Asuka N.
Yelp
Bord'Eau was where we stopped in for dinner our first night in town. You have to enter the hotel lobby first and make a quick right to get into the restaurant, but once you are in, it is as though you are a world removed. With the serene backdrop of boats passing you by the canal right outside the window, it's easy to forget exactly where you are, or even more of the details about the restaurant itself - I don't actually remember all that much about the decor, although the ambiance was on the quieter side, a nice change from the bustle just outside. Service was generally very good, although I would note that it materially slowed down towards the end, so much so that we (in fairly direct terms) told them wanted the rest of the dessert brought out quickly once the cheese course was done. European dinners are definitely more leisurely affairs, but this ended up pushing closer to the 4(!)-hour mark by the time we were done.
Despite the pacing, though, there is little doubt that the food served at Bord'Eau is absolutely top-notch. The food isn't distinctively Dutch - arguably, the most 'Dutch' course was the seafood amuse-bouche served with all locally sourced seafood - but the execution was excellent across the board. Things kicked off with a light veloute of sea urchin - very nice, with the distinctive flavor of the uni shining through palely without being overpowering. The remaining 4 amuse-bouches are served simultaneously as small bites in larger plates, but of the 4 (mussel, shrimp, razor clam, and oysters served in cockel juice, I really enjoyed the mussel the best - a single, solitary mussel served with fresh flavors of dill and lemongrass. It was extremely refreshing and really brought a springtime feel to one of the saltier bites of the sea. If the opening was seafood, the chef showed what they can do with meat with an astonishingly delicious and beautifully presented veal tartare, wrapped up in an uncooked potato skin (to resemble bone marrow), stuffed with herring-infused cream and topped with a helping of caviar. The quality of the veal was very good, but some of the best meat tartares (IMO) make you seem like you are eating fish, and this definitely did, particularly given what it was topped with. Next was a return to the sea, with a divine piece of langoustine poached in duckfat and topped with a generous amount of bonito flakes (too much, IMO - I like bonito, but the dryness of the flakes makes it a soggy mess quickly). The touch of ground coffee also lends it a nice earthiness, as well as a nice little crunch. We finished the beginning bites with a baked potato dish, stuffed with cheese and truffles and served in rich chicken broth - a homey dish that showcased the more traditional side of cuisine without coming off too much as filler, even though it was a bit of a step back from everything to date.
Up next was the cod, which was truly a work of art - a flaky, shimmery filet that was presented with broth reduced from the head of the fish, along with parts of the liver - really gave you a chance to experience an incredibly full flavor of the fish without having to eat the whole fish in a literal sense. The white beans were a nice accompaniment that gave the dish a bit more depth to match the creaminess of the cod. The last main was cow served two ways: one as thinly-sliced carpaccio and served in a very light consomme, and the other as a richly-marinated oxtail with an excellently-done creamy polenta sauce. I actually came away from this dish feeling it was the least memorable - and the oxtail is pretty straightforward, even if it was very good - but the slices of meat delicately floating in broth really was a simple, delicious take on an excellent cut. Dessert followed - where the meal slowed down - but it was still very good. Their cheese selection is an all-Dutch selection of around 40 cheeses, and the ones we had were very good - particularly the hard cheeses. The palate cleanser was really a work of art - an apple core, with a translucent candy shaped like an apple around it - but it also did the job in resetting the palate. That helped for the last course - birch leaves on top of a birch leaf anglaise, infused with birch wood and soaking in birch juice (a very light impression of maple syrup). The flavors are subtle, but it's a very mellow way to finish off the meal without going for a sugar bomb.
At 128 euros as a base, it is a very reasonable price for the quality of the food. I would not hesitate to come back and visit again, even if I would request that the service (especially towards the end) move a little quicker. Bord'Eau excels at seafood, but the meat dishes are well-prepared as well, and there is clearly a lot of TLC that goes into the presentation of the meal. A highly-recommended dining experience if you are looking to stay in the heart of Amsterdam.