Vinkeles

Excellent cooking

Vinkeles, part of Hotel The Dylan, is located in the bakery of the former old-age and poor relief office. This is evident in the brick walls housing the original baking ovens. Spotlights hang from the ceiling, and tall mirrors are mounted on either side of the room, creating a sense of spaciousness. All the ingredients for a great evening are present here. Executive Chef Jurgen van der Zalm prepares fantastic food. He clearly has a classic culinary background, although he gives his dishes a modern touch. Some dishes have a fairly high salt and umami content. But such a remark does not do justice to the brilliant dish we start with: hamachi, topped with a paper-thin layer of conference pear, and served with a sauce of yuzu, Tomasu soy sauce, black olive, and Japanese wasabi. The marbled sauce is a beautiful amalgam of green and yellow hues, very delicate yet featuring bold flavors from the soy sauce and wasabi, alongside the fresh acidity of the yuzu. Another highlight of the seven-course menu is also an incredible flavor bomb: capers, Parmesan cheese, parsnip, condimento, and Tasmanian winter truffle, which is generously shaved over the dish at the table. The service, led by the knowledgeable host Jason Hunt, is friendly, attentive, and streamlined. The latter sometimes goes a bit too far: two hosts or hostesses pass the plates to a third colleague, who then sets them on the table. It is cleverly staged, but adds little value. Full credit to sommelier Jasper van Amerongen for the wine pairings. Surprising and successful is a Greek wine paired with oysters, sea urchin, and caviar: Novus from Optimum Winery, made from Moschofilero grapes. Creamy and briny, making it an excellent companion for the oyster course. For all this, however, a very substantial amount must be paid. Unfortunately, not everyday pleasure, then. Drops to 26.

The restaurant with chef Jurgen van der Zalm at the stove is located in the beautiful five-star The Dylan hotel. The ambiance exudes understated quality and luxury. And so do the dishes by Jurgen van der Zalm. We start with...

Executive chef Jurgen van der Zalm, host Jason Hunt, and sommelier Jasper van Amerongen are the driving force behind the success of Vinkeles. This stylish setting is part of Hotel The Dylan and is located on the ground floor. It was once home to the bakery of the 18th-century Catholic Poor Office. The interior is chic, the atmosphere relaxed. Soft easy listening music plays in the background. The menu features classic French dishes with international influences, offering a vegetable menu, a chef’s menu, and à la carte selections. The wine list showcases top-tier wines, complete with expert recommendations, and guests can taste several options upon request before making their choice. The streamlined black-clad service team hails from various countries. Alongside Dutch, you must be proficient in English, otherwise you may not fully grasp the explanations of the dishes. We are treated to delicious and refined amuse-bouches: an egg flan with broth made from shore crabs, jasmine tea and pieces of North Sea crab; a beer batter tartelette with almond cream; and Dutch razor clams seasoned with yuzu. This sets high expectations for the rest of the evening. Dab with sambal, lemon, mushrooms, and a velvety sauce based on umami-rich XO and miso is presented beautifully, surrounded by edible flowers and mini mushrooms. On recommendation, we pair it with a French Chardonnay Grand Ardèche 2022 Latour. A fantastic combination. The Oosterschelde prawns à l'Américaine with lardo, lavender, nashi pear, and crispy potato are equally delightful. The prawn is tender and full of flavor. In the glass, a Pinot Grigio 2023 Italo Cescon from Veneto, Italy. The main course is a creamy Anjou pigeon with pan-fried duck liver, sour cherries, rose, and a sauce made from Peruvian Cusco Chuncho 100% chocolate. Pure happiness on a plate. Vinkeles convincingly climbs to number 23.

At Restaurant Vinkeles, the menu opens with a famous quote by Vondel: "the world is a stage, each plays his role and receives his share," referencing the building's historical origin as Amsterdam's first theater. Now, more than 400 years later, executive chef Jurgen van der Zalm and maître sommelier Natasja Noorlander offer their guests culinary entertainment in this intimate and stylishly decorated restaurant. The kitchen at Vinkeles combines refined, classical French dishes and techniques with international and modern influences. We opt for the chef's menu and are treated to a series of amuse-bouches, including a surprising Japanese chawanmushi with duck egg custard, squid, and a broth made from shore crabs. Next, we enjoy hamachi, a delicious dish of raw yellowtail mackerel with Chinese leek, green apple, and a sauce of soy, dried olive, and yuzu. These refined flavors are beautifully complemented by the Gessamí 2022, an elegant white blend of Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewürztraminer from Penedès, Spain. The bread deserves special mention: house-made, warm, and crispy, served with fresh Jersey butter and tailored to accompany the various courses. For instance, we receive fennel bread alongside the excellent turbot, served with a Catalan suquet de peix, a rich fish stew. Another highlight is the dark chocolate and pickled blackberry tartelette, which is offered as a surprise after dessert. Full credit goes to the black brigade of Vinkeles, led by maître sommelier Natasja Noorlander, for their hospitality, expertise, and flawless service. Everything comes together here: delicious dishes made with high-quality ingredients, perfectly selected wines, and genuine attention to the guests. A visit to Vinkeles is an unforgettable culinary experience, a perfect evening out in the capital. It rises an impressive 13 places to position 26.

