Sleek Restaurants of Amsterdam: Brasserie Harkema

[Lunch fare at Brasserie Harkema, Amsterdam]

The last two times we dined at this sleek eatery, we found ourselves being the only guests at their premises. The reservation I made was unwarranted but the quality of service and food (rack of lamb and tuna steak) we found extremely good.

Second time around was a bit disappointing. The renovation in the main dining hall had just been completed, it was lunch time, the server noticed our presence, but went on about her business by the kitchen. It probably took us a good five minutes before we decided to seat ourselves by the huge window and at this point the server slowly strolled by. The saving grace was the food served -- best fries in town. I succumbed to my craving for a good hamburger and T had a dish made with mussels and a wine sauce.

Despite the fact that this restaurant is in the Wallpaper city guide, it's not getting a whole lot of traffic and momentum these days. And so it goes in the competitive world of setting up restaurants, the fad will aways give way to the other new kid on the block. However, if you want a decent meal in a design-conscious environment, this is a good place to go. It's very easy to get to with its location so close to Het Spui and the flower market. And you can easily take a design detour to visit Wonderwood and Droog nearby after your lunch.

In the know:
Brasserie Harkema
Nes 67
+31 (0)20 4282222