#22 | Pulitzer's Bar, Pulitzer Hotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Last Visit: November 2023
I am the first person to criticize even chic hotels for their design language if it seems thrown together or even worse, interchangeable. Anyone can simply remodel everything in Art Deco or retro 1950s style, regardless of location and history, but only the best hotels manage to create a truly coherent, special "this belongs here" feeling when you enter. The Pulitzer has managed this balancing act perfectly.
The very centrally located hotel comprised 12 of the city's historic, world-famous canal houses when it opened, with 13 more added over time, as well as a recently completed, extensive renovation overseen by creative director Jacu Strauss. This was not so easy to implement, especially of course with the modernization of the façade in the very distinctive matt black. In 2010, the canals in the central streets of Amsterdam were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, which is why the hotel has actually been the only renovation in the area since then.
Copyright: Pulitzer Hotel
From the outside, this re-design is only noticeable from the central, narrow building with the large, modern, glass entrance. This leads you into the traditionally larger hotel lobby, albeit with low ceilings by today's standards, as it has historic ceilings with beautiful, authentic wooden beams (see the 2nd photo in the gallery above). Apart from that, the hotel has a partly characteristic, nested floor plan, which is of course due to the historic buildings and I personally love that quirkiness. Anyone can build a huge new building. For example, it reminded me of the fantastic new Rosewood Hotel in Munich, which was opened in a former historic bank and has just as many narrow, intricate corridors.
The way to the bar was particularly ingenious. Although the bar also has its own entrance from the other side of the hotel, I would advise everyone - as you might have guessed by now - to take the route through the entire hotel in order to be inspired. You walk through the beautiful, green inner courtyard through a glass tunnel, and at night it feels a bit like a new James Bond film, with the European setting and beautifully staged lighting along the building and courtyard.
Copyright: Pulitzer Hotel
This impression is of course reinforced even more when you enter the just as coherently designed Pulitzer's Bar itself. A little more obviously Art Deco in design, but with elements that continue to link it to the rest of the hotel, the lighting is particularly pleasing here too. Perfectly dimmed in intensity so that you can still see and read everything, but immediately want to sink into your seat as it is so cozy and dark. It sounds so obvious, but oh boy, have I sat in many top bars with far too bright or dark light settings. The music during our visit was 20s and 30s soul and black music in general, unobtrusive and fitting, just like the rest of the place. The crowd was pleasant, mixed, but relatively elegant, as was the service. Due to the rather large bar counter and location, it's not a bar where it's very easy to have a long conversation with the bar staff. But even during my short visit, I got to know nice, open minded hotel guests, who even gave me (good) cocktail recommendations, which created great memories and the staff responded thouroughly to all inquiries and took their time when actually ordering. The training in a first-class 5-star hotel is obvious, but without ever seeming artificial, which is exactly how it should be.
The bar menu is - spoiler for the upcoming Amsterdam articles - like almost all the bars in the city, based on the city itself. Be it the neighborhoods, the emotions, the architecture, in almost every bar the categories were divided up around the theme of Amsterdam, an interesting peculiarity of the city. It's nice when the residents seem to value and appreciate their city. In this case it was specifically architectural elements, decorative elements or, for example, "Dutch materials" in which the main ingredient in each drink was a Dutch product (e.g. genever, etc.). Typical for modern menus there are around 12 drinks, typical for modern but not ultra-progressive hotel bars, virtually all twists on classics. But those twists were interesting and in some cases several steps away from the original.
The Bushwacker
| Woodford Reserve Bourbon
| Roiboos Tea
| Coffee Syrup
As a big fan of Signature Old Fashioneds anyway, the Bushwacker from the special "Old Fashioned Week" menu sponsored by Woodford Reserve immediately appealed to me. When, as mentioned, a neighbor recommended it to me while I was still pondering, the necessary decision was clear. If tea isn't enough, just add coffee to the same drink, what more could you want? As expected, the tea syrup with rooibos brought a great, red-fruity, but also leafy, dry note to the Old Fashioned. The coffee syrup was very subtle, well balanced and could theoretically have quickly overpowered the drink, but it never did. Ergo a wonderfully successful Signature OF with exciting ingredients, on point.
Direttore
| Plantation 3 Star
| Cacaonib
| Sandalwood
| Raspberry
A smart riff on the unjustly rarely seen El Presidente, one of my favorite classics from the 2nd row. In other words, one of those that doesn't immediately spring to mind when asked about the great cocktail classics from history. Although it completely lacks the all-important dry vermouth, which may even be the main ingredient depending on the recipe (nowadays, the focus is more on the rum), the dryness of the cocoa nibs and sandalwood is intended to replace it directly by infusion. These are macerated directly in the Plantation Rum, which makes it significantly drier, and the whole thing is then simply refined with fresh raspberry syrup (instead of the historic grenadine), stirred, done. Balanced, easy, smooth. For my taste it would have been perfect with a barspoon dry vermouth, but that's just my personal preference speaking, hotel bars like to go a bit more "nice sipper". Nevertheless, a great easy-going rum drink and twist through the infusion on a classic drink from the 1910s.
The Pulitzer Bar was an ideal start to my 2-day bar tour in Amsterdam. In the hotel itself, you could get to know and marvel at the great fusion of the historic and the progressive Amsterdam. Meanwhile, the bar itself impressed with a feel-good atmosphere thanks to its great service, cozy, top notch lighting, great design and a bar menu that had something for every taste. A safe recommendation for any visit to Amsterdam, if there had been more time I would certainly have tried 1 or 2 more drinks. Stay tuned for half a dozen more bar reviews from this beautiful city with its charming canals.
PS: A special little tip is the toasted brioche with truffle butter, a dream, as is certainly the rest of the nice sounding food menu.
