Le Hollandais

Le Hollandais – the French restaurant that sounds Dutch. But then again, so does the Hollandaise sauce, so nothing odd here.

This restaurant is part of Shortlist Amsterdam, a book I got from Hayden for my birthday a couple of years ago. I turn to it whenever I’m looking for a meal that fits a special occasion. The edition I have is a little bit older, which means that when I research certain restaurants mentioned there, the reviews aren’t great anymore. Well, the only constant thing is change, I guess.

Le Hollandais was an exception, though. It still has exceptional reviews and seems to be a classic, steady good choice for a special meal in Amsterdam. Therefore, we headed over there for our 7-year anniversary – our last one as a non-married couple!

The atmosphere is similar to most such spots in Amsterdam: a touch on the fancy side, but not too pretentious. We’ve started with a glass of champagne, and an oyster each. Hayden’s still pretty new to oysters, but he said this might be the best one yet!

The restaurant has a couple of options when it comes to the menu. There are à la carte options, or a chef’s menu. We went with the surprise 4 courses, but you can also choose 3, or even 10, if you plan to spend a whole day there (I imagine). Wine pairing is also possible.

The amuse-bouche was seafood based, which always makes me happy. Salmon, caviar…sign me up.

The first course shined the light over beautiful scampi, with a pea pure. Underneath, there were juicy scallops and shrimp. Right up my street, beautifully balanced – I really enjoyed this one, probably my favorite.

The second course was…interesting. Neither Hayden nor I really understood this one. The bisque was tasty, but it was…a whole lot of bisque in a bowl. Out of the 3 clams, 2 were empty. The little toast on the side was nice, for a little bite. We proceeded to eat the rest with the bread we had on the side. Just a weird dish, overall.

For redemption’s sake, the 3rd course was a lot better. Straight from the grill, the steak (forgot the cut, sorry) was juicy and cooked to perfection. The bacon on top added texture, a good crunch. With a tasty gravy on top, we were happy with this one.

The dessert was a light, chocolaty – nutty mousse, with fresh fruit and a coulis. It was good, but not necessarily memorable.

I’ve had a couple of glasses of a nice rosé throughout the meal, and Hayden had a couple of beers. When glasses were empty, it definitely took a moment for anyone to notice, and a bit of a longer moment for a new drink to arrive. I don’t usually mind this much, but when paying over €150 for dinner, there’s a certain level of service expected. Staff was nice and kind, just not on-par with other experiences we’ve had at similar restaurants in Amsterdam.

Overall, a good meal in a relaxed atmosphere, but I wouldn’t say it was worth the money. For a similar price, we’ve had a much better experience at De Kas, Sinck or Kaagman & Kortekaas.

Le Hollandais is by no means a poor choice; I just think there are better ones out there today. At least, based on my experience on that day.

Value for money: 7

Food Quality: 8

Location: 7 (Amsteldijk 41 H)

Service: 7

Website: https://www.lehollandais.nl/

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