Lastage

Bij Lastage lijkt de tijd op een fijne manier stil te staan. In dit charmante grachtenpand aan de Geldersekade wordt fine dining zonder poeha geserveerd. Een knusse setting, royale porties en een keuken die ambitie toont. Chef Rogier van Dam kookt met seizoensproducten uit de regio en laat zijn gerechten krachtig smaken. De prijs-kwaliteitverhouding is opvallend goed, mede dankzij de originele en toegankelijk geprijsde wijnkaart, met een uitgesproken focus op nebbiolo en Oostenrijks rood. Het aperitief, een rosé Metodo Classico van Parusso, gemaakt van nebbiolo, zet direct de toon: fris, eigenzinnig en perfect passend bij de gougère met visrillette als amuse. Een van de hoogtepunten van het menu is de wilde zeebaars met een krokant huidje, geserveerd met romige kreeftensaus, een cannelloni met kreeft, biet en groene asperges. De Finca Viñoa uit Ribeiro, gemaakt van de lokale treixadura-druif, biedt precies wat het gerecht nodig heeft: rijp fruit, citrus, een vleugje romigheid en mineraliteit. Vol genoeg om de rijke smaken op het bord te dragen, fris genoeg om het spannend te houden. Ook de kaasgang verdient vermelding: Époisses in warme brioche met ganzenlever, kweepeer en balsamico, begeleid door een glas pedro ximénez Spínola 'Exceptional Harvest' 2023. De bediening is vriendelijk en informeel, al ontbreekt deze avond een maître of sommelier. Dat is jammer, want de keuken en wijnkaart verdienen begeleiding die het geheel naar een hoger niveau kan tillen. Tegelijkertijd is het juist deze ontspannen en pretentieloze sfeer die Lastage zo aantrekkelijk maakt. Een volwassen restaurant dat geen opsmuk nodig heeft om indruk te maken en juist daarin overtuigt.

In a narrow canal house in Amsterdam's Nieuwmarkt neighborhood, which was called Lastage in the Middle Ages, owner-chef Rogier van Dam has been serving fine dishes with character and depth for fifteen years now. Sommelier Elise Moeskops ensures that...

Chef-owner Rogier van Dam and sommelier Elise Moeskops have everything perfectly in place at their charming Lastage, located in a narrow canal house along the canal belt in central Amsterdam. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the friendly, skilled service ensures a pleasant experience. The wooden tables are stylishly set with chic table runners and white linen napkins. Rogier prepares a pure cuisine, and several seasonal menus are available. The extensive wine list focuses primarily on European wines, with a clear preference for Italian and biodynamic selections. For an aperitif, we choose a glass of sparkling wine, Parusso Metodo Classico, which accompanies a selection of amuse-bouches. These include gougères filled with mackerel rillette, a pastry pillow with pumpkin and coconut, homemade prawn and chicken grilled sausage, and a crostini with Coppa di Parma, duck liver mousse, and tomato gel. All very flavorful. We decide against the wine pairing, but opt for a bottle of Chablis from Domaine Tribut, which proves to be an excellent match for the first half of the dishes. For the starter, an artistically plated dish featuring various preparations of Jerusalem artichoke. It includes a mousseline, alongside fermented, cooked, and crisped versions, served with mini onions in balsamic vinegar, peas, seaweed, and a saffron and mushroom dressing. Next, crispy-baked red mullet served with leek, leek cannelloni stuffed with haricots verts, squid, roasted tomato, carrot purée, sweet-and-sour radish, and beurre blanc. It feels as though we’re on the Côte d’Azur. Perfectly cooked turbot on a bed of delicious, slightly sweet caponata makes for the main course. Topped with bagna cauda foam and Lardo di Colonnata, served with homemade gnocchi. Finished at the table with grated cuore di tonno. What a feast.

