Bridges

Overall my husband and I were happy with our meal here, it was just a tad overpriced for what we received and the service, which is why I give it one less star. They are generous with their Amuse-​bouche and they had unique options. We ordered tartar and oysters which we were not very impressed with but for our main we had the seabass which they prepare crusted in salt and de-​boned at the table. The fish prepared this way was outstanding and of the best we had had. The service was lacking a bit, I believe this was because the waiter was covering a lot of tables. We often went without and had to pour our own wine, which is a major fail when dining at a restaurant like this. The bill was just over 300 Euros, with wine of course, which was ok, just a bit overpriced for the food and service we received.

Our 1^st Michelin star experience. We ordered an appetizer and entrée with Two beers for 89EUR. Charged for not ordering an entrée. Service was good, with chef sending tasting dishes between courses. These small tiny plates passing as entrees were a stretch of the imagination. As hotel guest with no reservations we were given priority entrance, a table for 6 for two! The menu was just to strange, but flavor the chef created were a hit with us!

A nice physical plant and food presentation was put askew when we asked for desserts that we saw on a dessert trolley, rather than off of the menu. The trolley apparently was the property of the adjoining «bistro,» a section of the same restaurant, which shares the same bar (and owner), but apparently not the same desserts. We were told that the chef of «Bridges» objected to us having the desserts on the trolley as opposed to off of the menu. This after the mother/​son eating at the table next to us told us they did not like the desserts they ordered off the menu (chocolate with fried chanterelle mushrooms, for instance, or artichoke, chocolate, and celery) because the chef had «too many things going on, had tried too hard» with his combinations. So we paid the bill and went to the bistro for dessert. Service in all instances was slow. The food was good — a crispy langoustine on a watermelon/​cucumber base, and the sea salt encrusted Sea Bass. We also had oysters, which were fresh. We were unfortunately billed us for two appetizers instead of the one appetizer we ordered, and the waiter then had to be prodded to remove the second charge off of our bill. An otherwise nice experience diminished because the chef actually wanted us to move tables for our dessert instead of serving us in place where we were. An odd choice by him and strange way to treat a customer.

The cocktails at the bar are really good and we had a really friendly and good waiter that offered an excellent service.
Unfortunately the food was not good. It tried to be fancy but clearly the chef doesn’t really know what he’s doing. Coffee on the lobster covered completely the flavour of the lobster. All flavors are mixed in a chaotic way, such that it seems more children’s play than high end cuisine.

Upscale restaurant with a great selection of seafood option.
Innovative presentation and delicious cuisine.
Be sure to try a dessert!

Very nice, but a little pretentious.
The restaurant is located in the red light district, but removed from the crazy red light scene. The online reservation system didn’t send my reservation to the restaurant, but I had the confirmation and the restaurant honored it.
The food is made with care and is very creative. Portions are very small, but the flavors are very good. Don’t be afraid of the six course meal. It won’t fill you up. Each course is presented with care and new silver ware.
This is not for the budget minded person or if you don’t have 2 – 3 hours. The wine list is good, but expensive. However if you can appreciate a bottle of Château Petrus, They have one at 4500 Euros. Plain water will cost you 7.50 Euros.
If you have time and a few extra Euros, enjoy the experience

Very nice, but obviously very pricy.
Some dishes were phenomenal, some were just really good so I guess when your worst is really good you are doing something right.
Great location, ambiance, staff, service, food… everything really.
Just not worth what you have to pay to get it. Adult size portions or cheaper prices would make this a review a 5.

