Previously Librije’s Zusje** / Waldorf Astoria hotel / Amsterdam

To love

Absolutely the location. I mean, hello, Waldorf Astoria hotel, how are ya? It is located on the most prestigious canal of Amsterdam. The hotel itself is AMAY! As if you walk straight into a fairy tale. The reception is great. When you book a table for the restaurant (downstairs), you just have to say your name at the reception. And the staff member arranges the rest. Taking your coat, showing the area and walking all the way with you to the restaurant, where the adventure starts. You feel very special from the beginning.

One other thing I really loved is the set-up of the menu. At the end (all good things come to an end), you have to tell which course you liked best. And you are getting served chocolates that matches those courses so that you can relive them for a final time. Really cool.

I also liked very much the spot/ table we got (sitting on a couch at the back). And the fact that they offered a table hanger for my bag so that it didn’t had to sit on the ground (“that would be a shame for such a nice bag”). Like!

It was here where I fell (in love) with Italian wines. We started straight off with a bottle of Amarone. And a bottle of Valpolicella. So, I would say, the wine list is considerable good.

Tip: go to this place for a drink. It if one of my favorite “secret spots” to go for a drink. It is such a romantic, magical place! And the look on the gardens is SO inspiring. Fancy your drink on ground level or in the bar, which looks like a vault. A very elegant speakeasy bar which is impossible to forget once you’ve been (with the right company).

To forget

One amuse was served on a plate with “fake” ornaments (peppers). Which you couldn’t eat. I always learned that in a restaurant, everything on the plate should be edible.

The toilets are somewhat far away from the restaurant.

My company was showing me pictures of himself on his phone. First of all: turn off your phone and second: hello! I’m seeing you! I’m sitting in front of you. I know how you look! But this was not something I could blame the restaurant for.

I wanted to forget this, but I had a little wound on my face which started bleeding a bit. “You have blood on your face”. I felt SO embarrassed. That is when I discovered the toilet is somewhat far away, while running there, trying to control the damage. VERY classy (not).

Remarkable

You could only make a reservation with a credit card guarantee. If you wouldn’t show up, they would still invoice/ deduct EU150/ couvert from your card. WoW! This time I made the reservation (and also my credit card) and I was really nervous that everything would go according to plan. It did :-). But I was not feeling too relaxed about this.

On the table, there was a kind of plant (?) under a glass bell. It looked like it was made of butter (?). At a sudden moment. the waiter “watered” the plant and it turned from buttery yellow to poisoned green. I was SURE this was part of the menu. But at a sudden moment they took away the plant (?) and we never saw it back.