I am often asked how do I find the places I go....there are several ways. One of them led us to…read moreD'Artagnan and we were not disappointed.
We had originally headed to the local family-run Bar Frape but were distressed to find it shuttered. Perhaps because they closed at 2000 and we were there shortly thereafter. Looking south along the river we spotted tables and chairs on the sidewalk so we headed in that direction. What we found was a trendy (and empty) bar that was obviously serving up what we were NOT looking for.
That's when we spotted across the street what appeared to be a Eetcafe but upon further inspection found a joint billing itself as a Grand Cafe.
Now, typically we steer away from Grand Cafes since our desire to impress is less than at times it should be. We have found Grand Cafes to not have any better food than Eetcafes and usually at twice the price.
However, we decided to go outside our box and give it a try....and we are glad we did.
Inside the D'Artagnan resembled more an Eetcafe than a Grand. While there was much more spit and polish than most Eets the atmosphere was that warm, comfy gezellig the Dutch are so wild about.
We were looking for refreshment and a snack and ended up finding our favorite Dutch gin (2VC) which right then and there told us we were putting the rest of our evening on hold.
We ordered the bouillabaisse and the anti pasta. Both excellent choices and between the both of us we could not finish.
The bouillabaisse contained succulent portions of langostinos in a delicate seafood/tomato broth. The cheese bread on top was less a compliment than what was intended but good nonetheless. The anti pasta included ham, proscuitto, salami and pepperoni. Plus bread, olives, salad and scrumptious garlic mushrooms. With the exception of the pepperoni which was mealy, it was a great sampler.
If you are not familiar with gezellig (gezelligheid) then you need to look it up or better, hang out here for an hour....
We will return.