Senses

At The Albus on Via Hote, near the Flower Market and the Munt, we step into the atmospherically designed Senses. Passing the impeccably maintained open kitchen, we walk across a glass floor panel that offers an impressive view down into the wine cellar. We take a seat by the window and browse the compact yet varied à la carte menu. The yuzu martini mocktail provides a refreshing start, especially complemented by the Japanese touches in the trio of amuse-bouches: tofu, tempura, and smoked trout; allium dashi with star anise and ginger; and a flavorful fish tartlette. After the signature dish of confit leek with a generous pour of béarnaise sauce and Dutch razor clams, prepared by French chef Renaud Goigoux, we are thoroughly convinced—what pure, clean flavors. He certainly has reason to be proud of his impressive career at other top establishments like RIJKS, Breda, and Daalder. Also surprising is the 'Katsu Sando': a Japanese-style sandwich made with fluffy brioche bread, katsuobushi (dried, fermented, and smoked tuna flakes), white cabbage, crispy eggplant, and Japanese mayonnaise. We ask for cutlery, but this is meant to be eaten with your hands. The grilled monkfish tail arrives accompanied by various beetroot preparations: dried, powdered, as a mousse, and, as a playful nod from the chef, as bubblegum—all enveloped in a velvety smooth beurre rouge. Paired with Les Dames Blanches du Sud in the glass. We round off the meal with a light and refreshing dessert featuring green apple sorbet ice cream, airy ginger foam, and a crumble of chocopops, coffee, and hazelnut. What a wonderful evening, Renaud. Merci bien!

Het stijlvol ingerichte restaurant Senses van Taco van der Meer maakt onderdeel uit van Hotel The Albus in het centrum van Amsterdam. En we vallen meteen met de deur in huis: wat wordt hier waanzinnig goed gekookt door chef-kok Renaud Goigoux en zijn team. Vis uit de Noordzee en groenten van Nederlandse bodem spelen de hoofdrol in zijn keuken, samen met eigentijdse kooktechnieken en Japanse invloeden. Dat bewerkstelligt creatieve elegante en lichte gerechten met mooie zuren en smaken die perfect in balans zijn. En de opmaak van de borden is weergaloos mooi. Ook dat nog. Het is druk tijdens ons bezoek en er hangt een aangename sfeer. Er is keuze uit verschillende meergangenmenu's (4, 5 of 6 gangen) en vegetarische opties. Daarnaast ook een a la carte menu. De wijnkaart is uitgebreid en gebalanceerd, met fijn veel open referenties. Bij een glas Gavi di Gavi la Minaia 2021 van Nicola Bergaglio uit Piemonte, Italië, krachtig op de tong met subtiele zuren, komen geweldige amuses als knisperende tartelette van gedroogde biet en bergamot naast worteljerky met lavas, wasabi en furikake. Eerste gang is op de hand fijngesneden tartaar van harder met daikon en dragon. Een zacht en subtiel begin. Hoofdact geeft een prachtig bootje zeeduivel, perfect gegaard en daarna even kort op de barbecue voor het speciale smaakje. Garnituren van bimi en een hemelse vinaigrette op basis van langoustine maken het gerecht compleet. Toe crumble van koffie en noten met geroosterde witte chocolade, calamansi en yuzu voor het mooie zuurtje. Een streling op de tong en een mooie afsluiting van een culinaire beleving op niveau. Compliment voor de jonge, gastvrije en ter zake kundige bediening die de avond extra cachet geeft.

Senses has a new chef. French chef Renaud Goigoux – who previously worked at establishments including RIJKS, Breda, and Daalder – has succeeded Jan Wijnbergen. Senses is part of hotel The Albus, which naturally draws many hotel guests, alongside visitors who appreciate Goigoux’s exciting and unexpected cooking style, inspired by Japanese cuisine, featuring Dutch seasonal produce and a touch of French flair. The dining room is comfortably appointed in a classic-modern style, with linen-draped tables, wall benches, tub chairs, a wooden plank floor, and large photo collages on the walls. In the open kitchen, the white brigade is hard at work. The chef is vegan, but works with everything except meat. The amuse-bouches are delightful: nigiri with chili and watermelon on top, lemon cream, tofu crumble, garnished with capelin. Surprisingly delicious and light. There is no à la carte menu here, only a choice of various tasting menus, optionally accompanied by a wine pairing. For the starter, sashimi of grey mullet with green strawberry, followed by a fermented tomato gazpacho with drops of yuzu that elevate the entire dish. Next, flambéed green asparagus and peas topped with a sambai foam (made from rice vinegar, dashi, soy sauce, and mirin), finished with nori and parsley powder. The plating is as beautiful as a little painting. The glass of Les Dames Blanches du Sud, 2021 pairs perfectly. For the main course, turbot cooked à la plancha with a yuzu-based beurre blanc, broad beans, shellfish, and razor clams. The side dish features rösti with rich mayonnaise, parsley, and dill. The fish is cooked to perfect tenderness, and the beurre blanc is prepared to perfection. But then again, that’s to be expected with a French chef at the helm. The young service staff is skilled, enthusiastic, and works together fantastically. Bravo. The only point of criticism remains the water service. As a guest, you pay top dollar for that.

