Local wines at Chateau Amsterdam
By Seger Abels
Johan van Hasseltweg 51, 1021 KN Amsterdam
BOOK NOWI’ll admit, I had my reservations about the wines of Chateau Amsterdam. I mean, wine from Amsterdam? How good could it possibly be? So, shamefully, I never gave it a try. But then, not long ago, I moved to Amsterdam-North and decided to pay a visit to Chateau. And boy, was I in for a treat.
Tucked away in a sprawling industrial space with concrete floors and a host of whimsical accessories (have you seen that outrageous fountain out front?), Chateau serves up some seriously sublime fare. And I’ll gladly eat my words, because as it would turn out, Amsterdam can indeed produce some truly fantastic wines.
Chateau Amsterdam is the epitome of an “urban winery,” a concept more commonly associated with cities like New York. Put simply, they’re wineries located smack dab in the middle of the city. They source their grapes from elsewhere and then work their magic within their urban confines. And, as is often the case, they’ve got a restaurant/bar operation in tow – in Chateau’s case, it’s a real doozy.
At the helm of the kitchen is Chef Joey Baal, whose previous stints include some seriously impressive joints like Speijkervet (sadly, no longer open) and the iconic Italian eatery, Toscanini. Given his background, it’s no surprise that the menu skews towards Italian cuisine – but don’t mistake simplicity for lack of flavour. Chef Baal uses only the highest quality ingredients to craft his modern-Italian dishes, resulting in a truly memorable dining experience.
Chateau Amsterdam’s menu is a reflection of Italian cuisine’s simplicity and focus on quality ingredients. With a constantly changing menu of 3 starters, 4 kinds of pasta, 4 mains, and 4 desserts, their dishes are always building on fixed inspirations and seasonal flavours. The pesce crudo and grilled radicchio with stracciatella are standouts for starters, but the real stars are the pastas. The pappardelle a ragù with a glass of red (try their ‘Dr. Mankini’: a perfect Spanish Garnacha) is always a good choice, but vegetarians shouldn’t miss out on their malfatti. Despite its name translating to “badly made,” this pasta dish is a showstopper with its heavenly taste and served with seasonal vegetables and sage butter.
The wines at Chateau Amsterdam play a crucial role in the dining experience, as the restaurant takes pride in crafting its own wines. With an impressive range of options from pet-nat to rose, and featuring regions from France to Germany, the wine list is both diverse and enjoyable. The knowledgeable staff is always ready to assist in selecting a bottle or providing recommendations, making for a unique and exciting experience that you won’t find anywhere else in Amsterdam.
Wrap up your night in style with an affogato – the perfect sweet treat to complete your dining experience at Chateau Amsterdam. Whether paired with a velvety espresso or a luscious grappa, this Italian dessert is sure to leave you feeling utterly satisfied. It’s the cherry on top of an already “assolutamente fantastico” evening.
Chateau Amsterdam
The Place: Modern-Italian
The Space: Huge industrial building in the upcoming Amsterdam-North
The Base: €50-70 pp
The Face: Import ’Noorderlingen’ and hip families
The Ace: The family-style table menus where they fill up the table like an Italian family would do
The Veg: Great place for vegetarians as almost all the best dishes are 100% veg.
Opening Hours: Thurs-Fri 17:30 – late, Sat 12:30 – late, Sun 12:30 – 20:00
Images from chateau.amsterdam ©Chateau Amsterdam
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