Choux

High quality cooking

Just steps from Amsterdam Central Station lies restaurant Choux, housed in a striking pink-painted building, where chef Merijn van Berlo holds court. A flagship of modern cuisine for years, it emphasizes abundant vegetables and locally sourced ingredients. The interior is warm, featuring extensive woodwork, a dark red painted ceiling, subtle industrial elements, and Scandinavian-style wooden chairs and tables. A large bar runs along one side, while an open kitchen sits at the back. The atmosphere is cozy and urban, with excellent acoustics. We enjoy a balanced and original five-course menu with vegetables taking center stage. To start, a combination of cauliflower with almond, geranium, and tonburi (land caviar). A highly flavorful dish, featuring crisp vegetables, eggplant caviar, and a delicious almond milk sauce. This is followed by a delightful dish featuring eikhaas, served with a soft and velvety buckwheat cream, tempeh, and a yeast-based hollandaise that highlights the mushroom. Savory and robustly flavored. Paired with a Dolcetto from Piedmont in the glass—beautiful and full-bodied. For the main course, a tasty slice of pithivier filled with apple, pheasant, parsnip, savoy cabbage, and seitan. Accompanied by two leaves of sautéed greens, a dollop of parsnip-apple cream, and pheasant jus. Non-meat eaters are served a rich vegetable broth alongside. It is delicious, but as a finale, it is genuinely too small. Why serve only half a tart? The Spanish Tempranillo from Castell del Remei Oda pairs beautifully. The predominantly young staff is attentive and well-informed, creating a relaxed atmosphere. Last year it stood on the brink of the Top 100, and given its kitchen performance, Choux secures number 82 this year. The only minor criticism is that the portions are too small, especially when opting for the five-course menu rather than the seven-course version. Making a new entry into the Top 100 at position 82.

Choux is not a restaurant you stumble into by accident, but rather a destination for connoisseurs. The interior is fairly industrial, yet features neatly set tables with spotlessly clean white napkins. Vegetables play a prominent role here...

Choux, gelegen aan het IJ in Amsterdam, is inmiddels een vertrouwd adres. Het biedt een culinaire ervaring die zowel de zintuigen als de ziel verwent. Bij binnenkomst worden we hartelijk begroet door een jonge en gepassioneerde informele bediening. De kracht van dit restaurant ligt in de Nederlandse overwegend vegetarische keuken. Merlijn van Berlo, zowel eigenaar als chef, weet zijn gasten te overtreffen met veel kleur en donders mooie combinaties. Seizoensgroenten spelen de hoofdrol. Wij kiezen voor een driegangenmenu met een extra aangeboden optie. Elk gerecht is als een kunstwerk op het bord, zorgvuldig van samenstelling en presentatie. Ons voorgerecht, broccolischeuten met gepekelde asperge, tonburi (kleine zaadjes van de Japanse zomercypres), amandel-mierikswortelsaus en zwartebessentakcoulis is tongstrelend lekker. Een glas mousserende pét-nat uit Tarragona past hier voortreffelijk bij. Het extra gerecht met coquille in de hoofdrol is één groot kleurenpalet: flinterdun gesneden coquille opgemaakt in een roos van radijs en rabarber. Spannend en verfijnd, fris en zachtzoet. Pièce is een fijn gegaard mootje rogvleugel, voorzien van mosterdkool, een worstje van rogvleugel en pepersaus. Een waanzinnige combinatie en voortreffelijk op smaak. De open keuken achter in het restaurant voegt een extra dimensie toe aan onze eetervaring. Wij genieten van de bedrijvigheid en passie van de koks terwijl ze hun culinaire meesterwerken creëren. Elk gerecht wordt met liefde bereid en dat proef je. De combinatie van verse, lokale ingrediënten en creatieve smaakcombinaties zorgt voor een explosie van smaken in iedere hap. Wat dit restaurant echt onderscheidt, is de uitstekende wijnkennis van de zwarte brigade. Ze weten precies welke natuurwijn (er wordt louter vin nature geschonken) perfect samengaat met elk gerecht waardoor de smaakervaring naar een hoger niveau wordt getild. Choux staat dit jaar op de drempel van de Top-100 van deze gids.

The striking feature is the iconic red facade, behind which lies a modern, industrially styled restaurant with a beautiful view of the IJ waterfront. The atmosphere is relaxed, the clientele young, and the dining room fully occupied. In the kitchen of owner and head chef Merijn van Berlo, vegetables and seasonal produce take center stage, though fish and shellfish also make an appearance in the seven-course surprise menu we are served. The wine list, curated by co-owner and sommelier Figo van Onna, features exclusively natural wines. The informal service is competent, clearly demonstrating expertise in both the dishes being served and the accompanying wines. We delight in raw sea bass accompanied by mussel mousse, green apple tartare, cucumber, green tomato and jalapeño granité, along with a mussel sauce with dill oil. Fresh, briny, lightly spicy, and occasionally rich flavors pair perfectly with the tender and crisp-fresh sea bass. Paired with it is a Chenin Blanc from Anjou (2020) by Julien Delrieu. The monkfish with turbot sauce, fried and pickled white asparagus, and turnip shoot mousseline also hits the mark. The signature element running through Van Berlo’s dishes is his use of charred and tangy flavors, which generally appeal to us greatly. Less successful is the sauce based on fermented asparagus and wild garlic, which overwhelms the vegetarian main course of courgette, roasted onion, fried chanterelles, and coriander seeds. The dessert featuring Aurélie goat cheese from Belgian Limburg, paired with an apricot and rose oil and pistachio, is original. By the way: on summer days, you can comfortably dine here in shorts; the staff wear them too.

