Zoldering

Housed in a charming stepped-gable building on Utrechtsestraat is Zoldering, run by four partners: chef Tomas Bron, sommeliers Job Seuren and Wout Jans, and wine merchant Joost Clarijs. It is a cozy attic room where flavor reigns supreme and hospitality comes naturally. As soon as we step inside, we are warmly welcomed and guided to a charming corner in the attic. There are no frills, no elaborate table settings, but plenty of character. A glass of sparkling, elegant Crémant de Bourgogne (Pierre-Marie Chermette Blanc de Blancs) kicks off the evening. The first course immediately sets the tone: tomato filet américain. Not a trace of meat, yet a deep, umami-rich flavor that delights the palate. My table companion savors perfectly cooked lamb chops with peas and an anchovy jus—a bold combination that works wonderfully. Next comes asparagus with egg yolk and miso jus. It looks simple but delivers intense flavor. Everything is spot on. The menu features tempting desserts, but we are persuaded to opt for a cheese board instead. The Nylander with cloves is accompanied by delicate, homemade paper-thin crackers. We round off the meal with a refreshing Coupe Colonel made with vodka and lemon sorbet, alongside a complementary rhubarb dessert with pistachio cream. Zoldering offers approachable fine dining in a relaxed, Amsterdam bistro setting. No gimmicks, just refined flavors. Finally, the wines served at Zoldering are available for purchase at their wine shop on Haarlemmerstraat.

There are certain places where you already want to return before you’ve even left. Zoldering in the heart of Amsterdam is one of them. Chef Thomas Bron, along with hosts and winologists Wout Jans, Job Seuren, and Joost Clarijs, run this charming restaurant, which is modernly and tastefully decorated with lacquered wooden tables and crisp white napkins. Forget star pretensions here, and there’s no fancy multi-course tasting menu either. The menu is divided into starters, small cold dishes, larger warm dishes, and desserts. You can order whatever you like, in any order you prefer. There is a small, approachable wine list with something for everyone, alongside a very extensive selection featuring top-tier wines stored in climate-controlled cabinets. Starting with Chef Thomas’s light and modern culinary style, we begin with a small ball of crispy arancini made from pearl barley, saffron, aged cheese, gherkin, and mustard. A delightful start. The scallops arrive with dill cream and silver onion in a rich, beautifully airy vichyssoise-style foam. Absolutely delicious. A spot-on recommendation is the Luis Pato Vinhas Velhas, Bairrada 2022 from Portugal. This pairs exceptionally well with the plate of ultra-fresh cod and mussels cooked with vadouvan, chestnuts, mushrooms, and beard lichen. Beautifully balanced in flavor and elegantly presented. For dessert, we have a dark chocolate parfait with pecans, pistachios, and Bastogne cookies. Paired with a glass of Grande Maison Cuvée du Château Monbazillac 2000 from France. Fruity, tropical, honeyed, sweet, with lovely oak notes. Kudos to the service team. The black brigade is knowledgeable, friendly, and highly personable. And wonderfully relaxed. You get excellent value for your money from every angle here. Truly outstanding.

Since 2019, chef Tomas Bron and hosts and sommeliers Joost Clarijs, Wout Jans, and Job Seuren have established a thriving eatery in the center of Amsterdam. Reservations open a month in advance, and even then, you need to be quick on your phone, otherwise you'll miss out. At first glance, Zoldering looks like a typical Amsterdam eatery, but what arrives on your plate is in a different league. The kitchen stands for simply good food and drink, without frills, but of the highest quality. There are no set courses; you order whatever appeals to you from the menu. The wine list is a different story. It features more than 800 labels. There is an extensive wine cellar with well-stocked climate-controlled cabinets, and there is something to pour for every taste and budget. Also available by the glass. And if you can't make up your mind, the staff will gladly help you choose. To start, lightly cooked green asparagus on a bed of black garlic, with egg yolk and aged cheese. Followed by succulent octopus with soft potato foam, capers, and piment. A fine start. Next comes a ribeye for two. Served with root vegetable millefeuille, chimichurri, haricots verts, and sorrel. Unfortunately, the accompanying jus quickly spreads across the plate and blends into the chimichurri, leaving us with a medley of flavors. We order some crispy fries with mayonnaise on the side. The poured wine, Vrai Canon Bouché, Canon Fronsac, 1999, Bordeaux, France, is of high quality and delicious alongside the ribeye. We would gladly ask for another glass. For dessert, we have the Coupe Colonel, which is lemon sorbet with vodka. And it is exactly what we get. A scoop of lemon ice cream generously poured over with vodka. Simple but delicious.

