Condolences to the Boer family. They treated me like a local (so did the rest of Zwolle), and…read moresomeone in the family. Hospitality above and beyond . Chef Jonnie you will be missed

From the owner: Vragen over recepten en wijnen die Jonnie en Thérèse in Restaurant De Librije dagelijks krijgen,…read morehebben hen geïnspireerd tot Librije's Atelier. Een kook- en wijnschool waar u in diverse workshops kennis maakt met Librije's werkwijze en filosofie. Kokend gaat u aan de slag in de ruimte waar eens de gevangeniskeuken van het Zwolse huis van bewaring was. Wij leren u de basisbeginselen van wijn, samen maken wij mondvermaakjes op het kookeiland of u geniet van de pure smaken van het zelfbereide diner. Tijdens de kooklessen besteden wij veel aandacht aan koken met het seizoen en regionale producten zoals Jonnie in zijn eigen keuken toepast. De eendaagse kooklessen zijn ontwikkeld met onderwerpen variërend van het maken van Librije's mondvermaakjes, uitgebreide 3- of 4-gangen menu's en de vegetarische keuken.

A protegee of Michelin 3* De Librije in Zwolle and 3* Amber in Hong Kong Chef Sidney Schutte's food…read moreat Spectrum is appropriately gorgeous, but what proves most compelling is his ability to brighten up plates with unexpected twist that polarize often diners both experienced and novice. Located on the Waldorf Astoria -1 floor with garden views, Manager Cas Kratz and team warm in a professional manner befitting the address, guests are led from the hotel doors to an elegant room that is well-spaced with subdued lighting and a pop of color from the large floral arrangement at the center. Embracing Dutch heritage with an eye abroad, summer yielding most of the menu from nearby, the 18h00 seating finds Spectrum quiet as diners are presented an extensive Wine list from which Dry Riesling pairs well to opening bites such as a dried Yolk "cup" supporting Potatoes and Roe. Six proper courses flanked by Mignardises and Canapes, plus a bottle of Tulip Syrup to take home, fried Fish proceeds delicate Mochi with Crab topped in Caviar and the first of two Breads plus two styles of Butter. Served at a guest-appropriate pace, no long lulls with staff checking in regularly, Mushrooms take center stage in an otherwise vegetal composition brightened by Cherries followed by Strawberry-glazed Skate with a touch of heat. Not afraid to venture abroad for inspiration, Mullet Fish alongside Chanterelles and Sea Grapes darting across the tongue with tangy Tamarillo, Schutte's Langoustine then builds from tail to head with Chipotles and Chocolate to thrilling effect. Captivated by the Caramelized Goat Butter, enough so that a loaf of Sourdough disappeared quickly, Chef's time in Hong Kong undoubtedly inspired crispy-skin Duck intended to be eaten bite and sip with an accompanying cup of Consomme. Choosing Truffles and Cabbage over Rhubarb with Dill for Dessert, both seemingly a little forced and the former lacking much of the elegance seen across the rest of Spectrum's plates, guests are next asked to play a guessing-game with Chocolates inspired by preceding courses before concluding with Sticky Rice and Licorice bites.

Ended our Amsterdam trip with a dining experience at the two-star Michelin restaurant Spectrum,…read morelocated inside the gorgeous hotel. Their hospitality and attention to detail were definitely top-notch in the industry. We ordered both the regular and vegetarian tasting menus without any hesitation to maximize the experience. We also got the wine pairing, and they have one glass for each individual dish, so we drank a lot... The entire experience was longer than I expected, taking over 4.5 hours. We felt it was a little too long, but it's probably part of European culture, allowing us to fully enjoy it without rush. Each dish was beautifully presented and well-paired with the wine. We could tell the chef and the team put a lot of effort into designing the courses, especially the last course, house-made chocolate. The flavors were reflective of some other courses from the menu. Incredible! My top favorites of the night were: Sorrel: basil, rhubarb, fennel, wheat grass. Featured on the cover photo, it was the first time this dish debuted on the menu. We absolutely loved its unique play on ingredients and refreshing flavor as part of the dessert course. Duck: eggplant, tulip bulb pomegranate, black olive. One of their signature dishes on the menu, and definitely worth the popularity. The duck was tender and well-roasted. Beetroot: shallot, kohlrabi, magnolia, avocado. Personally not a fan of beets, but this one completely changed my opinion. The beet was cooked on charcoal to add a smoky flavor and reduce its earthiness. Basque cheesecake: house honey, black truffle. They did table side service for cutting the cake and explaining the baking process behind it. They did table-side service for cutting the cake and explaining the creation behind it. The cheesecake's texture was not as dense as many others, similar to a silky airy egg tart. The black truffle and honey added additional flavors to the cake.