You can't just walk past it, because red is the dominant color of Choux's facade. The interior exudes a warm, industrial atmosphere. In this vegetable-forward restaurant by chef Merlijn van Berlo and sommelier Figo van Onna, vegetables take center stage. We get a preview of this with our aperitif, a German Riesling Pur from Domaine Brand Bros in the Pfalz: pickled carrot with a filling of onion cream, carrot tartare, and chamomile-apple tartare, along with a sauce of apple, sorrel, and chamomile oil. Spot on. The menu therefore offers plenty of vegetarian choices, with some fish or meat here and there. The wine list features many natural wines, which Figo and his right-hand man, sommelier Olivier van Brackel, guide us through with exceptional expertise. Also great: there is a wide selection of homemade non-alcoholic fruit juices to order, and they are presented with the same enthusiasm. For the starter, a sophisticated combination of al dente peas with smoky, creamy ricotta, white strawberry, blackcurrant leaf oil, sweet basil, spruce tips, and lightly acidic rhubarb juice. This is accompanied by a pour of sparkling Spanish Vinos Ambiz – Pet Nat Booster – from 2020. It feels like we're on a tropical island. Next comes roasted breast meat from the Kemper chicken with a crispy crumble made from chicken skin. Served alongside is a flavorful terrine of 'the rest of the chicken' with lightly charred, crisp-tender green asparagus, a creamy green asparagus and chard cream, and a rich jus of chicken and morels. Simply delightful! Sweet and sour are beautifully balanced in the dessert of sheep's yogurt, lilac syrup, strawberry, red currants, and lilac sorbet. We pair it with a non-alcoholic juice crafted by one of the waitresses from roses, rosemary, and rhubarb. She is rightly proud of it. A truly wonderful spot!

Chef and owner Merijn van Berlo and his team seek out and harvest the finest ingredients to offer sustainable gastronomy in their 'vegetable-forward' restaurant. Vegetables truly take center stage here. The menu features plenty of vegetarian options, but you can also order fish or a nice piece of meat. Choux is housed in a monumental building on the De Ruyterkade in Amsterdam and stands out with its striking red facade. The dining room interior is minimalist, featuring a poured concrete floor and tiled walls. A relaxed atmosphere prevails, and guests are visibly at ease. In the large open kitchen, the culinary team is focused on their work. Take your time to savor the creative dishes and let yourself be guided by sommeliers Figo van Onna (co-owner) and Olivier van Brackel, who provide expert insights into their natural wines. For instance, a full-bodied Viognier-Roussanne from the Rhône is served alongside an intermezzo of mackerel with dashi. Excellent! The main course features juicy roasted beef loin with blackberries and beetroot in a fresh, tangy vinaigrette. The plates are beautifully presented and stripped of any unnecessary garnishes. Choux offers multi-course menus and, specifically for theatergoers (early birds), a three-course menu. A lovely spot.

Located in a historic building on De Ruyterkade in Amsterdam, recognizable by its striking red storefront. This spacious restaurant, with a poured concrete floor and tiled walls, carries a slight canteen vibe, but the furnishings—wooden tables and chairs, wall benches, and a red open staircase leading to the first floor—create the atmosphere. The place is filled with guests chatting cheerfully. At the back lies the large open kitchen, where head chef Merijn van Berlo and his team work with focused intensity, having returned to their culinary roots since the pandemic. Van Berlo says: “The team has grown closer, and we’ve relaxed the rules governing our cooking style.” In this vegetable-forward restaurant, produce takes center stage, with herbs foraged from the wild or harvested straight from the garden. Consequently, a large portion of the menu features vegetarian dishes, occasionally accompanied by a piece of meat or fish. Every dish that arrives at the table is surprising, consistently delivering bursts of flavor. Simplicity shines through: the plates are elegantly composed, refined, balanced with bright acidity, light, and perfectly harmonized. The wine list showcases exclusively natural wines, which sommeliers Figo van Onna and Olivier Brackel present with passionate expertise. It’s a restaurant you’ll undoubtedly want to visit again and again!

Located on the De Ruyterkade, within walking distance of the central station and easily recognizable from afar by its vibrant red storefront. This generously sized restaurant, simply yet atmospherically furnished, is run by sommelier Figo van Onna and head chef Merijn van Berlo. The kitchen has its own distinct style, featuring fresh vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, and cresses, with featherlight sauces and fresh dressings taking center stage. Meat and fish appear on the menu, but there are plenty of exciting dishes to order without them. The wine list consists entirely of natural wines because, as our host explains, they are made without additives and perfectly align with what the kitchen stands for: pure and light cooking with an emphasis on soft acidity. There are several menus to choose from, which change very frequently. The amuse-bouche consists of a ball of tapenade made from fresh broad beans and sunflower seeds, served with dried fennel crumbs. At the table, a juice based on pea skins and cucumber is poured alongside it. Simplicity is key; the flavors are refined, softly acidic, light, and perfectly harmonized. It turns out to be a harbinger of a parade of beautifully plated dishes that excel in sophisticated flavor combinations. We taste sheep's cheese with citrus, accompanied by salty vegetables, smoked almonds, and delightfully creamy parsley and olive oil ice cream. Alongside paper-thin slices of kohlrabi with eel cream, chopped steamed oysters, oyster pearls with oyster leaves, shoots, and flowers of broccoli, cauliflower, and flower sprouts, plus a silky aromatic jus of fir and sorrel. Memorable is the dish of asparagus cooked to absolute perfection, topped with razor-thin slices of raw asparagus, along with a beurre blanc made from fermented asparagus, spinach leaves, and fir oil. Every bite is a celebration. We pair it with a Derthona vino bianco from the Valli Unite winery in Piedmont, made from the Timorasso grape variety. Fresh, nutty, with a hint of honey. Welcome to Lekker.