Chef Tomas Bron and guest host-sommeliers Joost Clarijs, Wout Jans, and Job Seuren have created such a wonderful establishment at Zoldering. The magic lies in the combination of an inventive and light cuisine, a pleasant and informal atmosphere, and highly professional service. To begin with the kitchen: Tomas cooks in a modern and light style. In particular, both of our vegetarian main courses were outstanding: a creation of cauliflower and farmer’s cheese with a yogurt and salted lemon sauce, paired with beautifully crisp-tender white asparagus and garden peas in a yuzu-enriched beurre blanc sauce, topped with fried shiso. The appetizers were equally delicious, although the piccalilly accompanying the steak tartare could have been slightly more restrained, and the leek served with one of the starters was more charred than grilled. But all in all: high praise for Bron’s culinary skills. The interior, with its wooden floors and tables, comfortably cushioned bench with gray upholstery, black school-style chairs, and a cleanly finished white ceiling, makes for a pleasant space to relax. Yet what impressed us most was the service: warm and attentive, relaxed, and thoroughly knowledgeable. That certainly applies to their wine expertise as well, especially since Zoldering boasts an impressive selection of eight hundred bottles. Santé!

Chef Tomas Bron and wine experts Wout Jans, Job Seuren, and Joost Clarijn continue to run their welcoming, unpretentious restaurant, where you can enjoy excellent food and receive dedicated attention to the wines. These are displayed in climate-controlled cabinets and a wine cellar visible through a glass floor. The restaurant is modern and simple yet tastefully furnished with lacquered wooden tables topped with snow-white linen napkins. On the menu, we find a mix of small and large cold and warm dishes, along with desserts. The wine list consists of a printed roster of their extensive regular selections, complemented by a substantial binder of special bottles. Both are curated skillfully and with passion. We kick off with well-prepared, hand-cut steak tartare with radish, nori, and puffed rice, although the latter doesn’t add much. Next, we try juicy grilled langoustines from the barbecue with garlic butter and lemon. Delicious and still wonderfully glossy inside. Absolutely perfect. A quick tip: ask for a lobster claw to help pick the meat from the shells. In the glass, a Clos Canereccia 2019 from Corsica. The monkfish with chicory and chanterelles is just as good. And the accompanying hollandaise sauce is definitely worth soaking up with bread. The service staff are visibly busy but remain friendly, work professionally, and make time for an informal chat. Finally, the bill is remarkably reasonable, especially by Amsterdam standards, given what you get on your plate.

Featured for the second consecutive time in this guide. In April 2019, chef Thomas Bron along with hosts and wine experts Wout Jans, Job Seuren, and Joost Clarijs launched an unpretentious eatery where simply good food and drink take center stage. Free of star pretensions and fancy multi-course menus, it’s all about good, cozy, and relaxed enjoyment of life. Zoldering is located on the first floor of a characterful building with a beautiful facade and matching window sections. Upon entering, you’d think you’ve stumbled into a Parisian bistro. The menu is divided into bites, small cold dishes, larger warm plates, and desserts. However, you can order whatever you like in any sequence you prefer. The culinary style blends Dutch and international influences, with ingredients sourced primarily from local farms. The wine list is extensive, which hardly surprises anyone with three sommeliers at the helm. A well-appointed wine cellar and well-stocked climate-controlled cabinets keep the wines at the perfect temperature. Together, they house no fewer than 850 different wines. Job Seuren: “We offer a small, approachable wine list that has something for everyone. We also maintain an extensive selection for enthusiasts who want to go all out.” Fun fact: since the pandemic, the team has been producing educational Instagram clips about wine, and they remain committed to it. Additionally, they host a delightful wine tasting once a month.

Chef Thomas Bron and oenologists Wout Jans, Job Seuren, and Joost Clarijs have joined forces and launched Restaurant Zoldering in the spring of 2019. It feels as though we're sitting in a Parisian bistro, yet we're truly right in the heart of central Amsterdam. Housed in this characteristic building with a beautiful facade and elegant window display, Zoldering occupies both the ground floor and the first floor. The straightforward menu features a mix of bites, small cold dishes, larger hot mains, and desserts. The wines come primarily from Europe. With the aperitif, olives and marinated artichokes arrive without toothpicks or napkins. It gets a bit messy. Anyway. Now for the real work. The first course is lightly smoked North Sea eel with a brunoise of Amsterdamse zure bom, La Ratte potato salad with crispy bits, crème fraîche, and dill. Crisp presentation, refreshing flavors, and lovely light acidity. The accompanying Silvaner from Klaus-Peter Keller shows that great care is taken with wine selection and advice. After the freshly steamed cod with fried Jerusalem artichoke, capers, fish sauce with oloroso sherry, and watercress, we’ll allow ourselves to share a dish that feels like a kitchen experiment: crispy pork belly with barbecue-grilled pointed cabbage, featuring fresh acidity from apple, kohlrabi, and borlotti beans. It’s so delicious we nearly fall off our chairs. In the glass, a robust 2017 Rioja Viña Illusion. A couple of points for improvement: the cheese is displayed all evening on a cart in a warm restaurant, which doesn't do its quality any favors. And a nice little sweet treat to finish off with coffee wouldn't go amiss either. A warm welcome nonetheless.