Executive Chef Jürgen van der Zalm guarantees a gastronomic experience at the chic restaurant Vinkeles. Their culinary style blends rich traditional cuisine with a light, modern French approach. Maître d’ and sommelier Natasja Noorlander pairs each course with perfectly balanced wines. Vinkeles is part of the luxury hotel The Dylan. The exquisitely appointed dining room still exudes the old-world charm of its former life as a bakery for the 18th-century Roman Catholic Poor Relief Society. Tonight, we are among the few local guests; most of the diners are staying at the hotel. We kick off the evening with four amuse-bouches, beginning with wild sea bass served with pink peppercorns, cucumber, tzatziki, and vadouvan, which immediately sets the tone. We order both the chef’s tasting menu and the vegetarian vegetable menu. Bravo for the succulently cooked Anjou squab served with pickled blackberries, Forono beet, liquorice, a sauce made from the carcass, and duck liver. The wine poured by Natasja, a David & Nadia Elpidios 2019 from South Africa, rounds it off flawlessly. The vegetarian artichoke preparation—poached and crisply fried, accompanied by crispy potatoes, caramelized onions, mustard, an artichoke-based sauce, and smoked lemon foam—blows us away. What an exceptionally beautiful interplay of textures: crunchy, tender, and creamy. From arrival to departure, everything runs like clockwork, and as a guest, you lack absolutely nothing. It goes without saying that this comes at a premium price. Yet the dining room is packed.

Located in the center of Amsterdam on the Keizergracht is luxury hotel The Dylan, home to the restaurant Vinkeles. The stunning dining room is housed in the former bakery of the eighteenth-century Roman Catholic Poor Relief Office. The generous round tables are meticulously set with white table linens, and several tables are adorned with a small artwork. SVH Master Chef and Executive Chef Dennis Kuipers, together with Chef de Cuisine Jurgen van der Zalm, craft modern French cuisine at a high gastronomic standard, infused with refined, contemporary, and international influences. They continually enchant the predominantly international guests with class, skill, and respect for the pure flavors of the ingredients. A choice is offered between a chef’s menu and a vegetable menu. Every course is a treat for the taste buds, whether it is sweet tongue with white grapes and fennel in a creamy beurre blanc, or vegetarian artichoke with crispy potato, roasted onion, smoked lemon, and mustard. Maître-sommelier Natasja Noorlander and her team select perfectly balanced wines to accompany them. From welcome to farewell, you are completely pampered as a guest here. Nothing escapes their notice; the approach is professional yet pleasantly informal. The only catch: the bill. It is not cheap. But whether the guests present actually mind that is another matter. After all, it is always bustling here. Ranked number 37.

SVH Master Chef and Executive Chef Dennis Kuipers, along with Chef de Cuisine Jurgen van der Zalm, have long been synonymous with high-level gastronomy. Housed in an 18th-century bakery and forming part of the luxury hotel The Dylan on the Keizersgracht, the restaurant received a 'cosmetic facelift' during the lockdown. The round tables are generously spaced and set with spotless white linen, catering primarily to an international clientele eager to sample a distinctive French cuisine enriched with international influences and modern techniques. Every dish that reaches the table radiates class and craftsmanship. The plates are exquisitely presented, and it is truly remarkable how the kitchen team crafts the most exciting dishes from seemingly ordinary ingredients like mackerel, butter beans, mussels, and beetroot. “Our cooking philosophy centers on simplicity and quality. We rely heavily on seasonal produce because when you use the finest ingredients, you hardly need anything else. The ingredients speak for themselves.” Recently promoted to Maître Sommelier, Natasja Noorlander and her team ensure a surprising wine selection, which they introduce with expert knowledge and meticulous attention to detail. Under her dedicated leadership, the entire restaurant team truly never misses a beat. Chapeau!

