Lars Amsterdam

High quality cooking

Located on the first floor of the Moxy Hotel in Amsterdam's Houthavens. The interior is stylish, featuring large windows that offer views of the industrial surroundings. In the orderly open kitchen, the friendly head chef Lars Scharp and his team work with focused concentration. Guests can choose from three menus: Lars Experience, Lars Green, and Lars Exclusief. Many of the frequently used ingredients come from their own urban garden situated on the building's roof. The wine list is presented digitally and offers an extensive selection of excellent references across all price ranges. The amuse-bouches are promising: the miso bun with crispy mushroom cream and grated cheese sets high expectations. And those expectations are more than fulfilled. The hamachi with smoked eel, barbecued salted lemon, and green herb ice offers a richness of flavors and textures. Hostess and sommelier Floor Wiggers pairs it with a thrilling Charles Smith Kung Fu Girl Riesling, aromatic, fruity, and extremely well-balanced. Next comes an Argentine Gamba Rosso, cooked sous-vide, served with kumquat, watermelon, and lardo, which gives the dish just the right touch of savory saltiness. Delicious. Dorset lamb arrives on the plate in two preparations: a fillet in its own jus and a stew. Accompanied by barbecued asparagus and aromatic porcini bread. The chefs regularly serve the dishes themselves and look proudly at their creations. A special compliment goes to the back-of-house team. They master the art of creating an intimate atmosphere in the large space, work skillfully, and have a great sense of humor. That makes dining here a true celebration. Rises to 56.

Far from Amsterdam's bustling center in the rugged harbor district, we find the stylishly industrial-themed restaurant Lars on the first floor of a hotel complex. We are warmly welcomed by hostess Floor Wiggers and assigned a table by the window, overlooking the open kitchen where the brigade, led by owner and head chef Lars Scharp, works with evident enjoyment. Several menus are offered alongside a selection of Lars' classics. We choose the seven-course experience menu. The wine list features a wide variety of international labels. We begin with an excellent Italian spumante, Corvezzo Blanc de Blancs, and sample Zeeland razor clams. The first course of the seven-course menu is thinly sliced halibut fillet with a lightly emulsified dressing of kimchi, lychee, pandan, and avocado. An innovative flavor explosion that immediately sets a high bar for the dishes to come. After two courses featuring sea bass and cod, sourdough bread served with sage and ras el hanout butter is presented as an intermezzo. The timing of the bread feels slightly unusual after the third course, but the smoked olive oil served alongside it quickly makes you forget that. We continue with perfectly cooked Black Angus accompanied by silver onions, chives, marrow, and hollandaise. Paired with a glass of red Primitivo from Puglia, it is a true delicacy. To finish, a dessert of chai ice cream with pineapple and coconut foam. Seemingly simple, yet absolutely delicious. Just as warmly as we were received, we are courteously seen off by two energetic staff members who, at the end of the busy evening, wish us a pleasant journey home. We receive a bottle of water for the road and a big smile from Lars. We smile back, thoroughly satisfied. Rating rises to 60.

In een van de verste uithoeken van Amsterdam zit restaurant Lars van naamgever en chef Lars Scharp en zijn partner en gastvrouw Floor Wiggers. De ambiance, die uitkijkt op de Mercuriushaven, is groot en industrieel ingericht, maar heeft tegelijkertijd de sfeer van een huiskamerrestaurant. Scharp straalt ambitie uit. Hij maakt prachtige gerechten en is creatief zonder aanstellerig te worden. Op de kaart staan drie menu's: een vegetarisch menu, het zeer uitgebreide favorites-menu en het iets kleinere experience-menu. We kiezen voor het laatste. Na een drietal verfijnde amuses beginnen we aan het eerste voorgerecht: makreel met verschillende yoghurtbereidingen. Dit feestelijk uitziende gerecht verrast bij elke hap. De makreel is kakelvers en de vinaigrette geeft het een frisse smaak. Een even smakelijk tweede voorgerecht van coquille met kaviaar volgt. Daarna volgt een verrassend tussengerecht, zuurdesembrood met miso-mosterdboter, salieboter en gerookte olijfolie. Door dit niet vooraf, maar als tussengerecht te serveren, eet je het met veel meer aandacht. Leuk bedacht! Ons hoofdgerecht geeft Hollands lam in eigen jus met doperwt, tuinboon, crunch van zwarte olijf, pistache en daslook. De wijnen zijn de hele avond al van hoge kwaliteit, maar de Bedoba Saperavi van Kakheti Wine Company die Floor bij het lam schenkt is de topper van de avond. Met deze heerlijk kruidige Georgische wijn laat Lars zien niet alleen binnen de kaders te kleuren. De bediening werkt hard, maar mag een beetje minder gehaast overkomen. Voor Scharp zelf geldt dit overigens niet. Hij maakt regelmatig een rondje langs de tafels om persoonlijk te vragen of alles naar wens is en neemt tijd voor zijn gasten. Lars stijgt maar liefst 13 plaatsen naar positie 64 in de top-100.

