The Seafood Bar
The Seafood Bar things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Eat here with my partner during our last day together in Amsterdam 16/08/2024 at 18:00pm. She is from Hong Kong and I am from England . We arrived and were greeted by a very pleasant gentleman who was the host . He said we could wait 30 mins for a table or we could order straight away at the bar . We sat at the bar and the order was taken . We ordered the 12 Oysters to share as a starter, the full lobster , the mix seafood grill for one and with a side of garlic and herb potatoes . I ordered a 50cl beer whilst my partner was unsure but was recommended a white wine Chardonnay to go with the fish. This was a strong recommendation and was a good pairing with the food. We were offered hand wipes to go with the food which was a nice touch as my partner had ordered the Lobster which is messy . The food was delicious and five stars for flavour . Unfortunately we did not receive the starter which was the 12 oysters or the potato sides . This was disappointing as my partner was really looking forward to the oysters in particular. However as someone who has worked in the catering industry for over ten years I know how difficult it can be at very busy times of the day ( during main service in particular) and therefore it is understandable that orders can be missed . However for a restaurant that has 4.8/5 stars on google reviews this was disappointing and it should be taken as a learning experience for the restaurant management to ensure that it does not happen again in the future . Little details can be missed and can leave bad impressions on first time customers like ourselves . The water glass on the table for example was dirty and there was food on the floor from the previous customer table . Again these little details can have a negative impact on customers and as someone who has worked in the industry for over ten years I know that the devil is the little details and that the little details can both negatively or positively impact the customer experience. Management should again make sure they are not over looked as the little details can make up these big four or five star reviews . The over all experience was positive and the food was Devine. My partner being from Hong Kong said the food was as “fresh as it’s served in Hong Kong itself “ which is a massive compliment. However the small details let the restaurant down but over all a it was a good experience and a must if your in Amsterdam. We ordered two espresso martinis to finish which were delicious and a must for people who want to continue a good night . Overall it was a positive experience and a must for seafood all lovers.
r_01r_01
00
This was our second visit to this restaurant. The 1st time was the one on Spui but we were asked to do a review for Van Baerlestraat by our server Adrian. I would have give 4 stars for service on Van Baerlestraat however, service was better @ Spui location. I obviously had something to compare to since it is the same restaurant just different location. After food was served to us, Adrian never came around to see if everything was satisfactory after dropping the food off. It was, but servers should still ask just in case. As for the atmosphere is also a 4, both restaurants are tightly seated. I do understand why but it would be nice for a little more distance as it was difficult to hear the conversation going on between the two of us sitting at the same table. At the Van Baerlestraat location, I was glad I looked before sitting as there was grease on the bench where I sat so we needed to ask someone to clean the area before sitting. Something that should be checked in between customers always. At the Van Baerlesstraat location we shared crab cakes, salmon filet was my choice, catch of the day was the other entree and our side of choice was the cauliflower. Absolutely delicious! At Spui location, we both had catch of the day which was Dover soul, sides were French fries and the cauliflower. Dessert was the chocolate mousse with chocolate ice cream. My drink of choice was the Scroppino……. Of course I laughed after I saw this on the dessert menu as well.😁
Karla Deissler-NagyKarla Deissler-Nagy
00
During my recent visit to The Seafood Bar in Amsterdam, I was quite disappointed with the overall experience. The food fell far short of my expectations. To start, the kibbeling, a traditional Dutch snack of battered and deep-fried fish chunks, was dry and completely unseasoned. It lacked any flavor and was quite unpleasant to eat. More importantly, the "Shrimp in garlic butter from the oven" were overcooked, appearing completely white with no hint of pinkness. Just look at how the shrimps were served. They were rubbery, dull, and tasteless, missing the characteristic salty and sweet flavors that make shrimp enjoyable. A seafood restaurant that cannot serve fresh and properly cooked basic dishes is not worth a revisit. I assume people go to The Seafood Bar for the cool Instagram photos with their Fruits de Mer, but based on my experience, the food quality does not justify a visit considering it cannot serve fresh and properly cooked basic dishes. This disappointment was amplified by my recent trip to Madrid, where I enjoyed several seafood restaurants that offered great food, excellent service, and fresh products cooked to perfection. I hoped to recreate that experience in Amsterdam but found that while high-end restaurants served great seafood, the mid-range ones were below par. I had two disappointing lunches at Pesca and The Seafood Bar, both with the same poor quality of food and cooking. Conversely, I had two very good lunches at Asian cuisine restaurants, A-Fusion and Takumi Tonkotsu Ramen. It seems that visitors to Amsterdam should avoid seafood and favor Asian cuisine, at least if those are the only options available. Based on my recent visit, I would not recommend The Seafood Bar.
Joseph HansenJoseph Hansen
00
It flattered to deceive Much was brilliant at The Seafood Bar at Van Baerlestraat 5 in Amsterdam, but the sense for the details was unfortunately not present. I had spotted the restaurant beforehand in a best-of-Amsterdam-posting. And as my girlfriend and I love fish and seafood, we booked a place. I had spotted the “Fruits de mer - the seafood bar” on the menu, but upon entering the restaurant my girlfriend spotted the king crabs on display. We paid an extra €50 to get that included in the “Fruits de mer – the seafood bar”, which meant a total of €155 (for two persons). The king crabs were great. So were the lobster, the salmon, the oysters, the mussles and the razor clamps. However, when we asked for some bread for the crab salad, we had to wait for it, because my girlfriend has become gluten intolerant. Fair for the waiting time – we know that – but while one of the two breads was perfect, the other was frozen. When pealing the langoustine, we found out that they hadn’t been properly cleaned. The black intestine was still there – something we are very aware of when preparing them at home, and something we have never experienced at a restaurant. We complained, and got some shrimps as replacement. However, the shrimps did also contain their black intestine, so we ended up eating only a few. Everything was mentioned to the waiter who seemed surprised by our experience. And he also seemed surpriced by our expectations for langoustines and prawns to be served without the black intestines. We paid the price - €155 for the food and €40 for the wine – no reduction was offered.
Morten AlstrupMorten Alstrup
00
Ah, at last land ahead, As I enter the seafood fair. The place where sea speaks, In all its delicate tweaks. I love the atmosphere I could feel the sea. And only in the best way, The ocean on sunny day. The menu features only delight, From mussels to lobster might. Freshly from the local market, Fear not of the decadent turbot. I must admit, this restaurant seemed like a dream. The atmosphere is perfect, and the menu is delightful, but I was shocked by the negligence towards my dish. I ordered fish of the day, sea brass. It seemed great, perfectly paired. the first bites were delicious. But then it became raw inside. I do not mind raw fish when it is the right dish. I told the staff, and they took it away for another moment in grill, promising to fillet that. However, they brought me back some 8 minutes later, the same fish, which I had a little dismantled already to understand how raw it was. So the presentation was quite, well.. not nice. I already had the expectation of the lovely fillet. I wished they had not promised that. Otherwise, the fish was super fresh, tasty, and perfectly paired. Yet undercooked and the management of this situation left me confused..
Gert LõhmusGert Lõhmus
00
The restaurant was in a nice location so I decided to stop by after a visit to the Rijksmuseum. I was quickly seated and looked through the menu. I wanted some fresh seafood so I ordered the Fruits de Mer (assorted cold seafood platter). At first, I was excited because the presentation was really nice. I will say, on that platter, the only thing I enjoyed was the oysters. Most, if not all of the shellfish had a lot of sand in them - especially bad were the razor clams. They were legitimately FULL of sand. And the crab, on closer look, looked like it hadn't even been cleaned - there was still so much grime on it I could pick it off with a fork. The sauces and seasoning were fine, but honestly I can't leave a good rating when the food cleanliness standards don't hit a certain mark. Maybe it was just an off day for them? Not sure I would come back. (my review was removed for some reason so im putting it back)
Davis KimDavis Kim
00
Nearby Attractions Of The Seafood Bar
Rijksmuseum
Van Gogh Museum
Vondelpark
Moco Museum
Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Melkweg
The Concertgebouw
De Hallen
DeLaMar Theater
Blue Boat Company