Lastage offers a living-room-like setting in an old canal house. The restaurant features two levels; the rear section adjoins the open kitchen. A dark wood floor and light wood tables adorned with green runners set the scene. The brown leather chairs are not particularly comfortable for longer stays. The centerpiece is a tall cabinet displaying glassware, bottles, and cookbooks. Owner-chef Rogier van Dam is a gifted craftsman whose foundation lies in classical cuisine. He occasionally opts for a modern twist; in our view, he could certainly do it more often. We were immediately captivated by the first dish of our six-course menu: a prawn bombe filled with king crab and tom yum jelly, served with pickled enoki mushrooms and seaweed chips. Wonderful flavor combinations, where the sweetness of the crab provides a beautiful counterpoint to the fresh pickled mushrooms, as well as to the lightly spicy tom yum. We were equally enthusiastic about a vegan intermezzo: watercress mousse served with a pumpkin parcel, yellow curry, and a carrot coulis. Watercress, pumpkin, carrot: that could easily result in a flat combination. Yet it turns out to be a wonderfully flavorful dish, with the carrot coulis leaving a pleasant spicy note in the mouth. After that, Van Dam maintains a steady pace with well-executed dishes, emphasizing traditional preparations and garnishes: think beurre blanc and veal jus, alongside a classic dessert like an opéra, a rectangular layered cake. These are paired with many beautiful and fitting wines, such as the dessert wine Gloria from the Spanish winery De Moya, made from the Monastrell grape. The hosts are attentive, friendly, and professional. Unfortunately, our enthusiasm does not extend to the sweets: the madeleine is truly exceptionally delicious, but the chocolate filled with meringue, the licorice macaron, and the piece of shortbread do not make it into our big sweets book.

Owner-chef Rogier van Dam and sommelier Elise Moeskops have created a cozy, living-room-style restaurant in Amsterdam's Nieuwmarkt neighborhood. Lastage is housed in a canal house featuring old wooden floors, classic architectural details, and a mezzanine overlooking the open kitchen. This isn't a place for pretension; instead, it boasts a casual, relaxed vibe where the focus is entirely on beautifully crafted food and drinks. Van Dam prepares French cuisine straightforwardly, yet every course hits the mark. The menu changes frequently, and best of all, you build your own tasting menu since you can pick any dish for each course in whatever order you prefer. The wine list features European selections, including several organic options and even wines produced following Buddhist or homeopathic philosophies. An aperitif is accompanied by a delicious homemade beef sausage, which whets the appetite for what comes next. To start, a vegetarian dish of gently braised Cévennes onions served with a shiitake, radish, pea, and sambaisu tapenade. Subtle yet bursting with flavor and beautifully plated, resembling an abstract painting. Next comes a melt-in-your-mouth stuffed turbot fillet with fresh anchovies, piperade, capers, and a rich beurre blanc sauce. It is paired with a Daniel Chotard Sancerre whose aromatic profile stands up perfectly to the dish's complexity. There is still room for dessert. Goat yogurt ice cream infused with elderflower and raspberries provides a gentle and refreshing finish. A wonderful spot!

After a temporary relocation, Lastage has returned to its familiar location on Gelderse Kade. Owner-chef Rogier van Dam runs a welcoming restaurant here, together with his partner and sommelier Elise Moeskops, featuring wooden floors, a mezzanine, and an open kitchen. Many couples are seated, enjoying an evening out. Moeskops prepares flavorful dishes without any fuss. There are no gimmicks on the plate, but rather beautiful, substantial, and refined courses featuring high-quality seasonal ingredients. The evening begins with four amuse-bouches, including a choux pastry with mackerel and a small cushion-shaped bite with celeriac. These amuse-bouches are exceptionally tasty and whet your appetite for what’s to come. The first course features thinly sliced smoked rib-eye with porcini mushroom foam and a beetroot dish with duck liver mousse. The rich porcini foam surprises us. Absolutely delicious! Following advice, we pair it with an Italian Sauvignon Blanc from Parusso. A great match, but you can safely leave wine selection to Elise Moeskops. Next comes the lamb rack with sweetbread. The lamb rack is cooked to tenderness and accompanied by chanterelles and pumpkin with curry. Very tasty. The sweetbread is slightly too crispy on the edge, which could be improved. Save room for the madeleine served with coffee, because we could easily have had a dozen of those! A lovely spot.

Lastage has temporarily relocated to a new venue. Through November 1st, they can be visited at the Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, better known as the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam on the Leidseplein. Owner-chef Rogier van Dam’s cooking style remains unchanged, as does the exceptional hospitality of Elise Moeskops, who also serves as a walking wine encyclopedia and gladly shares her expertise with the team. Rogier cooks with a slightly quirky flair, prefers crafting his own hams and sausages, and avoids unnecessary fuss on the plate. This results in flavorful dishes that are genuinely refined and particularly bursting with taste. Always in high spirits, hostess and sommelier Naduah Bronsveld pours seamlessly complementary wines to accompany them. A delightful spot. Keep an eye on Lastage’s website to find out when they will return to their original restaurant on the Geldersekade.

