Restaurant 212

As soon as you step into this quintessential canal house in the centre of Amsterdam, Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot draw you into their world. There is something theatrical about the sight of the chefs working meticulously in their open kitchen. There is an enchanting intimacy and luxurious comfort about Restaurant 212. Nothing is left to chance here, and that goes for the attentive service, too. Fun fact: On the ceiling, you can still see marks from the champagne being uncorked when this place was awarded its first MICHELIN star. With their inventiveness and classical know-how (those sauces!), both chefs put their own stamp on their creations. An ingredient will undergo the most surprising of transformations, and it all seems to happen with such ease – therein lies the chefs' originality. The venison cooked in hay, for instance, is elevated by a perfectly reduced, intensely flavoursome sauce with a glistening sheen. A padrón pepper in tempura and an ingenious association of plum and Meaux mustard provide fine spiciness and extra dimensions. The simplicity of this cuisine is what makes it so ingenious! Nothing is overdone, and nothing is lacking. The real stars of this show are the extraordinary produce and the talent of two friends.