Rijksmuseum
4.7
(35.1K)Click for details

Van Gogh Museum
4.6
(30.7K)Click for details

Vondelpark
4.7
(18.7K)Click for details

Moco Museum
4.2
(9.4K)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of The Seafood Bar
Hard Rock Cafe Amsterdam
Foodhallen
The Bulldog Palace
De Carrousel Pannenkoeken Amsterdam
ROBO-BAR Asian Grill & Sushi
Bakers & Roasters
The Avocado Show
Cafe De Klos
Paradiso
The Waterhole

Hard Rock Cafe Amsterdam
4.3
(9.6K)Click for details

Foodhallen
4.5
(7.9K)Click for details

The Bulldog Palace
4.4
(3K)Click for details

De Carrousel Pannenkoeken Amsterdam
4.5
(2.5K)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
Van Baerlestraat 5h, 1071 AL Amsterdam, Netherlands
Map
Phone
+31 20 670 8355
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Website
theseafoodbar.com
Visit
Reviews
Overview
4.6
(3.4K reviews)$$
Ratings & Description
attractions: Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Vondelpark, Moco Museum, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, Melkweg, The Concertgebouw, De Hallen, DeLaMar Theater, Blue Boat Company, restaurants: Hard Rock Cafe Amsterdam, Foodhallen, The Bulldog Palace, De Carrousel Pannenkoeken Amsterdam, ROBO-BAR Asian Grill & Sushi, Bakers & Roasters, The Avocado Show, Cafe De Klos, Paradiso, The Waterhole

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