Bar Bistro Bureau — Restaurant in Amsterdam

Kind of a bit of a weird place. Totally different than what you would expect from the pictures. We assumed it to be a nice location for a group of people offering a view and some modern cuisine.

In the end it turned out to be a place without a view in the fifth floor of a generally kind of run-down building.

The dinner menu only had four main courses of which the service knew nothing. For example when I asked what kind of fish is used for the dish called "Brandade" (the menu only specified "whitefish") the first response was "salmon". While the waitress came back on her own a few minutes later to then correct herself to "whitefish", she nonetheless completely blanked when I asked "What kind of whitefish exactly?". I think if the menu only has four main courses and charges €24.50 for a meal, the staff should at least know if the fish used for the course is for example cod or coalfish or seabream. And that was just one example.

The "Brandade" itself was ok but the others having the burger weren't impressed and the one having the "Gebraden knolselderij" (a vegan dish) said it tasted pretty weird.

All in all it was a kind of disappointing experience and the fact that the restaurant was mostly empty added to the overall atmosphere. The other restaurants we had in the days before and after (for example a Caribbean one, a brunch place and a Lebanese one) were much better and the service was way more professional.

I am still giving three stars, because my food tasted at least ok and the service was friendly and at least tried. But don't come here if you expect a cool location with a view or...

Date of visit: 25 July 2018.

We won’t be back. I arrived with three colleagues initially to have some drinks on the terrace in a shady spot out of the 30 degree sun. We were told we had to sit on the other side of the building with zero shade (and zero customers) as the area was reserved for dining. There were three occupied tables and the place was dead but we found a deserted - unset - picnic type table away from the dining section in the shade but were sill told to move by two very unfriendly muttering waitresses. I mentioned this to another staff member but instead of trying to understand he argued the same line as his colleagues and said that it might get busy and we would have to move. Again, three occupied tables out of many - and we were willing to move if fifty hungry diners suddenly turned up. We left and went to Radion down the road where the staff are welcoming and genuinely seem happy to have you. We ended up staying for dinner and drinks and left at 9pm. Bureau’s loss, Radion’s gain. Stubborn staff unwilling to be flexible and accommodating have no place in...

Really disappointed with the service this restaurant provides. We had to ask for cutlery, drinks and food orders several times before receiving them because the waitress seemed to keep forgetting. There was no apology that came with it and in the end they would not let us split the bill because they are "too busy and it takes too much time". The restaurant was half empty and they had enough people working. We even offered to come in small groups in order to make it easier but that also was not an option. This is something I have experienced in the past and have also heard from several colleagues. If your just looking for a meal, go ahead, but the service really ruins the...