To celebrate my friend Robert’s birthday, I took him to one of my favorite restaurants in Amsterdam: 212, led by chef Richard van Oostenbrugge. I’ve been a fan of his cooking ever since my first visit to Bord’Eau in 2013 … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: 212** (2025)
I often use the guides by the Italian magazine Gambero Rosso to choose wines and restaurants. Wines are awarded one, two, or three glasses (bicchieri), trattorias one, two, or three shrimp (gamberi), and restaurants one, two, or three forks (forchette). My sweet … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Pascucci al Porticciolo*
Wils is a Michelin-starred restaurant located just outside Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium. It takes its name from Jan Wils, the architect who designed the stadium for the 1928 Olympic Games. In the photo above, showing the restaurant’s exterior window with its … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Wils*
One of the finest Japanese restaurants in the Netherlands is tucked away in a corner of a Japanese fish factory, located in the industrial harbor area of IJmuiden—essentially Amsterdam’s port. The restaurant is called Hokkai Kitchen, and both it and the … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Hokkai Kitchen
With so many great restaurants close by in Amsterdam, we don’t venture to other parts of the Netherlands as often for fine dining — except of course for our annual visit to the Librije. This is also because if we … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Fred**
Le Calandre is the restaurant of chef Max Alajmo, which has held 3 Michelin stars since 2002. The chef was only 28 years old back then, and thus became the youngest chef with three Michelin stars of all time. This … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Le Calandre*** (2025)
Spectrum is the two Michelin star restaurant in the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Amsterdam by chef Sidney Schutte and restaurant manager Cas Kratz. This dinner was planned long in advance to celebrate my friend Martijn’s birthday, so it was a … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Spectrum** (2025)
After two years it was time to return to Ciel Bleu, the two Michelin star restaurant at the 23rd floor of the Okura hotel by chef Arjan Speelman with a wonderful view of Amsterdam. My previous visit was in 2023 … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Ciel Bleu** (2025)
Deventer is a historic town in the east of the Netherlands, on the banks of the IJssel river. This is not a part of the country that we visit often, and we had never been to Deventer before. I knew … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Bouwkunde
Restaurant Vinkeles in the Dylan Hotel is located in a historic building in the historic canal district of Amsterdam and has held two Michelin stars since 2023, with Jurgen van der Zalm as chef. My previous dinner at Vinkeles was very nice … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Vinkeles** (2025)
For our last dinner in Australia went to De’sendent, one of the few fine dining restaurants in the Margaret River area that is open for dinner, as most of the fine dining is at winery restaurants and only open for … Continue reading Dining in Australia: De’sendent
Our third and last lunch at a winery in Margaret River is at Leeuwin Estate, to celebrate my birthday. To us as Dutchies it is peculiar to see a winery called “Leeuwin”, because it is a Dutch word (for female … Continue reading Dining in Australia: Leeuwin Estate
Our second fine dining lunch at a Margaret River winery was at Vasse Felix. This is the oldest winery in Margeret River, established in 1967 (so in fact not old for European standards). Like most wineries in Margaret River, it … Continue reading Dining in Australia: Vasse Felix Winery
We are now in the Margaret River area, in the south-west of Australia, south of Perth. This area is known for having a Mediterranean climate and its wines. Many wineries have a very good restaurant that offers a tasting menu … Continue reading Dining in Australia: Wills Domain Winery
Wildflower is regarded as Perth’s best modern fine dining restaurant. According to the website, every dish celebrates the local resources honoring the six seasons of the Noongar calendar. It is amusing to me that it is apparently necessary in Australia … Continue reading Dining in Australia: Wildflower
O.MY is the restaurant of brothers Blayne (chef, on the left) and Chayse (sommelier, on the right) Bertoncello in Beaconsfield, about 45 minutes from downtown Melbourne. They started the restaurant back in 2013, when they were only 19 and 23 … Continue reading Dining in Australia: O.MY
Hogget Kitchen is a ‘farm to table’ restaurant that is located in the Wild Dog winery, just outside of Warragul in Victoria, Australia. The restaurant has a great view of the vineyards. The blackboard in the restaurant doesn’t list the … Continue reading Dining in Australia: Hogget Kitchen
As we were strolling down the Esplanade in Lakes Entrance, Victoria, Australia, we saw a restaurant called Sodafish on a boat and had a look at the menu. We were surprised to see a degustation menu with wine pairing. The … Continue reading Dining in Australia: Sodafish
Saint Peter is a fine dining restaurant in Sydney that specializes in fish. Saint Peter is another name for the fish also know as John Dory. All the dishes include fish, even the dessert. The restaurant prides itself for using … Continue reading Dining in Sydney: Saint Peter
Librije is the restaurant of chef Jonnie and maitre/sommelier Thérèse Boer (despite the same last name we are not related) in the city of Zwolle, which has held three Michelin stars since 2004 and is the only restaurant in the … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Librije*** (2024)
Ron Blaauw is a famous Dutch chef who used to have a two Michelin star restaurant, but now has four branches of “Ron Gastrobar“, of which the original one near the Vondelpark in Amsterdam has held a single Michelin star … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Ron Gastrobar* (2024)
This was a very special wine lunch at In Den Rustwat (IDRW) in Rotterdam, organized by Fred Nijhuis. Fred is a wine writer who specializes in Italy and was the guide for the wine trips to Lombardia, Piemonte, and Campania. For this wine dinner … Continue reading Lunch with Very Old Wines at In Den Rustwat
Lars Amsterdam is the restaurant of chef Lars Scharp, located in same building as the Residence Inn by Marriott Amsterdam Houthavens, with a sunset view of the Amsterdam harbor (Houthavens). Lars opened in 2018 and has held a Michelin star … Continue reading Dining in Amsterdam: Lars Amsterdam*
Restaurant Vista is located at the Hollands Diep estuary in the historic town of Willemstad, just south of Rotterdam. The restaurant opened in 2016 and has held a Michelin star since 2018. It has a terrace with a nice view … Continue reading Dining in the Netherlands: Vista*
When planning our trip to Sicily, the first thing I decided was that I wanted to return to La Madia after the wonderful dinner we enjoyed there in 2013. Chef Pino Cuttaia still holds two Michelin stars. The restaurant looked … Continue reading Dining in Italy: La Madia** (2024)
Signum is the restaurant of chef Martina Caruso in the Signum Hotel on Salina, one of the Aeolian islands between Sicily and Naples, which has held a Michelin star from 2016. The restaurant and hotel are only open in the … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Signum*
This is the third and final part of the tour to Campania that I organized as a member of the Dutch association of Vinologists (Verenigde Vinologen Nederland). After a day of getting to know the wines of Sannio, we continued … Continue reading Campania Wine Tour Part 3: Irpinia
This is the second part of the tour that I organized as a member of the Dutch association of Vinologists (Verenigde Vinologen Nederland). After a day of getting to know the wines of Sannio, we continued our exploration of Campanian … Continue reading Campania Wine Tour Part 2: Costa d’Amalfi
My posts are not completely in chronological order at the moment, because the wine tour of Campania has already finished, but I have two more installments to post about that trip. After the trip I took the ferry to the … Continue reading Dining in Italy: Dani Maison**
I am a member of the Dutch association of Vinologists (Verenigde Vinologen Nederland) and after the great wine trips with the association to Piemonte, Lombardia, and Australia, I have now organized a trip to Campania in Italy as a member … Continue reading Campania Wine Tour Part 1: Sannio
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