BAUT Oost — Restaurant in Amsterdam

I could have describe my experience with this place with one word - impressive, but this would not give it a due respect. I did not have a knowledge about what to expect and they exceeded my expectations. I do always avoid expectations. If you set them too high, they are unlikely to be met.

The first pleasant surprise was a presence of garderobe which starts to seem like an exceptional service in a dining place when you live in Amsterdam for a while.

Open kitchen, clever, usable and pleasant design of the spaces, staff that manages to combine high-end communication choices with cosy and relaxed attitude. We were given the real (again rarity) opportunity to taste wines before choosing one. Our host was ready to advise, offer, assist, and even listen to our needs. Clap-clap for the last one - I already got traumatized by Amsterdam dining sphere where listening happens only when you shout people in the back and your hand gets numb from waiving to a waiter.

The dishes were not simplistic stomach-fillers. Rather they had a measure of Michelin star complexity with interplay of textures, nuances of taste, visually-pleasing arrangements and consideration that spans across all courses. I am not going to speak about our choices as this is subjective, but when I see a restaurant skillfully combining service, and refined sense of taste with down to earth, but nevertheless memorable experience... Dear Restaurant C, you...

Overall, generally fine.

We went for the four course surprise menu. We ended up with burrata, fish/ mussels, steak and tiramisu.The burrata was really good! Really creamy and balanced with the crisp and the berry sauce.

Then the next two dishes both featured leek heavily. If I ask the chef to pick dishes for me, I don’t expect the same major ingredient twice. The mussels had sand and were tiny - if something is not seasonal, it’s best to not serve it as a chef’s choice. The steak was okay, the pulled beef was a bit more exciting.

The tiramisu was a deconstructed one, which was some chocolate based cream with two biscuits, a block of ice cream and more cream on the top. It was a bit too simple, like I could have made it at home.

The timing of the meal was unacceptable. The first course came after 30 mins, then the second course came after another 40 mins, then another 30 mins for the third course, then another 20 mins for the last course.

Our last course sat in the kitchen for 5-10 mins - we saw the food being finished and left on the side for 5-10 mins. This was very disappointing! The waiter checked in on us every 15 mins for more drinks but didn’t check to bring us our food.

I think the chef didn’t bring us his best dishes and the speed was frankly not okay.

Considering there are other great places nearby, I wouldn’t...

Don't miss the chance to enjoy this place one last time! They are closing - unfortunately. I was surprised and delighted by C. The p/q ratio is outstanding! We had all the 8 courses accompanied by the surprise drink menu.

One of my favourite dishes was none other than the leek(!) with black garlic. It shows they can make something fabulous out of something as 'ordinary' as leek. In general I am not a fan of seafood and while the first bit of the 8 courses is quite seafood-heavy, I've tried (and even enjoyed!) some of the seafood here.

One word of caution: if you have a hard time going from one alcohol percentage to another, this might not be the right choice for you. In other words: the drinks will vary between beers, wines and cocktails.

If I will return before they're gone, I will consider the cocktail menu. I liked the wines, but was not too impressed (my bar is currently very high). The Paloma we were served, however, was dangerously good and makes me curious for what other drinks might compliment this closing act.

PS: A thing to note is that we were forced by government regulations to enjoy these courses in a whopping two and a half hours, but they steadily served us these great dishes. I will not post all the pictures as I think you should be surprised (and...