Bistro De La Mer, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Last Visit: Winter 2025
A quick little layover in wintery Amsterdam gave me the opportunity to try one of the very few bistros that not only has a Michelin recommendation, but a full star. Bistro de la Mer is part of the a series of restaurants, with the 'flagship' being 2-starred 212, and each bistro having 1 star. There is also Auberge, which received the Bib, so a respectable offer for any occasion.
I was considering both De Juwelier and Bistro de la Mer, but since we are on the Dutch coast (some might say all of the Netherlands is one giant coastline), I had to go for fish. While they do call themselves 'French cuisine', I feel there is enough overlap to be considered local, the a la carte menu does the rest to satisfy curiosity and give some options to not be locked into a specific style.
Copyright: Alotea
All the starred bistros are on Utrechtsestraat, so it is convenient to also just take a stroll and take a look at the menu for each. 212 is just around the corner. Coincidentally the street also features a great cheese shop and a coffee roaster (look out for our Amsterdam Coffee Guide), so the shorter 'bistro' experience was perfectly timed. The interior might seem a tad overdone, with soft art deco vibes, a lot of wood, dark muted flowers and the feeling that smoking might still be allowed in here. I actually liked it very much and thanks to great service and good banter behind the counter in the mostly open kitchen it never felt out of place. There is also a beautiful wine cellar with a big group table for reservations downstairs that signals their own ambition.
The two dishes that I decided on (leaving room for the dessert at the aforementioned Screaming Beans, there is also Salvo Basement Bakery literally across the street): An easy mackerel as cold starter and then a monkfish. A zesty fish soup, served in their signature porcelain cups, opens up the courses. Clean, with an umami core that gets the senses going. The bread is equally well presented on porcelain, all the cutlery comes in custom wooden boxes that adds a sense of luxury I really enjoyed. If you look at the design for their 2-star restaurant a lot of the beautiful wooden furniture is mirrored at Bistro de la Mer. This is where you really feel the elevation from a simple recommendation to one star, even without trying a classic tasting menu.
I was maybe a bit disappointed that the mackerel lacked that zing and was mainly just well-prepared fish that you can bet on every day and keep the quality consistent. There is wasabi ice cream and a vinaigrette that could have added spice, but ended up being just a little too sweet for me. It is also a dish that everyone can enjoy and that can be recommended for people who simply don't want experimental flavors in their fish. And after all that is where the very French, and also Dutch influence comes in, good ingredients served relatively "clean". As I left the alcohol to my visits to bars (Adcovaatur & Sins of Sal), and I wanted to see what the team would recommend as a pairing, there were multiple non-alcoholic fermented options from vineyards. The Aperitif drink menu offers the 'Apple Symphony' from Jörg Geiger, but I was told another one of their bottles, with a little less fruit and a little more herbal notes would pair better.
My favorite was by far the monkfish, smoked in a similar Japanese fashion as we have seen in Euskalduna Studio, but not overdone, so that the sauces could really shine. Add to that the rest of the fresh bread and that is a more than proper dish for me. The duck liver, that would maybe surprise some as being too distracting was simply matching the more gravy-dark notes and really adding a depth that the cold starter was missing a bit. The Albufera sauce mirrors the liver, the dashi counters with some sweet-sourness.
After all that you still get a cute little Madeleine, and no rush to clear your table. While I did not have any dessert, I still appreciated both Tequila and Port being utilized for that part of the menu. The wide counter, the plates, the good mood, all enhance the feeling of being at home. Or maybe some distant family members living room in France. Don't expect crazy flavor contrasts or techniques, but definitely precise execution of what works, fair prices for that level, and some local ingredients, above all fish, with a more than solid selection of wines. This also gives you a great benchmark for the other three restaurants and whether you then want to try another or commit to 212.
Cheers,
/jf
The à la carte menu during my visit (click for original size):
