Brasserie van Baerle — Restaurant in Amsterdam

Was there with colleagues, lovely atmosphere, tasty food, splendid food presentation.

One thing that influences the rating: the service. We got a few bottles of wine, new glassware was brought. My wine glass arrived quite dirty, which i only noticed after the wine was poured: lipstick and finger grease signs all over. Although it is not too nice, it can happen in a busy restaurant. What is however totally unacceptable is the reaction of the gentleman who was taking care of our table: he seemed quite annoyed by the remark and he simply re-poured the wine from the dirty glass to a new one. I asked him if he was joking, i received even more annoyed looks, however this time he brought a new glass and poured some wine. We all were quite stunned by what just happened. He poured wine from the existing bottle, which means we threw away one glass of wine. Not a big deal, but this should never happen. Small details like this one make the whole deal...

Expensive and pretentious, this once prestigious restaurant has fallen into the modern trap of commercialism. With two main courses ordered, only one small bowl of fries and salad was given to share between us, and if you can believe it, a large supplement charge was given (without warning!) for the extra fries. The setting was also disappointing, with the tables crammed so close together that you could not get up for the bathroom without knocking into a wine holder or your neighbour's table. This was also exacerbated by the constant banging coming from servers knocking into things as they tried to negotiate the narrow corridors between tables (not their fault!). All of this drama, and I haven't even gotten to the food yet, which was a very mediocre steak tartar. Not bad, not good, decisively boring. I am really disappointed after everything I have heard about the elegance of old Amsterdam - if this is what you are looking for,...

The venue is undeniably beautiful, with a picturesque garden that's especially charming when the weather cooperates. This restaurant seems tailored more for tourists seeking a special occasion dining experience or for an older Dutch crowd. Unfortunately, the atmosphere tends toward the pretentious, which somewhat overshadows the otherwise lovely interior.

The service was attentive, surpassing the standard in Amsterdam, though it did come across as brusque. The food, while palatable, wasn't particularly memorable, with the steak tartare being premade and most dishes overly salted. The one highlight of the evening was the impressive wine selection.

There are certainly more memorable dining experiences in the area, but this restaurant may appeal to those looking for a "refined" old-money ambiance. It feels fancy but falls short in other aspects to truly make...