definitely be returning to often!
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