What an amazing stay! ! I used one of my complimentary nights from my Hilton Diamond status because…read moreI came into Amsterdam a day early and omg I love this hotel! As soon as my cab stopped in front, a man immediately came down the stairs to help me with my bag and escort me to the check in area. They asked if I wanted anything to drink and I said of course champagne! They gave me two! I checked in with Lisa who was amazing! She had me pick out a scent for my room. What? I didn't know that existed! Super fun! My room wasn't ready because I had booked late even though it was 3pm but I didn't mind waiting, especially when they gave me that 2nd glass of champagne. When I got my room, Lisa and Fae escorted me to the room to make sure I liked it and it was beautiful. I loved how the light came into the bathroom. On that note the bathtub was so nice I almost fell asleep in it! You receive welcome chocolates in the shape of Amsterdam shoes which were so cute and delicious! I ordered room service as the bar only served snacks and did not want to go to the restaurant by myself as it was really open. I got the Waldorf Astoria Burger which was amazing and so good! I'd go back to this hotel just for that burger itself. The next day I also had the breakfast and was able to get the whole tray of assortments and all the juices and coffee I wanted PLUS another dish! All complimentary with my Hilton Diamond status. I ordered the French toast and everything was delicious! Obviously I couldn't eat it all but was able to take some left to the room for later. I also had a spa appointment while here. Massage was great and the masseuse mentioned to see a physical therapist to help my lower back pain that I was complaining about as she said it was coming from my glutes, legs, knees. I've seen a couple of masseuses in the last two years in the states and one in Canada and NONE had ever even mentioned that that could help. I love this! Very professional staff. The spa also very serene with sauna, jacuzzi, and pool. They have a door to the garden which I'm assuming is beautiful in summer but I was here in February so it was freezing! When I checked out it was with Lisa again and she was great as usual and the guys helped me with my bags again when my uber came. They let me sit in the other room and said they'd let me know when it was here. Very nice. I did not want to leave. Haha!

What a phenomenal stay, I won't stay anywhere else in the City after my recent visit…read more The staff was exceptional and so very kind, the room loft room was charming and had a beautiful canal view. The bathroom was very spacious and the body products were a delight. We received a replica of the canal house we stayed in, they have six different house to stay on property. This was such a nice touch. Simply WOW

