Restaurant Red — Restaurant in Amsterdam

For those in the know, Restaurant Red has long been one of Amsterdam's undisputed culinary hotspots.

Located in a beautiful canal house on the corner of Keizergracht and Spiegelstraat in the city's antique quarter, just a stone's throw from Rijksmuseum, home of Rembrandt's Nightwatch masterpiece, Red is a stunning 'Surf & Turf' restaurant in a class of its own. Everything they do, they do extremely well.

Inside is an amazing illuminated ceiling featuring a young lady with mesmerising eyes, cheekily blowing bubble gum. The ambiance is very Parisian, and tables are meticulously laid out.

The ambience radiates its own reverence. Conversation is generally muted, and a superb cross-selection of curated music plays softly in the background. There are great views of the Keizergracht canal with its steady stream of passing boats

The friendly staff are multilingual and multi-talented. One of the servers is also an accomplished opera singer who occasionally performs for birthdays and special occasions.

Food is cooked to absolute perfection. I suspect the kitchen utilises sousvide techniques to guarantee such a consistent outstanding standard.

Starters include caviar, oysters, lobster bisque, steak tartare, half a lobster prepared with a choice of toppings, or Italian bread with extra virgin olive oil and fleur de sel.

If vegetarians were asking for a recommendation, the answer would have to be a "taxi." This is strictly for meat and shellfish lovers.

Mains include a choice of steak dishes, a whole lobster, or the 'surf 'n turf' combination of half a Canadian lobster with prime European tenderloin, accompanied by seasonal salad and irresistible fresh fries from the kitchen's "Frietboutique".

Finish with a great selection of desserts and dessert wines and ports, available by the glass.

There's a decent wine list and prices are surprisingly reasonable.

Or you could try one of the tempting 'house' cocktails. Unlimited still or sparkling water is available for fixed price.

Red's Scroppino is among the best I have ever tasted and is highly recommended.

Reservations are a 'must'. The chances of walking in and getting a table are remote, although I've been lucky on occasion. Their website features an availability calendar and accepts reservations. Not cheap, but worth every penny.

Red: - It's a special restaurant for...

Had one of the overall worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. Before I get started, let me just acknowledge that the food was good. But dining out is not just about food. The entire experience was strange and frustrating. First, we were given extremely dirty menus. Then our drink order was taken by a server who “didn’t really know” what to recommend as a cocktail. My dining partner’s cocktail arrived but mine never did and he had finished his drink before I finally was able to get the attention of a different server who told me he “didn’t know” if they had the ingredients to make my drink (which was on the menu). Finally he came back and eventually I got my drink. My dining partner then asked if they could make a vodka martini but the (yet another) server was confused by what this was and had to consult the bar. Dining partner then ordered a cosmopolitan (on the menu) but after consulting the bar, the ingredients to make this drink weren’t available either. We ordered Caesar salad which they “ran out of” and later we asked about the wine of the month, which the server couldn’t described, but which we could try. When he came back to give us a sample, he informed me they actually had run out of that wine and would give us a different wine to try, when we realized the wine glasses on the table were very dirty. Other annoying things included: not replenishing the cutlery or napkins, not wiping the table between course, no toilet paper in the bathroom, never bringing the extra toast we ordered for the Camembert. At a certain point we needed to start laughing it was getting so ridiculous. I was really trying to impress my uncle with a nice dining experience for his first ever visit to Amsterdam, but instead we were left wondering if we were on a prank TV show or in a comedy skit, which is a shame because when I visited a few years ago, I had a wonderful experience. Please fix whatever is...

I recently dined at RED and was intrigued by its stylish and modern atmosphere. The decor was sleek and sophisticated, creating a chic vibe. However, the shared couch area lacked back support, which could be an issue for some diners. Thankfully, the staff was accommodating and quickly found me a better table with more comfortable seating.

As for the food, I decided to try the raw oysters and caviar, which were of decent quality. While the oysters were fresh and had a subtle, briny flavor, they were challenging to eat without an oyster fork. Similarly, the caviar was enjoyable, but the lack of a caviar spoon made it challenging to fully savor the dish. Unfortunately, the same issue continued with the steak and lobster, which I also ordered. The lobster didn't seem to be as fresh as I would have liked and had many inedible parts. However, the sirloin steak was definitely the standout dish of the night, cooked to perfection and incredibly flavorful. It came with fries, a simple salad, and a hollandaise sauce, which wasn't necessary as the steak was already delicious on its own.

To end the meal on a sweet note, I ordered the creme brulee, which came with cinnamon ice cream. This dessert was a tasty dish and had the right crunch and creamy taste. I appreciated the graham crumbs which stuck to the ice cream when scooped. This dessert was on par with the steak in terms of quality, portion, and taste.

In addition to the inconsistent food quality and service, the wait time between courses was longer than acceptable, which was frustrating. Overall, my experience at RED had its ups and downs. The stylish atmosphere and accommodating staff were certainly a plus, but the food quality and service were inconsistent. For a 3-star dining experience, RED is a reasonable choice, but there are better options available...