French Portuguese fusion at Lazuur
By Seger Abels
Purmerplein 8, 1023 BD Amsterdam, Netherlands
BOOK NOWThe North of Amsterdam is HIP. Yes, all caps. And if that surprises you, you should read the first two parts of my three-parter, ‘A Guide to the North’.
Restaurant Lazuur features in my guide but not because it’s hip in the same way as some of the other featured spots. One might even say that Lazuur is hip by not being hip. Effortless. But what makes them so worthy of a top spot on my hitlist? The fact that they merge two interesting cuisines in an even more interesting location. A fusion of Portuguese and French cuisine served in a working-class part of the North. What’s not to love?
Visit the North’s ‘Purmerplein,’ a square that’s only a six-minute bike ride from my house, but for most, might feel like the end of the world, and you’ll find Lazuur. From the outside, only their signage and the cosy glow of their lights can be seen, but nothing that gives away how truly remarkable a restaurant lies behind its doors.
The chef, born and raised in the North, combines his Portuguese upbringing with his schooling in French cuisine. Lazuur truly captures the best of these three: brown café vibes, a heartwarming Portuguese welcome and the refinement people expect from French cooking. The menu is divided into courses/rounds and you can pick and choose between 3, 4, 5 or 6. (But I’m sure that they’d accommodate just one if you ask nicely. :-))
Every round has multiple choices and all are so attractive it will be hard to choose. Each round also contains, at least, one vegetarian dish and we have to say; these might be the winners. The dry-aged beetroot served with horseradish, jasmine, wild blueberry and country caviar (vegetarian) lingered in my mind for some days after the meal.
Our experience at Lazuur was like having childhood friends who coincidentally happen to be amazing chefs and waiters. You feel at home. This, of course, might also be because of the effect that old school ‘bruin cafés’ have on me, but I feel more and more people love this trend of low-key and inviting spaces combined with great food and drinks.
Talking about drinks… we love ourselves a good wine list and yes, their list of good cocktails pleased us as well. At Lazuur they have a different passion and we have to say it’s a great one, namely: port! As we are no port connoisseurs (yet) at Lazuur, they are! Let their team guide you through this new and tasty world. We even spotted a vintage 1967 bottle. No idea if that automatically makes it good, but for us, it’s a good extra reason to go back to Lazuur and try it. Not that we really needed an extra reason…
Lazuur
The Place: Portuguese French cuisine
The Space: Brown Café meets trendy restaurant
The Base: €60-80 pp
The Face: Northerlings and foodies in the know
The Ace: Take a deep dive into the world of port + food pairing with port
The Veg: You’re in for a treat!
Opening Hours: Wed – Sun 18:00-00:00
Images from restaurantlazuur.nl, Restaurant Lazuur
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