We arrived and we were greeted with an aperitif and an amuse-bouche. The atmosphere is intimate and…read morewarm and if you like French cuisine this is the place to go in Haarlem. I had the fish of the day (Cod) which was delicious. Desert was a grand dessert which was amazing. They are very food allergy conscious and able to cater to vegetarians. The wine was phenomenal and the service were also really good. Make reservations if you can as this is a small bistro and we noticed several parties were turned away as the restaurant was full by about 8pm.

Easily one of the best "let us cook for you" menus in The Netherlands. There is nothing I love more…read morethan stumbling upon a hidden gem restaurant like Benjamin while wandering around the city centre. I'm not going to lie, since coming to The Netherlands, I have missed the bold, inventive and thoroughly delightful menus at restaurants in New York City and San Francisco. To be honest, I never expected to find this in Arnhem - a small city in the East of The Netherlands, but alas - here I am gushing about it. Tucked away just off one of the main streets in the city centre, The Benjamin is the perfect location for a quiet, central dining experience in Arnhem. The decor is bright, modern and cozy. And the staff were so attentive and accommodating. We went for the 4-course surprise menu. I am a huge fan of letting chefs really put their full creativity on display. And this one was exactly as described: surprising, delightful, delicious! I think in The Netherlands they would say "hartstikke lekker". The 4-Course Surprise Menu Course 1: Duck salad with five-spice mayonnaise The dish had subtle Asian-influenced flavours in a light starter. I loved the play of the different textures with the shredded duck and the creamy mayonnaise, and how it was done in such a way that wasn't too heavy. Course 2: Salmon Soup with Tarragon I am baffled by how the chef at Benjamin was able to put so much flavour into this soup! It was amazing. How a salmon soup with no actual chunks of salmon could be packed with so much flavour.. it was incredible! And maybe I am just too much a fan of Tarragon - but wow! It was such a good pair with the salmon. Course 3: Bavette Steak over sweet potato puree, a stilton butter, and fresh figs and turnips I'm going to be honest, by this time we were a little confused at the thought of having steak after a salmon and a duck dish. And to add to the confusion - I was a little dubious when I heard fig, stilton, sweet potato and steak were in this dish. I don't know what kind of magic they are cooking up at Benjamin, but somehow it all made sense when I took a bite into this course. All the different flavours and textures married together perfectly in this dish. The crunch from the turnips and the freshness form the figs with the unbelievably smooth texture of the sweet potato puree, the sharpness of the stilton butter.. amazing! And to top it all off, a perfectly seared Bavette steak that cut like butter. Course 4: Asparagus Ice Cream with basil oil, roasted quinoa and ginger caramel sauce. Desserts like this are what I live for. I love dishes that completely challenge my understanding of what should be savoury and what should be sweet. I have never had an Asparagus dessert, and yet somehow Benjamin left me in awe of what I have been missing in my life. The ice cream was beautifully bright with this very-present flavour of asparagus; a perfect balance between being too shy and too overpowering. The ginger caramel was amazing, so vibrant, so sweet, and a beautiful texture when combined with the crunchy roasted quinoa. And what a surprise to have this delightful burst of fresh basil flavour radiating throughout this dessert! The menu was certainly full of surprises. All in all, it has been a long time since I have dined at a restaurant that had such a strong grasp of flavour, texture and presentation. So much so that they are able to deftly challenge what should and should not be paired together or made into a soup/ dessert / starter, etc. I thoroughly enjoyed my time dining at Benjamin and strongly recommend it for those foodies looking to broaden their horizons with food. Also, side note: I had one of the best Rose's of my life here. Amazing!

Excellent, The ceviche starter could easily be a signature dish in a Michelin star restaurant. All…read morethe dishes were different, creative and very tasteful. Highly recommended.

Our first great dinner in town. The food was amazing. We opted for the black angus and a side of…read morepepper sauce. Don't skip on the sauce! It comes on the side and was rich and delicious. We shared the steak and got the large salad with veggies! The veggies were sooo good! Plus you have plenty of protein with your steak. A cute little gem of a place, in a nice area for a nice night out.