In a word, superb. Ambience, service and, of course, quality and presentation of the dishes were all first rate.
Had dinner here last Friday night while staying at the Sofitel Grand Hotel, which is a fine hotel. I was dining by myself and made to feel very welcome.
Excellent selection of wines by the glass. I chose the a la carte menu which consists of mostly fish choices with some meat selections also. The plates are all similar sized, so three, maybe four choices can be made and then they are served sequentially. Good idea since this allows more opportunity for different taste sensations.
I had the lobster served two ways: the tail, then the claw. Of course, it was the way the chef prepared these ingredients that was the highlight — the accompanying sauce, small veggies, garnish, etc. Then I had breast of pigeon, which was superb — again, the saucing, the veggies, etc. were key to the overall presentation. For dessert, rice pudding, which understates how good this was.
Overall, I would rate this as an absolutely delicious dinner. Service was attentive and not stuffy. The price to value ratio was excellent, in my opinion; obviously, be prepared to spend euros. I will look forward to returning to Bridges, and the Sofitel Grand, next time I am in Amsterdam.

There are few times a chef/​restaurant gets everything right. Bridges gets everything right! From the courtyard cocktail to the chefs recommendations to the perfect wine pairings and wonderful service… a dining experience unmatched. Congratulations !

Service was very poor. Waiter kept forgetting to refill our wine glasses. My table remained wet despite having asked them to wipe it at least 2 times. We had to ask them to remove empty glasses. The food was mediocre. I asked for a lactose free meal but was served at least 2 coirses from the chef’s menu with dairy. I had to return them twice and the waitress argued witzh me that the buttermilk-​cream desert would be fine! the bills were all screwed up (group of 8) and the food was overpriced.

Probably one of the best restaurants in Amsterdam. Well worth making a reservation in advance if you’re planning to visit Amsterdam and want to wine and dine in a star restaurant.
The staff is polite and very attentive and the food is just superb.
They also have a bistro the back which looked nice.

After reading all the reviews I couldn’t disagree with most of them more. I was first unimpressed with the manager who was rude and seemed put out by having to fix a screw up on a reservation his staff made. After arguing who’s mistake it was we were treated to terrible service and even worse attitude from mainly management and a few of the wait staff. 45 min to get our appetizers and drinks. And another hour for main course which was very small and over priced. This is supposedly a Michelin star restaurant??? I could not be more unimpressed with the service, I have had better service and attitude at a Denny’s fast food restaurant. The manager didn’t lead he was the majority of the problem. This was not my only bad experience here. Two days for lunch prior to this, it was 1.5 hours for a cheeseburger and the next day same for a club sandwich. Also begging for drink refills EVERY MEAL is not a Michelin restaurant. This is a FAIL.

Yesterday at lunch I had possibly the best meal I’ve had in two and a half years living in Amsterdam. My friend and I had a Groupon for a three course meal at Bridges, which was two mains (they are small, so essentially a starter and main of the same size) and a dessert each. They started us with 2 amuses, the same another reviewer mentioned: the pretzel covered in lobster powder which I wasn’t crazy about and the beans, radish and artichoke chips served with two sauces. They also brought a nice sourdough bread. The mains came very quickly — I had the artichoke and langostine, and my friend ordered the lobster. My langostine came with a very interesting popped quinoa which is worth a taste. With dessert — the carmel ice cream and some chocolate dish, both recommended by the waitress — we ordered coffee and tea, which meant we got another two desserts: churros and chocolate balls covered in nuts with a mandarin orange center. All were very good but the churros were my favorite I think. Four desserts was a bit overload though just to forewarn you. The service was extremely attentive and prompt– we even commented on how impressed we were with the service and they said they really make an effort at lunchtime to get people in and out so you can get back to work. We had at least six different people serving us and felt very well looked after. It was a lovely dining experience, not at all pretentious, so I will definitely go back.