Vinkeles, located in the luxury hotel The Dylan in Amsterdam, has found its place in the brick bakery of the former 18th-century orphanage. The tables are dressed with white linen and the clientele is predominantly international. The kitchen, helmed by the prolific SVH Master Chef Dennis Kuipers and chef de cuisine Jurgen van der Zalm, serves international and innovative cuisine. This is immediately apparent from our meringue amuse-bouche, which is spectacular both in technique and flavor: beneath a crispy thin foam layer lie ice, sea bass with cucumber, vodka, and tzatziki. Excellent! More excitement follows. A crushed raw langoustine with Oisri oysters, cucumber, elderflower, dill, and Asian edible flowers. Fresh and refined, paired with a glass of mineral Muscadet Les Laures. Next, monkfish glazed with tomato coulis, sea cucumber, artichoke aioli, lemon, and chili. Creamy, warm, and full of earthy notes, accompanied by a glass of Palo Blanco from Tenerife 2017, which unfortunately gets lost alongside the dish. Then, artichoke with potato crisp, roasted onion, mustard seed, and smoked lemon sauce. A hearty dish with yet another not entirely matching wine, Murua, an oak-aged white Rioja. And scallop with Tasmanian winter truffle and smoked bone marrow broth, hazelnut cream, and celeriac. Spectacularly full-flavored, this surprising dish of thinly sliced scallop with truffle stands out. In the glass: Parusso (Barbera d’Alba, Ornati, 2017), a beautiful red wine that pairs brilliantly. To finish, beetroot with pickled blackberries, served with liquorice and a charcoal crisp. The latter is particularly special and suits the dish perfectly. The wine is a red Burgundy Domaine de la Monetta, 2017, whose Pinot Noir grape blends seamlessly with the blackberries. Vinkeles climbs one place to number 28.

Impressive venue in the five-star luxury hotel The Dylan, featuring a beamed ceiling, a beautiful conservatory, elegantly set tables, whimsical figurines, and eye-catching features from when this space once served as a bakery. Such as the brick floor and wall, although they unfortunately now result in poor acoustics. Under the watchful gaze of Gijsbrecht van Amstel – the painted portrait was discovered during renovation work in the mid-1980s – we indulge in sea snails with oyster leaf and piment mayonnaise, and meringue bonbons filled with raw sea bass, vadouvan, and tzatziki. Accompanied by barbecued white bread with Guernsey butter and olive oil. Delicious! We start with sole pan-fried in butter. Three pieces, arranged on beurre noisette, drizzled with nut oil, and topped with hazelnut cream, mustard seeds, and North Sea prawns. Paired with an aromatic Cape blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier grapes, Sijnn 2016. Next, duck liver. The organ meat is poached and caramelized with cane sugar, garnished with an almond milk emulsion and cherry leaf juice, and finally dusted with robust Cusco Chuncho cacao from Peru. Sommelier Natasja Noorlander pairs it with a corn-yellow Pedro Ximénez, Spínola, 2016. A semi-sweet southwest Spanish wine with a fascinating long finish. Another spot-on pairing: a glass of El Terroir Lupier 2013, a creamy cherry-red Navarra, alongside juicy Anjou pigeon. The tender breast meat and heart sit beside pickled blackberries, 'wilted' forono beetroot, and a dumpling stuffed with shin meat. This excellent little main course is finished with a delicate pigeon jus that SVH Master Chef Dennis Kuipers has emulsified with duck liver. Finisher: an airy soufflé, warm caramel, and Earl Grey sorbet. Lovely! However, all these mini-dishes are priced too steeply. Vinkeles firmly holds place 29.

In the luxurious hotel The Dylan, we find this equally chic restaurant, named after the renowned Amsterdam engraver Reinier Vinkeles. The service, led by Casper Westerveld, alongside sommelier Nastasja Noorlander, fosters a relaxed atmosphere. Executive chef and SVH Master Chef Dennis Kuipers and chef de cuisine Jurgen van der Zalm delight with a selection of amuse-bouches and the famous gin-filled golden oyster containing a pearl that pops in the mouth. Still a magnificent dish. Raw hamachi (Japanese yellowtail) with smoked goat cheese, white chocolate, tapioca pearls, sunflower seeds, puffed rice, and quinoa is the starter. Soft and crisp combined, offering a lovely mouthfeel. The charred scallops with marinated white grape, aged goat cheese, celery, and yuzu deliver the same effect. Refreshing and creamy, and above all, exquisitely flavored. Glazed turbot is served with Zeeland mussels, sea beans, celery stew, and a sauce featuring puffed onion. The fish is cooked to perfection, and the sauce is delightful thanks to the onion's smoky undertone. In the glass: a Viognier from François Villard, full-bodied, aromatic, and spicy. The main course, Anjou squab, arrives with pickled blackberries, a heritage beetroot reduction, and a sauce made from the carcass enriched with duck liver. The bird is perfectly pink, juicy, and tender, paired once again with a jus boasting a deep, rich flavor. In the glass: a robust red Quinta do Vesuvio. To conclude, strawberry preparations with stewed rhubarb, mint, and white chocolate. Added for crunch are salted peanuts and chocolate pieces. Last year's criticism seems to have been taken to heart; Vinkeles is excellent once more. And expensive! It firmly ranks 29th.