Aan de Poel ** | Amstelveen (NL)

A stunning meal at a stunning location. Impeccably high standard with dishes that deliver clear messaging, distinct flavours and are very accessible.

Restaurant Aan de Poel is located in Amstelveen (NL), just a few miles from Amsterdam. The restaurant perches over a pristine lake (de Poel), which itself overlooks the beautiful park and woodland of Amsterdamse Bos. 

Head Chef Stefan van Sprang previously worked at the former Dutch restaurant De Swaen in Oisterwijk, and later at Ron Blaauw in Amstelveen. Both restaurant or now closed held two Michelin stars at the time and were legendary in the Dutch culinary scene.
When working as chef de cuisine at Ron Blaauw, Stefan met maitre-sommelier Robbert Veuger. They soon realised that they were ready to go at it alone and they opened Restaurant Aan de Poel in 2007. Their leap of faith paid off and the restaurant received its first Michelin star just 2 years after opening, and the second in 2013, which they have retained ever since.

Aan de Poel feels a bit like a theatre, as this elegant open plan dining room boasts beautiful vistas of the lake on the one side and an interesting view into the open kitchen on the other. 

Aan de Poel is open for lunch on Tuesday to Friday and for dinner on Tuesday to Saturday. Besides à la carte, they offer a 6-course Chef’s Menu (at €125) and a set lunch Menu (3 courses at €57, and 4 courses at €65).

I went for lunch with my eldest son Jan on a Thursday three weeks ago and we had the 4-course Lunch Menu. We were there on a sunny afternoon and were lucky to enjoy our lunch al fresco out on the deck overlooking the lake.

First to arrive were three small canapés. Bright and green apple mousse with apple and mint jelly, crunchy kohlrabi and an acidic bite of crispy rice. Neat and clean tastes and flavours and nicely presented too.

Properly crusted sourdough bread. Instead of butter, the bread was served with a smooth and tasty aioli. Good olive oil as well.

White beet with cucumber seems an unusual combination, but it works beautifully. The Furikake making it even more interesting. Furikake is a dry Japanese seasoning, typically containing dried bonito fish flakes, sesame seeds and seaweed. Nice mouth pleaser.

A well marinated sea bass ceviche with green tomatoes and caviar on top, finished off with a beautiful green gazpacho. Delicate fish treated with great finesse. Perfect dish for this beautiful sunny afternoon.

Nicely roasted lobster tail with a lobster and sea vegetable salad underneath. Foam of curry and foam of bisque all around. Luxurious, yet uncomplicated, clean flavours and tastes. Very satisfying dish, celebrating the exquisite lobster.

Excellent tender beef and rösti cubes (Rösti is a Swiss style potato fritter). The tarragon and radishes deliver the acidity of a Hollandaise in a clever way. Bold red wine jus. Looks great and tastes even better!

We had an extra dish as a surprise. A dish from the specials on the à la carte menu. Well seasoned, grilled sukade (which is a braised flat iron steak) just failing apart and melting in the mouth. Deep flavour of the foie gras and the luxurious morel sauce making it very indulgent and delicious. Crunchy vegetables balance the dish well. Picture perfect plating again!

Another picture perfect dish. Fresh green crisp flavour of Granny Smith apple with merengue and white chocolate mousse, sitting on a crunchy biscuit. Apple sorbet with Rein Claude plums underneath. A stunning dish, not only because of the way it looks, but definitely also the way it tastes!

From left to right: Canelé with rum and vanilla, white chocolate with hazelnut praliné, salted caramel fudge, cherry jelly and Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese custard tart).
Loved the canelé with a soft and tender custard center and a dark, caramelised crust. Well executed Pasteis de Nata. But the favourite was still the white chocolate and hazelnut!

A stunning meal at a stunning location. I truly loved every dish and couldn’t fault any of them. Really good to see that Head Chef Stefan van Sprang likes to interact with his guests. Not only does he discuss the menu at every table, but he also serves some of the dishes, together with others from the kitchen brigade. The whole kitchen is clearly proud of what they deliver, and it shows.

The waiting staff have to up their game though. This goes for maitre-sommelier Robbert Veuger himself, who seems to spent a lot of time at tables with people he knows and kind of ignores the other ones. Also the waiters are not all up to the right service level. Our waiter for instance forgot our drinks twice, struggled to explain the dishes properly and didn’t come back on requested information which was asked for several times. Yes I’m picky, but at this level I should be. It’s just not up to the same standard as the kitchen produces, which is a let down.

But we didn’t let it spoil our lunch and we let the food do all the talking. And a beautiful story it was. The cooking standard of this kitchen is impeccably high and the dishes they deliver have clear messaging, distinct flavours and are very accessible. A very recommendable restaurant and it’s very obvious why this kitchen is awarded with two Michelin stars.