Restaurant Smelt - 9 straatjes — Restaurant in Amsterdam

We had booked a low table but when we arrived , we were asked to sit instead at a high table due to a “system error”. Eventually, the waitress let us sit at the low table but not without some discussion. The wine we ordered was quite nice and the waitress explained the concept well. We had two fondues, and one was great regarding taste and temperature. However, the second fondue came out very cold (there was even some unmelted cheese at the top). When we brought this to the attention of the waitress, the first response was that we probably left it too long to eat’. It’s not good practice to put the blame on the customer when the food came out cold and the pot was not lit properly in the first place. The fondue was taken away and brought back 5 minutes later, but was still only lukewarm. There was clearly something wrong with the heating mechanics of the pot which should have been spotted in the kitchen. You are given an egg to make scrambled egg at the bottom of the pot, and to verify that the pot was cold, I tried to cook the egg in it, and 20 minutes later it was still nearly raw (it took 5 minutes in the first one). Additionally, the portion sizes were tiny compared to any fondue I’ve had before and we left still feeling hungry.

The atmosphere was nice, but it is a big shortfall of the kitchen/management to let this happen. When you pay €30 per dis (20% more than other fondue restaurants in Amsterdam), you expect premium quality but this definitely fell short...

This is an exact, non-biased report on our time at this location. We arrived inside the door 3 minutes after our reservation. The place was empty but for wait staff. We stood uncomfortably while the worked nearby. Finally were seated by a man who seemed very preoccupied. After a delay, menus and information were given. We pondered and ordered. My advice- Skip the starters. The artichoke dip was completely flavorless mush and the “bread” was amusing. Order the basic fondue, skip potatoes and raw meats. The Italian was flavorful and bold. The truffle was boring.

The food was brought out in a really odd order. We watched some tables wait a long time, others served quickly. Ours was quite a long wait. Strangely inattentive male waiter (preoccupied??) while woman tried to fill in the gaps.

Dessert- DO IT!!! That’s why you skipped the starters. The amaretto crème brûlée had an amazing flavor, but a little runny. No worry, it was delicious. And the cheese cake was OUT OF THIS WORLD!! if you are too full to eat it, get it to go. It was perfect with coffee in the morning. Such a good taste, richness and consistency. Yummy.

Overall it was a fun experience and a culinary delight. We spent about €90 and would likely do it again, with...

This was the perfect restaurant to start our trip in Amsterdam. Booking a table was easy thanks to the pop-up helper on the website, and just like that we were all set for dinner after a LONG travel day. The food is excellent, the service is wonderful, and the atmosphere is perfect. It's easy to see all the employees like working there as the service is friendly, fast, and warm. The inside is intimate, cozy, and romantic all at the same time. Please be aware it is a fondue restaurant, so make sure you like the strong smell of cheese before you go. We are cheese lovers - so no problem! We enjoyed the Dutch and Italian cheese options accompanied by a charcuterie board, pickles, endless bread and vegetables, and some glasses of cava. The most amazing part was cracking an egg into the bottom of the fondue pot when the cheese started running low. As you mix it up with the cheese, it turns into the BEST scrambled eggs and goes perfectly with that crusty bread! Every table gets an egg for no extra charge - it's definitely worth a try. We are no strangers to fondue, but this was a first (and a pro-tip we are taking...