Who would have thought I would have found my own little legit piece of Barcelona in the heart of the De Pijp?
I was searching for a spot to indulge in libations and good food and I remembered I bookmarked this place during my last visit to AMS. Well, slap me naked, I walked right by it twice and didn't realize it. I felt like Nick and Norah searching for the elusive "Where's Fluffy?" pop up and could not find this restaurant for the life of me. I finally saw it, kicked up my leg Lola Flores style and clacked my castanets like the Flamenco princess that I am in my mind. Note that it is winter time, so it is COLD as fudge yet I almost succumbed to sitting on their beautiful patio on account of the awesome patio setting. It's complete with fire pits and it faces a really nice fountain so you can people watch. Then a cold breeze traveled through and it slapped sense into me so I actually went in.
Once seated, a really sweet server approached me and asked me what I wanted to drink and I immediately asked for the Sangria de Cava (Catalonian white wine). Now, this sangria was bad to the bone and had me believing that hope (and myself) floats. Imagine the Cava base infused with chunks of apple, orange, and pineapple. Not only was it refreshing, but it is dangerous as it will have you drinking glass after glass like there is no tomorrow.
One of my friends met up with me and we got to ordering from the tapas menu. We ordered Chorizo Salteados, Dátiles con queso y bacón, Pulpo, Calamares, and Tortilla de patatas. The show stopper for me were the dátiles con queso y bacon. The sweetness of the goat cheese stuffed dates complemented the smoked bacon exquisitely. These dates almost melted in my mouth! I love the natural taste of chorizo and I love the fact that it was not overseasoned, letting you really take in the complexity of the meat. The pulpo (octopus) was served chilled with cubed potatoes - ceviche style. It was extremely refreshing and the flavors were enhanced by the sangria. The tortilla de patatas is a classic for me and I love the fluffiness of the egg. It was a tad bland for my taste, but not bad. Once I added a little salt and pepper, I was on my way. The calamares were a bit overcooked for my taste and borderline rubber-like consistency. Out of the 5 dishes this was my least favorite and I might stay away from it in the future just because there are sooo many other dishes I would rather try.
Overall, one of the best restaurants I have been to in Amsterdam in terms of quality, ambiance, and service. read more