Located just steps from the bustling center of Amsterdam Restaurant Flore finds Chef Bas van Kranen…read morepreparing a very interesting sort of "conscious fine dining" focused on Dutch seasonality inside Hotel De L'Europe. An organic concept with two Michelin Stars plus a green one, the dining room and multi-faceted chef's table expectedly natural in appearance, van Kranen selects all products daily from a very small collection of purveyors and no milk is used in the cuisine. Open for Lunch as well as Dinner Wednesday through Saturday, the €250 menu suggesting seven proper courses plus gifts at both ends, guests begin in the kitchen where lengthy aging of lamb is the focus of conversation before transitioning to seats with Tomato Broth bolstered by Peppers plus Fruits. Reserved for the Chef's table, a communal space where diners can see the canal, dining room and kitchen, it was while Frank Ocean and others loudly dropped F-Bombs as well as racial slurs that Canapes arrived including delightful Vegetable Maki plus a fragrant Pea Tart. Taking a lot more chances than the usual Dutch Fine Dining space, "Vegetables of the moment" quickly moving to assertive Aguachiles with Snails, barbecue Monkfish proved effective and well-prepared atop Ajo Blanco while follow-up Red Mullet would have been equally effective without its raw Strawberry prop. A universally complex style, perhaps overly so in many cases, Aliums and Mushrooms prove van Kranen's gift when focused while "50-day dry aged lamb loin, Cherries with pickled Elderflower, Sweetbreads Sausage, Grilled Peas, Anchovies, Sauce of Lamb "Prosciutto" with Capers and Peppers" is exactly what it sounds like - intentionally complicated to the detriment of the dish. Just 44 seats total, less than half-filled Saturday for lunch, staff is pleasant yet professional when checking in regarding pacing before moving to a Dessert of Soft Serve under slightly bitter ice and a lightly-fried Flower. Offered Coffee or Tea to finish, a €10 upcharge left to guessing as listed, Beans are explained and prepared in an elaborate display involving scales before four Mignardises including a Shishito Pepper and Cocktail-themed Gummy Bear.

We were a party of 4 with various ages and tastes…read more Let's start with the excellent: The ambiance was top notch with a beautiful city view and well spaced apart tables. The service was also exceptional. Good: The dishes were definitely designed by someone going all-out on creativity. And if your Michelin experience is all about something creative and never tasted before, this restaurant is for you. None of the dishes were excellent or mind blowing, however, and having eaten at quite a few Michelin restaurants, I feel that they were going for all creative at the cost of taste. Many courses were meh. Poor: They offer 2 options, herbivore or ominvore. Keep in mind the omnivore is still heavily vegetable based and the meat is just a tiny bit of fish/seafood except for the main course. Our main course was the quail which was decent enough but they gave us each half a quail. Also, our group felt that their menu had some repititon. All the seafood was all raw (there's more than one may to provide seafood!) They used artichoke 3 times in 7 courses. It may be in season, but don't just repeat. There was one dessert inside a hollowed out fruit that was completed inedible. All 4 of us couldn't even swallow one bite. We were here for our anniversary dinner and they confirmed it when we sat down but they didn't do anything for it.

Gorgeous hotels with a unique history and architecture. I stayed at this hotel as part of a…read moreStanford Travel Study trip through the Netherlands and we made this hotel our home base for the days we spent in Amsterdam. They have great amenities and helpful staff, though I noticed that the front desk staff were a bit snooty in how they treated me versus some of the other guests on my same tour. I cannot help but wonder if it was because I was about 20-30 years younger than everyone else on the tour and I looked especially disheveled upon checking in after my red eye flight. However, my overall stay was lovely and the rest of the staff were a delight. I even had a chance to visit the spa and gym and pool a few times in my 3 days at this hotel. Highly recommended if you are ever visiting Amsterdam and want to stay close to the museums!

This was a beautiful hotel (love the history attached to it where it was previously a bank and then…read morea music conservatory) with the unique Dutch architecture. We have been fortunate to have stayed at some nice hotels before but this was at the top end of our price range especially with having to get two rooms for our family of four and we were only able to stay here with their stay four days and pay for three promotion. The location was fantastic--close to the museum quarter (steps away from the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh) but out of the tourist hubbub. It had easy transit to both tram (connecting with central station) and bus with stops outside of the hotel. It is near good restaurants as well and bakeries and love that a grocery store was steps away too. The service was fantastic and they were so kind to upgrade us from our original deluxe room to rooftop suites (we had booked three rooms traveling with my parents as well). It was an incredible experience with rooms well appointed and Dutch architecture but so spacious for the city. I had originally booked here since their deluxe rooms were larger than the rooms I was finding in other hotels but loved the views from the windows and ample space with seating areas. My husband enjoyed use of the gym during our stay. It was very zen and fortunately not crowded in the evening hours. We hope to visit Amsterdam again and would plan on returning here since it was an amazing stay despite it being on the top end of our range :). (It looks like the lower rated reviews on yelp are for their restaurant which we didn't try.... the hotel was amazing).