Mr Porter | Amsterdam

Let’s just begin with the quote they put on their website which is spot on: “About Mr Porter; A companion by day, a hunter by night. A gentleman, a merciless lover. A jetsetter and a local. It is this duality, this constant battle of extremes that is MR PORTER. Cosmopolitan yet familiar. Extravagant yet modest. MR PORTER fearlessly explores the borders between dinner and sinner.”
This restaurant on the 5th floor of the W Hotel is very cool. Trying to get even with all trendy hotel bars and restaurants in other metropolitan cities around the world. Amsterdam needs more of these so I am happy! The view from this restaurant is absolutely amazing, the food is great, the lounge looks stunning with the coolest sleek interior decor and is just breathtaking at sunset. The whole place turns an orangy yellow, it’s like setting foot in the Garden of Eden (in my imagination…). I will update the current photograph with the one that captures this as soon as I’ve been able to shoot it and you’ll see. Spuistraat 175, Amsterdam | +31208113399 | €€€| Tram; Dam (1, 2, 5, 13, 14, 17) | Website

The Pig Hotel | On the Beach, Studland

I can’t quiet remember how I ended up finding this place but finding it made me and my friend really happy. This English country house style hotel right on the beach in Studland is just perfect for a quick get away from busy London. It’s a rough 3 hour drive from west London.
Imagine a beautiful villa with 23 cozy rooms, a stunning view over sea, a beautifully kept garden where they keep bees and grow vegetables etc that they serve in their AMAZING restaurant that is located in their greenhouse and has this amazing light shining in. I loved the interior style; very UK countryside! Reminded me a bit of the Soho House Group. A lot of wood, comfortable armchairs and sofa’s and little corners to relax and drink tea (or something stronger than that), a beautiful cozy lounge with a big fireplace, boardgames up for grasp, a treatment caravan outside that has been transformed into this wood panelled cozy room etc. The staff is super friendly and really care about making your stay memorable. On top of all of this you can go on beautiful long walks in the area (for example in the fields with beautiful views of the Old Harry Rocks). Manor House, Manor Road, Studland, Dorset, BH19 3AU | +44 01929 450288 | £££ | Website

The Palomar Restaurant | London

Yes! I managed to get a reservation by trying the waitlist and it worked. Currently this place is bloody popular and I now understand why the waitlist was the only option to get a table asap. Love this place. It’s small and cozy with blue leather boots, dark wooden tables, floors and panelled walls and mosaic details. There is a counter / bar where they do life cooking and the music is turned up. This makes you want to order an Espresso Martini after dinner instead of Fresh Mint Tea. The food they serve is modern day Jerusalem and is out of this world. We basically asked the nice guy serving us if he could recommend some dishes and followed all his advice without regret. Unfortunately we had so much of the delicious polenta that we really had no space left for dessert. Regrettably, because they looked great.  I just love this kitchen with their interesting combination of flavours and spices. My personal favorites were: Kubaneh, fattoush salad, beetroot carpaccio (see below), Polenta Jerusalem Style (with truffle OMG). Wish I could go back every week. 34 Rupert Street, London  | +4420 7439 8777 | Tube: Piccadilly Circus / Leicester Square | £££ | Website

Toscanini | Amsterdam

I have tried to make a reservation here a million times but they are always fully booked so I was so incredibly excited that I managed to get a table last night by just walking in! Probably already known well by lots of you but a absolute winner if you ask me!! Best Italian food and wine menu. Great atmosphere in the cozy Jordaan. Super nice, no nonsense staff. Open kitchen and really nice open interior that is made cozy with candles in the evenings. I would recommend this place for dinner with lovers, friends, business and parents! Lindengracht 75 | +3120 623 2813 | Website | €€€ | Tram 3 (Willemstraat)

Sexy Fish | London

A new trendy Asian seafood restaurant in Mayfair that I checked out last night. Love the name of this restaurant so I made my reservation 1 month ago already to save a spot for a Friday night. The place feels very glamorous and on all the walls are sexy fish to admire made by Damien Hirst, Frank Gehry and Michael Roberts. Apparently the bar holds one of the world’s biggest Japanese whisky collections that I did not try but other cocktails are quite spectacular as well (especially how they are presented!)
My date noted that place has quite a high ‘voetbalvrouwen gehalte‘ which I guess was quite true. Sorry for the none Dutch amongst you. However, if  you have something to celebrate and would like to celebrate in style, I guess this is a great place to go. The crispy duck salad is not as good as the one at Hakkasan but still very good and the Sesame Seed Sea Brass is to die for.  Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square W1J 6BR | Tube: Green Park | Website | open noon to 2am | ££££ | +442037642000