Awesome restaurant! The food was amazing. The croque monsieur, charcuterie board, chocolate cake,…read moreand Hugo Spritz were all delicious. The atmosphere inside was perfect, and the service was impeccable. Our waitress was especially lovely, super friendly, and very helpful. One small suggestion: a more fitting soundtrack would elevate the experience even further. The music felt a little too pop-oriented for the atmosphere of the restaurant.

Had such a memorable dinner at Brasserie Ambassade in Amsterdam on our last dinner of the trip. The…read morerestaurant is beautifully decorated inside, with a great atmosphere right along the canal. We were a family of five, so unfortunately there wasn't enough space for us to sit outside, but the interior was beautiful and made for a really nice evening. For appetizers, we ordered the caviar and seabass tartare. Both were delicious, although the real problem was that the kids kept asking for more caviar . Definitely a good sign! For the entrees, among other things, we shared the tomahawk steak and ordered the fish of the day. The tomahawk was cooked perfectly medium rare and was tender and flavorful, while the fish was simply delicious and beautifully prepared. Great food, beautiful setting, and a really memorable family dinner in Amsterdam. Definitely a place we'd come back to.

Top Notch Breakfast and Dinner…read more.. Brasserie is the restaurant inside the Ambassade Hotel. My wife and I...along with another couple...had 4 breakfasts and 1 dinner there so this review reflects our experience. - Overall: 5 - Location: 5 (for Old Town and the Jordaan) - Exterior: 5 - Interior: 5 - Atmosphere: 5 - Menu: 5 - Food: 5 - Service: 5 (though the head waiter at dinner was full-of-himself) - Price and Value: 5 Pros: - Location: Convenient to the Old Town and Jordaan parts of Amsterdam. - Exterior: Handsome. A beautifully restored and maintained property. - Interior: Contemporary. Brasserie is a high end spot across 3 rooms, yet remains comfortable where conversation is easily accomplished. - Menu: Very healthy buffet at breakfast plus some items which can be ordered. Dinner offers French fare with a relatively light touch...though very different from the wellness-oriented breakfast. - Food: Excellent. The breakfast buffet is not huge, but full of healthy high quality items. I had 3 unbelievable versions of granola spooned from large jars and covered my bowl with the best tasting light Greek yogurt. Fruit and fish was super fresh...bread and pastries baked on premises amazing. Others in our group chose made-to-order egg dishes. It's all part of staying at the hotel. Dinner transformed Brasserie into a bistro with a French twist on many favorite dishes. Check the menu online. Portions are small - as expected - but quality was high. However, prices were very reasonable with most items under $30. - Service: Homey at breakfast..."French" for dinner. Everyone could not have been more friendly and helpful in the morning. Things were a bit more formal at night with a different crew. The chief waiter was very knowledgeable, but we agreed a bit arrogant. - Price and Value: Worth it. I believe the breakfast buffet is only for guests of the Ambassade Hotel. Brasserie is open to the public at night and quite reasonable. - Parking: None. Who has a car in Old Town? Cons: - The only one readily apparent was the brusque, off-the-cuff nature of our main server at dinner. He wasn't over-the-top, but not in keeping with the friendly vibe of the hotel. And that's coming from 2 couples who grew up in New York City and lived for many years in San Francisco and LA. Anyone can...and should...get dinner at Brasserie. There are many reasons to make reservations for a stay at the Ambassade - including access to their breakfast buffet.

Le Pompadour is one of those places I always make a point to stop at whenever I'm in Volendam,…read moreNetherlands. Their steaks are delicious, and it's become one of my go-to spots when I visit. If you're looking for a nicer, tablecloth, more upscale restaurant on the Dijk . . . this is the place to go. This time I was there with my daughter and her best friend (both 16) on their Spring Break trip. My daughter's friend has a severe allergy to fish, nuts, and kiwi, so when we travel with her, we have to be really intentional about where we eat. Le Pompadour was great. The food was delicious, the staff was so friendly and kind to us, and they were very attentive and accommodating when it came to her allergies, which I really appreciated. They even brought out special nut-free bread for her, which was such a thoughtful touch and definitely stood out. Always a stop for me when I'm in town . . . and I'll definitely be back.