Senses, part of The Albus Hotel, has appointed a new head chef. Jan Wijnbergen immediately makes his mark with a selection of delightful amuse-bouches served alongside the crisp, dry Partes Balta cava we enjoy as an aperitif. The goat cheese tartelette and the pickled radish with eel are visually stunning and delicious. Cooking at Senses is undoubtedly excellent, built on a classical foundation with influences from Japanese and Chinese cuisine. For instance, the starter of lightly marinated Zeeland kingfish with Japanese basil and celery flakes provides a fresh and briny beginning, followed by a superbly grilled langoustine with garlic sprout, potato cream, crispy olive, and glasswort. Succulent roasted lamb is served for the main course, but the vegetarian option falls short: it comes with the same rather sparse accompaniments and substitutes the lamb with a small potato tartlet. That is hardly a substantial replacement. The dessert of green tea ice cream, white chocolate, and tofu, however, is a resounding success: original and distinctive. Within our excellent wine pairing, the white wines selected for the starter and mid-course dish, sourced from Spain and Austria, are particularly well-chosen. Senses features a modern yet warm interior and atmosphere, and the service team comprises young, highly skilled, and attentive staff who seamlessly guide guests through the evening. The bill is steep relative to the portion sizes, however. Furthermore, it is completely unacceptable to charge a hefty per-person fee for water service when it is merely tap water.

Senses by Lars Bertelsen, named after the executive chef, is a restaurant with a creative, daringly innovative flair. The design interior, featuring abundant wood and matte gold, along with soft house music playing in the background, creates a lovely atmosphere. Senses is part of the adjacent design hotel Airbus. It is busy, and guests come from both domestic and international markets. In the open kitchen, Lars’s team cooks European cuisine with Asian influences. There are no à la carte dishes, but there is a selection of multi-course menus. And to be clear: here, food is literally and figuratively cooked to magnificent perfection. The amuse-bouches are presented as small, artistic creations. The krupuk curl seasoned with tandoori spices served with curry sauce, and the North Sea crab cannoli immediately set the tone. Exciting, refined, and beautifully presented on elegant plates. The sea bass roulade with a mango and coriander dressing is just as good. The intense and floral Spanish Tibo de Moya is a beautiful pairing. The braised beef cheek is accompanied by an original soybean beurre blanc. Kudos to the young white brigade who know exactly what they are doing and ensure that their guests lack nothing.

A hip atmosphere on Amsterdam’s Vijzelstraat. You would easily walk right past it due to the relentless bustle created by passing tourists. Once inside, an almost serene calm prevails. This modest-sized restaurant is part of the adjacent design hotel, The Albus. The focal point of this modernly appointed space, decorated with wood and gold, sleek designer lighting, and whisper-soft monotone house music, is the open kitchen. There, chef Lars Bertelsen and his team are focused on their work. His culinary style is defined by robust, intense flavors and unexpected textures in international experimental dishes, which are highly successful most of the time and occasionally fall short. What is truly admirable, however, is his instinct for pairing ingredients you wouldn’t typically combine. The served wines are fantastic across the board, demonstrating that the sommelier has an excellent grasp of the wine world. The service team operates with great professionalism, though they could certainly afford to share a few more laughs. After all, celebrating life together a little does no harm.

Right in the heart of Amsterdam's city center lies the modern restaurant of head chef Lars Bertelsen. Inside, you notice nothing of the hustle and bustle of the capital: it is an oasis of calm here. The modern yet warm interior contributes to this atmosphere. The blue and gold tones, large round lamps, luxury armchairs, and modern art on the walls create a pleasant ambiance. Bertelsen is creative and dares to experiment, though there are occasionally a few shortcomings. We begin the evening with the outstanding dorade ceviche featuring quinoa crunch, sour cucumber, herring roe, and a rice crisp. The flavors and textures are in perfect harmony, and the fresh citrus notes of the ceviche are elegant without being overpowering. The veal escalope with parmesan, coffee mousse, and cauliflower cream is also spot on. Less successful is the venison with a breakfast cookie crust, served alongside a blood sausage 'cinnamon stick', potatoes cooked in goose fat, and red cabbage. While the flavor profile is excellent, the meat is too dry. The dessert of blood orange cream with yogurt-fennel cream, a nutmeg crumble, and small spheres of fresh blood orange prepared with liquid nitrogen is good and refreshingly delicious. A glass of Austrian Spätlese wine rounds it all off perfectly. The predominantly young service staff is friendly and professional, but in our view, they could afford to be a bit more informal.

Under the guidance of head chef Lars Bertelsen, excellent and modern cuisine is prepared here. The restaurant on Amsterdam's Vijzelstraat features a sleek yet atmospheric interior. We sit by the window and watch the traffic speed past. We opt for a five-course menu that surprises us in every course and tastes exceptionally good. Highlights include the vegetarian intermezzo with leek tempura, the langoustine with pumpkin, and the fish main course: cod gado gado. That dish, in particular, is outstanding: a perfectly cooked piece of cod is served alongside gado-gado vegetables, shrimp crackers, and peanut sauce. You wouldn't expect such a combination, but it works out perfectly. It is a shame, however, that the portions for the starters and intermezzi are so small that they resemble bite-sized morsels. They could be a bit more generous. Everything is presented beautifully on elegant crockery. We enjoy several individual glasses of wine paired with the various dishes. The wine is poured somewhat sparingly by sommelier Ivo de Beus, who clearly knows his craft. The Argentine Malbec from Escorial, for instance, makes an excellent pairing for the veal. The service is polite, though slightly formal. It could all be a touch more relaxed. Still, we are thoroughly impressed.