Café Garçon — Restaurant in Amsterdam

My wife and I chose Café Garçon to celebrate our anniversary, enticed by its quaint charm and delectable French cuisine. We made a reservation two weeks in advance and attached a note hoping for a little extra effort on their part to make our celebration special. However, our experience didn’t quite match our expectations.

Upon arriving 15 minutes prior to our reservation time, we noticed there was no staff outside to welcome or guide us. After a brief wait, we ventured inside and managed to find a staff member to assist us. Although we were seated promptly, it became clear that our special request had gone unnoticed or unattended to, which was a tad disappointing.

As we settled into our seats, the waiting game began. It took about 10 minutes before we were handed menus and another 10 minutes before our order was taken. We kicked off our meal with a couple of starters and a Bellini cocktail. The starters arrived within a reasonable time frame, but our cocktail order seemed to have vanished into thin air. Despite our repeated inquiries and being reassured twice that our Bellini was on its way, it never made its way to our table.

The final course, a classic Crème Brûlée, arrived sooner than we anticipated, but the absence of dessert spoons had us on our feet again, seeking utensils to enjoy our dessert. While the quality of the food was impeccable and truly savored, the service left a bittersweet taste.

On the positive side, the omission of the Bellini from our bill was a courteous acknowledgment of the oversight, but it didn’t entirely make up for the lapses in service we experienced. The ambiance and culinary delights at Café Garçon were overshadowed by the lackadaisical service, which was quite the antithesis to the special evening we had envisioned.

In conclusion, Café Garçon boasts exquisite French dishes that are sure to tantalize your taste buds, but be prepared for a service that may require a dash more patience and understanding. Our anniversary dinner was memorable, albeit for reasons we hadn’t...

Upon arrival, I was the only person standing inside near the entrance, waiting to be seated. Three waiters walked past me without acknowledging me—no one asked if I had a reservation or if I was waiting for someone. I had to stop the fourth waiter myself to get assistance. Considering how small the restaurant is, and that there’s only one entrance/exit, it’s hard to believe they could miss someone clearly waiting.

I had lunch at this restaurant for the first time, and I must say it was a major disappointment. As a starter I ordered coquilles, which were overwhelmed by strong condiments that tasted like a harsh blend of something similar to Knorr. The main course-tuna was okay.

We were never asked if we wanted another drink, so we didn’t bother ordering more. The flat white I ordered was actually a cappuccino, and it didn’t taste good, milk tasted funny. To top it off, once we received our starter there was a live spider walking across the tablecloth. I didn’t make a fuss because I’m not afraid of insects, but it was quite large, and it made me question the restaurant’s cleanliness or whether it was coming with the service—especially since it was crawling on the table.

The overpriced dishes does not match the experience or standards you’d expect.

Very...

We felt seriously disappointed.

We didn't receive a warm welcome even though we were the 2nd table to show up for the evening service. We were ignored coming in until we caught someones attention who seemed flustered by the prospect of people walking in with reservations.

Our croquet starter was served without sharing plates or cutlery. Our foie gras starter was forgotten. When we alerted staf they didn't really offer an alternative we had to suggest maybe another round of wines ourselves which felt awkward.

Both our main dishes came to the table lukewarm. Again we didn't receive the appropriate cutlery and when we asked for the appropriate cutlery to cut ourmeat our old cutlery was left on the table.

If you're going to charge 36 euro for a small steak have it come with some vegetables at the very least. Felt cheated with the small piece that was offered with no protein or garnish whatsoever.

Fries are not the good indulgent buttery French kind you often find in France but generic machine cut fries.

I'll gladly pay an extra penny for really good French food,...