The ladies wear floor-length, flowing, silk bell-shaped dresses, decorated with trimmings and ruffles at the top, their waists cinched into corsets, their extravagant hats reaching for the sky. The gentleman wears a frock coat or tailcoat and top hat and a walking stick with a silver handle. Sip tea and feast on oysters and lobster. Switch! 2017! The Duchess Amsterdam!
As above, we can only assume that this would have been the case at the time of the Belle Epoquetwo decades before the First World War, high society would have gathered for tea time at
The Duchess Amsterdam
met.
Today you meet
DJ Martin Garrix
at the bar, casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Next to him are the beautiful and important, sipping champagne or Moscow Mule – the bartender is one of the best in the city and watches the hustle and bustle of the kitchen team in the elegant Molteni kitchen, which is only separated by a pane of glass.
Location
When the
The Duchess
opened its doors in the summer of 2015, it went without saying that it would become one of the hottest gastronomic spots in the city. A conglomerate of
W Hotel Amsterdam
burger place The Butcher and steakhouse Mr. Porter – all in a historic building of the former KAS Bank – could only guarantee success for the Duchess.
The restaurant consists of a large central hall and a side adjoining tea lounge with a view of the water. Halle – that sounds sober and cold, but the opposite is the case: it is a plush salon with style and elegance.
The
Duchess
breathes the aesthetic optimism of the Belle Epoquethe spirit of the great French brasseries and the royal flair of Vienna. High ceilings with windows over two floors – an architectural Outside InYou have the impression of sitting in a picturesque square in Paris, the front of the building with historic lanterns behind you, your gaze directed towards the bronze figure and the ornate grandfather clock, but in fact you are sitting inside surrounded by gold and marble, cozy velvet sofas, armchairs and pouffes in eggplant, green and beige – a perfect backdrop with a culinary stage that offers classic-modern, French and Italian-inspired dishes.
Food
Fruit de mer risotto with caramelized onions, quinoa and pomegranate salad, loup de mer carpaccio with olive oil – deliciously fresh. We order two more of the foie gras donuts with fig jam, and the beef tartare is well seasoned and slightly spicy.
The kitchen crew know fish and shellfish like the back of their hand, but the fillet Wellington wrapped in puff pastry is a must – it’s so rarely found on menus anywhere in the world. The highlight is the ice cream show for dessert, which is made at the table with lots of nitrogen and fuss. It unjustly puts crème brûlée and vanilla cream pavlova with small meringue pearls in the shade.
At the end of the evening, the gentlemen take their top hats and walking sticks, the ladies their hats and coats, and stroll home buoyed by a delicious glass of Chassagne-Montrachet 2011.
Murmelz Vote
Nothing to complain about at the Duchess: great ambience, attentive service, excellent food, extensive, well-stocked wine list. The place to be – for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tea time also promises “aha” experiences.
The Duchess @ W Hotel Amsterdam
Spiustraat 172 I NL-1012 Amsterdam
+31 20 811 3322 I info@the-duchess.com I www.the-duchess.com
