Bistro Bord'o — Restaurant in Leiden

Phenomenal restaurant. We came during restaurant week for a 3 course dinner, and ended up getting the 5 course dinner. The restaurant is small and has a pleasant, intimate atmosphere with clean and soft aesthetics. Kitchen is clearly visible and one can see how professional it is - efficient, quiet and spiffy clean. The service is personal and professional, with a generous smile. Two amuse bouche were followed by 5 fantastic evenly paced and perfectly sized courses - two smaller fish courses, one confit of cod and one smoked tuna. The tuna was out of this world. Then a cannellone with mushrooms and calf sweetbread - divine. Then a duck breast with Anna potato - a simpler preparation than the previous three courses, but still wonderful. This was followed by a "dessert amuse" which included rose pepper, mango/passion fruit and also flavors from lemongrass. Delicious. We opted for the cheeses as dessert, and that was so wonderful - the young server, so enthusiastic about cheeses explained everything so well, and even added one more piece to each of us because... well, just because he's nice and he saw that we love cheese. That's the attitude in Bistro Bord'o. The wines (Amarone, Chenin-blanc, and two types of Port) were beautiful. Overall - strong contender for the best restaurant in town and one of the best meals we...

Last year we were very positively surprised by this rather low profile and small restaurant. Our second visit a couple of weeks ago - 6 course menu plus wine pairing - only confirmed our first impression.

Great food, well prepared, cooked and presented, with a pinch of creativity to spice the experience without being overwhelming. Wine pairing is interesting, betting on the perfect match, the quality and the discovery of hidden gems rather than showing off with famous labels you can easily find everywhere. Very professional service, while remaining simple, nice and friendly. We had a excellent evening!

All in all, quality, attention to details, simplicity and authenticity at their best. And prices are reasonable for what you get.

My only reservation: I would have preferred a good old cheese plate (especially as their Comte is excellent) over the more sophisticated cheese-based dish we got. Next time, I'll ask whether I could get the "simpler" version. It will help better appreciate and celebrate the wonderful Jura wine they have in...

I live in Leiden for years and this was the first time I visited this restaurant. As someone who loves fine dining, I've been to some of the best restaurants in the Netherlands and always want to try something new. The price range of this restaurant does not correspond with the level of food you get. The food was nice, but definitely suited for a lower price range. Main course had a potato salad with a slice of tomato on top and every dish was mediocre for the expectations of a fine dining restaurant. For instance, In Den Doofpot or Suzie's & Van Aken in Leiden deliver very different level of food and experience for more or less the same price. The waiters were friendly, but definitely didn't deliver personalized experience, it felt like you're in a regular restaurant, only with a three times higher bill. I definitely won't...