Breda | Amsterdam

Delicious food from the south of Holland (Breda!), great interior design, atmosphere and really good service. We are hooked! Elsje and I finally found a time to catch up together so we needed to find a good new spot for this. Very last minute we decided to try the new restaurant Breda as it was closeby (central Amsterdam) and the interior look and feel looked very tasteful. Apparently they are booked up for the next few weeks ahead but they had a last minute cancellation – lucky us. They let you choose between 3 types of menus: Basic, Extra and Full Monty, and don’t tell you much about the menu. The Basic already consists of 7 courses and oh my, they were so good. Our favourites: the cauliflower dish, steak with hummus and purple carrot and the rosemary ice cream with nuts and nougat for desert… Aaah! Can’t wait to go back! Singel 210 | Tram: Dam | Tel: +31 (0)20 622 52 33 | Website | €€€€

Rijks Restaurant | Amsterdam

If you are looking for a fine dining restaurant with the best food you can get in Amsterdam you should go here for sure. This place just completely blew my mind. A little bit stiff perhaps for my taste but on the other hand the place looks spacious, modern, clean and fresh and the service is attentive and nice. We had the tasting lunch menu which was absolutely fantastic. Fantastic is actually an understatement. It was SO good. SO GOOD… I just wanted to keep each bite in my mouth for as long as possible to completely take in all the amazing flavours. Perhaps I start to sound a little cuckoo now but I would just like to convince you! This is a great tip for anyone going to Amsterdam as a tourist. Go to the Rijksmuseum to absorb some great Old Master Paintings and review what you have seen in this restaurant and the day can no longer go wrong if you ask me. Museumstraat 2, 1077 XX Amsterdam, Netherlands | +31 20 674 7555 | Tram 2, 5, Rijksmuseum | €€€ | Website

Rijsel | Amsterdam

Rijsel Rotisserie is good!! The food, the friendly waiters, good vibes. It’s a little out of the way in a residential street in Amsterdam Oost and based in an old school building with a retro interior. The menu changes all the time, but you can always expect simple and delicious French/Belgian dishes. We went for oysters and the poussin (Rijsel’s poussin was named the ‘best chicken in town’ by Johannes van Dam!) which comes with baked potatoes and a really nice salad. I also really liked the Huzarensalade, a must. The place feels authentic and works for everyone and all occasions. One thing I didn’t like was the bright lighting as I prefer more dimmed lights in the evening. Make sure to book a table, they are always packed. Closed on Saturday and Sunday. Marcusstraat 52B | Tel: +31-20-4632142 | Website | €€

Roka Mayfair | London

Oh my what is this restaurant good… Heavenly…The best. I am in love. I had trouble getting a reservation here so I would recommend making a reservation a few weeks before especially if you want to go in the weekend.
I also recommend you try the Premium tasting menu.. Expensive but the best, and it allows you to try things you may not select yourself. I basically could not speak a few times because I was just trying to figure out how to express myself about the divine food that entered my mouth haha…
Okay so; the restaurant is located in Mayfair (there is another Roka in Marlybone – see Guusje’s post), has a contemporary Japanese Robatayaki cuisine (award-winning) and has room for about 80 people in the main dining area, a few high tables with stools for 2 guests and seats around their Robatayaki grill. They also have a few tables outside on the pavement. The grill is in the center of the restaurant and the whole place has a warm contemporary feel to it. I wish I could eat here everyday! 30 North Audley Street, Mayfair, London | +4420 7305 5644 | ££££ | Tube; Marble Arch or Bond Street | Website | Map

Cépage | London

I am back on the road in our hood (and other ‘hoods’ so stay tuned) I am so excited about this new restaurant on Westbourne Park Road! It’s the perfect French little bistro. Small, cozy, good location, delicious food and great wine list. You’ll be served by French, eat French and feel French when here.

The restaurant does not come cheap and the dishes are small and to share. When we were dining here at the bar they told us they are focusing on small proper wine makers in France. So most wines here, you won’t be able to find in the shops in London and are really good. This makes it all more charming to me! Love the place and will definitely be back for more delicious French signature dishes and wine! 69 Westbourne Park road, London W2 5QH | +44203 602 8890 | Twitter: @cepagesWPR | Tube; Royal Oak or Ladbroke Grove | Map