Restaurant Watergang — Restaurant in Amsterdam

First of all, the food was excellent. All the dishes were delicious and original, and were presented beautifully. The highlight was the duck followed by the octopus. Unfortunately, however, the food only makes up part of the experience, and the service was lacking. We were there for just over 3 hours which felt too long. I could understand if we were having 10 courses, but for what we had there just seemed too much of a gap between the courses. The gaps may not have felt so long had the service been attentive, but it wasn’t. We went with the wine pairing to go along with the dishes, but for 2 of the courses we were not even offered the pairing, and our glasses stayed empty. We were also not offered any top up to our water when it ran out, so by the end of the meal we were running dry. One of our glasses of wine was not filled because the bottle ran out and after being promised that it would be topped up, our server didn’t come back to do so. In terms of atmosphere, the restaurant is lovely, but two things made it feel like slightly less of a fine dining experience. At one point a group came in with their dog. The dog was very well behaved, but it felt a bit strange that it was allowed in. At another time a man was welcomed in with a Polaroid camera, asking tables if they wanted their photo taken. I could understand this happened at a touristy restaurant on a strip in some sunny destination, but not here. When the meal was finished, our bill was wrong because the wine I wasn’t offered with one of my courses was on there. When I asked for this to be corrected, it was, but it wasn’t acknowledged how this shouldn’t have happened in the first place. The pairing should always be offered with the courses, not forgotten. We also weren’t offered the dessert wine with our dessert when we ordered it. All in all, we were disappointed. The chefs did their job, but the serving staff didn’t and they...

We had a mixed experience at this restaurant. When we arrived, our waitress was incredibly kind and attentive. She brought us a delicious amuse-bouche and served our first courses, which were truly excellent, we were very happy and impressed at that point.

Later, a main course arrived, a dish made with quail, and unfortunately, halfway through eating it, I realized the bottom part was completely raw. Since I’m planning to get pregnant, this was quite upsetting for us. We gently pointed out that the meat was undercooked. The chef was very kind and professional, he came out to apologize and cooked the dish further, which we appreciated. Mistakes can happen, and his attitude made a big difference.

However, after that, things went downhill. Our waitress seemed to end her shift and was replaced by a man who appeared to be either the manager or the owner. His attitude was frankly rude and dismissive. He brought our dessert with a sigh and practically dropped the plate on the table. When we went downstairs to pay, he spoke to us pretty rude.

When we asked for our coats, which the staff had taken when we arrived, he replied curtly, “They’ll be whatever is left,” as if it were our responsibility to guess where they were stored.

It left us with a bitter taste and made us feel unwelcome, which is a real shame considering how well the lunch...

This restaurant was a revelation and likely the best meal we have ever had. After enjoying an initial drink and the oysters, we were served an avocado, cucumber and tomato gazpacho that we found out of this world. It set the tone for the entire meal and experience. Next was an unbelievable huge slice of orange heirloom tomato with a gooey burrata underneath and parmesan foam on top. Another perfect homerun. Next, a mound of diced salmon (mine was diced cook carrot looking exactly the same) surrounded by a pool of sauce and topped with some light greens. Then, slow-cooked pork belly, roasted peanuts, mussels and sauce in a light foam adorned with delicious samphire (a salty, juicy sea grass). Main was a perfectly good skirt steak with chantrelles and fine, pureed potatoes with a delicious light gravy. Served with a light lettuce and bean side salad. Next, a taste of three soft cheeses, then followed by a fruit berry and ice cream dish. One of the owners paired all of our courses with wonderful selections of wine. And I have to add, the pricing seems way too low compared to what I'm used to at other restaurants that are touted but don't come close to the level of perfection here. OMG. I want to return to Amsterdam just to go back to...