My husband decided to make a lunch reservation at Ratatouille during our 22 hour layover at…read moreSchiphol airport, and we had such a wonderful experience there. The service, the food, the ability to see into the kitchen and watch as the dishes were being prepared...everything was great. My husband had the standard 3 course lunch special while I had the vegetarian version, and we were both very pleased. The three course menu actually had an extra course of several tiny appetizers before the first course, as well, which was an excellent tasting of different unique items. The ratatouille (main course for today's vegetarian lunch) was definitely my favorite, though!

In love with the food here. Everything they served tasted amazing. Service was professional and…read moredelightful. I also love how they are flexible with the menu if you happen to have any crazy food allergies.

The food was great, I had the tuna steak and that was simply fabulous! Freshest of produce was used…read moreand the taste was great. Service was also reasonably good but at one point I had to hail a waiter to take the food order as they just did not come to our table. Admittedly, it was packed (Saturday night) but still they should keep an eye out for those who still need to order their food. The waiters just walked past and served the other tables for the extra drinks etc.. The first drinks on arrival, however, were quickly served so no drama there. The ambiance... well, it is a great place to go to, a brown café as we call it and a fun place to be. But..... the music was too loud after a while (André Hazes..) and you could hardly talk. I don't think a café bar restaurant should turn up the noise to make it "gezelliger". Especially when it is packed. Maybe later in the evening when the dining is finished you can turn it up a bit but not when people are still sitting around their tables enjoying their meal. Next time we will try a weeknight to see if the noise is less. I do hope so!

The food was okay. The service was definitely fast. Felt like a fast paced lunch restaurant/bar…read more The staff basically stood around the whole time and the space was tight. So trying to go to the bathroom and coming back, everyone kept bumping into everyone.

De Lunch came highly recommended on our short trip to Volendam. It's fast, tasty and very cute. Our…read moreservice was great. The seafood was so fresh and delicious, also pricing was hard to beat. It does get extremely busy though but we came early enough that we got seated right away.

Wonderful service and deliciously beautiful plated food. The execution is Michelin quality, the…read morewine tasting amazing with every dish. The young sommelier told us he has been studying 8 years. His pairing definitely helped elevate each dish. We did the 1/2 glass pour tasting for the 7 course meal. Definitely check out this charming restaurant. The charm is in the food - the restaurant is clean line minimalist I'm decor. The food is French base with a Japanese twist, amazing combo that your palate never expected - but will want more ! 7 course tasting with wine left us very satiated !

Exceptional, always a pleasure my second year in a row, not a better restaurant in Rotterdam.read more

We stumbled on Fuego Bar and Grill by accident during a town parade and celebration kicking off the…read moreholiday season. The streets were packed with families and the boats in the harbor were all lit up. The restaurants were all filled to capacity but on our third try we were able to get seated at Fuego. Fuego is beautiful inside and all the tables face giant windows on the marina. You can also dine on the outside terrace. Even in the cold temperatures people were bundled up eating and drinking. From the service, drinks, and the food our experience was wonderful. The Long Islands were strong and packed a punch. We started with a bowl of creamy tomato and smoked paprika soup. It was excellent. Good flavor and consistency. From there we had the seafood trio. Wonderful presentation of cod, gamba (prawns), and salmon. The flavorful burre noisette sauce was excellent. The steak was expertly grilled with a nice medium rare center. We passed on dessert but decided on coffee before heading back into the cold. Our experience at Fuego was great, five stars!

My Dutch friends took me on a day trip to the rustic lakeside village of Volendam, famous for a…read moresmall, quirky portion of its populace who still adhere to wearing traditional Dutch clothing. We stopped for lunch at the Fuego Bar & Grill, a classy, upscale pub around the corner from the boardwalk, where vendors peddle classic Dutch kitsch such as wooden shoes, traditional costume photography, postcards and other tourist bait (although the almost-next-door Cheese Factory Volendam and attached museum is absolutely worth the price of admission; you will not walk away with out a few wedges!). While not exactly traditional Dutch cuisine (the menu is similar to an American seafood and steakhouse, with some regional European flair), the steaks here were juicy and cooked to order, and to perfection. Salad was crisp and not drowned in dressing, and fries were thick, steak-cut and golden brown. While you won't get any adventure points for branching out and trying something new and exotic, you will have a hard time finding a better restaurant in Volendam.