Chef-owner Lars Scharp and hostess and sommelier Floor Wiggers met on the floor at Aan de Poel, and it quickly became clear that they shared the same ambition: to open their own restaurant. And then there was Lars, a large yet atmospheric industrial-style living room restaurant in Amsterdam’s Houthavens district. Lars cooks without fuss but with an impeccable sense of taste and the finest ingredients, offering French cuisine with Eastern influences. The menu features meat and fish dishes alongside a fully vegan menu. Wonderful! The wine list offers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. For the starter, hamachi with harissa sauce, tomato, lime, fennel, and cream with star anise, topped with a rosette-shaped crispy crisp made from rice and coconut. The presentation is stunning, and the dish achieves perfect flavor balance. A lovely, refreshing start. Next comes rosé-roasted lamb fillet with a buckwheat crust, served with watercress, peas, broad beans, a small olive cake, lamb jus, and a black garlic gel shaped into beautifully glossy black olives. In a second bowl lies crisply fried sweetbread with a spicy crust and a super tender interior, alongside lamb stew with a mousse seasoned with Berbere spice blend, an Ethiopian spice mix. What flavor bombs these are! Moreover, the sweetbread is one of the best I’ve ever had. Floor pairs this with a chilled Italian Talò, Malvasia Nera Salento 2020. Sublime! Let those two keep moving forward, for they are talented and highly promising in their respective fields.

A large, industrially styled restaurant with a cozy, home-like atmosphere in the up-and-coming Houthavens district of Amsterdam. A culinary hotspot with an unpretentious, relaxed vibe, focused bustle in the open kitchen, and a beautifully situated terrace. Hostess Floor Wiggers and head chef Lars Scharp (both formerly of restaurant Aan de Poel) run a delightful establishment known for its high-quality food and drinks. There’s no extensive menu, but rather a curated selection of weekly rotating dishes that can be ordered as a tasting menu or à la carte. These are explained cheerfully at the table with genuine passion for the craft, which instantly lifts our spirits! Lars prepares French cuisine infused with Asian influences. The amuse-bouches are outstanding, both in originality and flavor. Take the fermented cucumber, for instance, served with lightly frozen yogurt mousse and grated barbecued lime zest—it sets the tone right away. The starter features thinly sliced turbot marbled with puréed kimchi, resting on a bed of avocado and coconut brunoise. Next comes the mackerel with ajo blanco (a Spanish cold bread and almond soup). A true feast for both the eyes and the palate. The highlight is the perfectly pink-roasted duck with foie gras and a rich duck jus reduction. The flavors absolutely burst from the plate. Paired with a lovely, full-bodied Italian red: La Calla from Puglia. One minor note: the portions could be slightly more generous in places. Until next year!

Last year it was a new addition to the guide. In 2018, maître, hostess, and owner Floor Wiggers and chef-owner Lars Scharp opened their own very spacious living-room-style restaurant, after previously working together at Aan de Poel. Lars is located in the rugged and up-and-coming Houthavens district in Amsterdam, on the first floor of the Moxy Residence Inn hotel. The interior is industrial yet warm and fits seamlessly into the surroundings. The view over the IJ is phenomenal. It has been a challenging period for Floor and Lars, and the impact has been significant. Despite this, they remain positive: “Enjoy what you have now. Enjoy what you have achieved, regardless of the cost. Be proud of it, because tomorrow things could easily change.” At Lars, you can visit for lunch and dinner, or simply order a single dish paired with a good glass of wine. The seasonal menu changes weekly. The culinary approach is rooted in French fine cuisine with Asian influences. Lars is never easily satisfied. It can always be improved, made more beautiful, more refined. Given his career trajectory, this is hardly surprising, as he trained under renowned chefs such as Paul Fagel, Edwin Kats, and Robert Kranenborg. His passion for exquisite food is both tasted and seen in the beautifully plated dishes that leave the kitchen. Kudos to hostess Floor, who cultivates a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere. Excellent! Fun fact: the herbs are sourced from Edwin Florès’ wild-foraging garden, where Lars’ team frequently visits.

Lars Amsterdam, opened in 2018 by Lars Scharp and Floor Wiggers, is situated in the rugged and up-and-coming Houthavens district. With its industrial yet warm interior, the restaurant blends seamlessly into the neighborhood. Thanks to the expansive windows, diners enjoy a phenomenal view of the harbor area from their tables. Lars draws clear inspiration from French and Asian cuisines, which is readily apparent in his dishes. The flavors are well-balanced, the varied textures complement each other, and the accompanying wine list has been carefully curated. The lobster starter with foie gras, various root vegetable preparations, and ginger is an immediate hit. The squab, served with multiple corn preparations, is just as flawlessly executed as the subsequent venison dish, both melting in your mouth like butter. Everything is technically sound, but Scharp does not particularly stand out for originality or innovation: genuine surprises are noticeably absent. Unfortunately, our enthusiasm for the service was mixed. The waitstaff is incredibly friendly but slightly unpracticed. Nevertheless, it earns a wholehearted recommendation.