The restaurant is well-attended, helmed by head chef Rogier van Dam and hostess-sommelier Elise Moeskops, featuring dark brown plank flooring, a fireplace, wooden tables with runners, comfortable leather-upholstered chairs, and an open kitchen. First, we are served delicious amuse-bouches, several of which we recognize from previous visits (which shouldn't occur at this level). New offerings include, among others, homemade slightly spicy ossenworst with Amsterdam pearl onions and tandoori mayonnaise flavored with Thai spices, as well as wedges of new Dutch herring paired with beet cream, seaweed, sweet-and-sour cucumber, crispy fried quinoa, and a nori crisp. Beautiful! The starter is watercress soup with smoked eel, beet, potato, and codium (a sea vegetable). It is delightfully flavorful and beautifully presented. The veal tartare with langoustine, saffron, green harissa, and lardo also proves a hit, though it could have been slightly less spicy to better highlight the delicate flavor of the langoustine. Sommelier Naduah Bronsveld pours a perfectly complementary Mâcon (La Roche-Vineuse, 2017) alongside it. The main course features short rib with duck liver, dukkah, figs, and black garlic jus. The meat is beautifully tender, crispy on the outside and soft within. Accompanying it is a pleasant glass of Austrian Zweigelt (Umathum, 2016): a top-tier dish, excellently prepared and original, making for a fantastic pairing. For dessert, we enjoy cherries with panna cotta, Sicilian cannoli with chocolate and pistachio, and cherry-yogurt ice cream: all delicious. We conclude the meal with mint tea and assorted petits fours: a macadamia bonbon, a piece of butter cake, and a coffee macaron. Additionally, a madeleine baked à la minute is served. Everything is absolutely delightful. Lastgage drops three places to 87.

In the small restaurant run by chef Rogier van Dam and hostess-sommelier Elise Moeskops, the atmosphere is relaxed and cozily bustling. The culinary style is French. Paired with a glass of pleasant Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Boccafosca 2016, we enjoy refined amuse-bouches. Spun wheat with celery root cream, duck liver mousse with beetroot jelly, and cougère (a French cheese puff) with smoked sprat and herring roe mayonnaise. The first course features herb-crusted and crispy fried blood sausage alongside perfectly cooked lobster with asparagus, sea bean coulis, and a lightly tangy hollandaise foam infused with lavender. The flavor balance is spot on. Elise pairs it with a Santa Maddalena Morit Loacker Schwarhof from Alto Adige. For my dining companion, there is smoked beef ribeye with radish, a slightly too tart sauce gribiche with calf's brains, and shaved, pickled goose egg yolk on top. The Château Barbebelle rosé from Aix-en-Provence 2016 pairs beautifully. Next comes a juicy lamb roll. Served in a delicious foamy sauce with bay leaf and balsamic vinegar. Accompanied by pumpkin and lentils. Artichoke and bacon provide kick and savory depth. Unannounced rillettes of lamb neck and yogurt with thousand-and-one-night spices also make an appearance. Delicious. Paired with a wonderful Saumur-Champigny ‘La Folie’ Château Yvonne 2015. To finish, a crisp honey caramel that pairs excellently with the light acidity of a lemon meringue, crème fraîche, pecan nuts, and goat yogurt sorbet. Drops two places to 84.

Compact, cozy, and friendly service from Elise Moeskop in this welcoming restaurant by Rogier van Dam. Situated on the edge of the city center, it has long been an attractive destination for both tourists and regular patrons. The wine selection is extensive, the menu limited but sufficient. Paired with a glass of house Chardonnay, we sample white bean mousse with breadsticks, purple potato with celeriac and pecans in maple syrup, and a choux bun filled with eel mousse. Delicious, but rather ordinary. The menu starts with tuna tartare and king crab salad. The tuna is left plain (i.e., unseasoned), while the accompanying green curry served in a cucumber cylinder provides a nice balance of flavors. Sommelier Imke Peeters pours a Chablis from Roland Lavantureux (2014) to accompany it. For the second course, we are served sweetbread accompanied by a cannelloni stuffed with sweetbread ragout. It comes with a fresh garlic sauce, and the meat is beautifully fried. The piperade of tomato, onion, garlic, and pepper is hearty, much like the cannelloni. However, the garlic sauce is somewhat mild; it could certainly have used more punch. The Chablis from the starter also pairs well here. For the main course, we receive a cod fillet served with brandade, fennel, razor clams, and a beurre blanc with verjus. The fish is excellently pan-seared skin-side up, and the dish is beautifully plated. The brandade is well-seasoned, as are the shucked razor clams served with baby vegetables. However, the beurre blanc is slightly too thin and acidic, which overwhelms the delicate flavor of the fish. A pity, particularly given the wine pairing. Fortunately, the crème brûlée for dessert is delicious, and the hazelnut ice cream is simply delightful. Despite this, Lastage slips three positions down to a score of 82.