212

Restaurant 212, located down at the Amstel River opposite the National Opera building, is a culinary hotspot in Amsterdam. After a fire and extensive renovation Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot re-opened it in November 2022 as one of the most ambitious restaurants in the country. Both chefs (and their team) are classically trained and combine that knowledge with contemporary techniques to tune their sophisticated and refined cuisine.

In a whopping two years’ time, they lifted their former restaurant from zero to 2-Michelin Stars. The style of cooking is elegant and refined, yet extremely exciting. Here they combine both products and techniques from all over the world, but never in a pretentious or artificial way. A must-visit destination for food lovers.

The wine list at 212 resembles the cooking style: great classics, integrated with exciting 'off the beaten track' finds. Not surprisingly, as the restaurant's sommelier is Daphne Oudshoorn, chef Van Oostenbruggen's partner. Not only has Daphne built a wine list with wines for every palate, but her choice of by-the-glass wines is also worth a closer look. Daphne has now handed the day-to-day floorwork down to the somm team, who are a welcoming lovely bunch of enthousiasts with good knowledge.

Considering this is a Michelin hotspot in one of Western Europe's capitals, wine prices are very accommodating. Oudshoorn's wine list was awarded the Star Wine List silver medal for the Dutch Short Wine List in 2021. Looking for something to accompany your coffee? Pay some extra attention to the extensive digestive list with a few interesting Dutch selections.