Let me start by saying that the service is excellent. Really excellent. There are a team of people that take care of you from the street to opening the door when you leave.
The food was good, but probably not good enough for the price point. We did not like some of the options on the chef’s menu, so maybe that was our problem. The ala carte menu is really strange. Almost everything on it was 19 Euros. There is no section for appetizers and entrees. When we asked, they said almost everything is small plates. 19 Euro small plates is a little pricy even for a hotel restaurant. We ended up ordering a couple of them, which were pretty good. We then had the 78 Euro sea bass for two. It is a whole fish and they filet it at your table. It was cool presentation, but you are pretty much getting sea bass with only salt as a seasoning. We ended up spending 220 Euros for two including a ~50 Euro bottle of wine. Dessert was a molten chocolate cake with salted caramel ice cream.
Really I should give this 3.5 stars, but it is not an option. I would not go back on my own dime. Best service I have seen in a while though. ⁵⁄₅ for service.

We came here during restaurant week, and they were only accepting reservations for lunch. I have heard that the quality of food during restaurant week tends to be significantly lower, but this was not true for Bridges! The food and presentation was absolutely incredible!!!
Food: ⁵⁄₅
This was a 3 course menu with options to add a 4^th or 5^th course.
Prior to the starter, they also served 2 amuses. One which was a pretzel covered in lobster powder, and an assortment of roasted beans, radish and beet/​artichoke chips served with a mayo/​kropsla and tomato chutney.
Starter: salmon tartaar served in an avocado over an poached egg. The presentation of this dish was stunning. There was a tomato powder dusted on top and this contrasted against the dark blue of the plate. The textures of the egg, salmon and avocado were absolutely divine. It was perfectly seasoned and I have never tasted a tartaar like it.
Main: fish with broccoli and mashed potatoes served on endive. Also perfectly seasoned, delicious and beautifully plated.
Dessert: passionfruit cake with coconut/​basil ice cream. The cake was a bit on the sweet side but the ice cream served to balance that out. The basil in the ice cream was very different and worked well.
Overall, the food is amazing, fresh, perfectly cooked, and beautifully plated. Nothing was too salty for me and the textures and flavors were innovative and delicious. Despite the fact it was restaurant week, the quality was not any less. Highly recommended!
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Since this is a classy restaurant (located next to an expensive hotel), the service is impeccable. The waiters were friendly and informative. I have a shrimp allergy and they made sure to take that into account for the dishes; they modified a few dishes just for me.
Atmosphere: ⁵⁄₅
As said before, this is a classy place and I believe it has 1 Michelin *. Perfect place to impress someone (a lovely date, or her parents).
Value: ⁵⁄₅
For a restaurant week price of 35 euros/​person, I think it is a bargain. However, it might be a bit more expensive normally. The food quality is super high and you are definitely getting what you pay for. Well worth the cost for a special occasion.
They also included snacks when we ordered coffee, so even though my cappuccino cost 6 euros, I got 2 extra desserts which is a pretty good bargain for the price.

My first time in Amsterdam and it was just for a weekend last February.
The staff was attentive and knowledgeable. Fresh oysters were divine.
It was pricey though.

Fancy, but everything was very well done. My vio-​politan (like a cosmopolitan but with violet liquor and petals) was especially memorable — I could drink many, many more of these! Service was slow but friendly.
Definitely not cheap but worth it for a memorable dining experience!

Fin and Vin. If you don’t like fish or wine, this is not for you.
I was here on business, so I didn’t get to see the tab, but I am guessing it was pricey… Food was very good, and served in interesting different ways.
Ordering in English not a problem here.

This place is a pretentious hotel restaurant. Unless you’re on the Company dime, don’t bother here. Servers are really uptight and condescending. Menu is basically all seafood, so follow up your tuna tartare muse with a tuna tartare starter and proceed to your main: tuna tartare. No thanks.
They served my tuna in a small bowl that rested on top of a another bowl filled with seashells and salt. Wtf?
Just a strange place that nobody in Amsterdam bothers with — just rich tourists staying at the Grand Hotel with too much money.

This place is my version of Wonderland! It’s my favorite restaurant in the world, so far. The service is attentive without being annoying, the food is orgasmic, seriously, the wine list is superb, and the décor is fun and artistic. I wanted to move in. I renamed it «The Gina Trap». :)
The restaurant alone is worth a trip to Amsterdam.