Bridges

Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197, 1012 EX Amsterdam, Netherlands

Think of Dutch cuisine and your first thought isn’t fish. Surprising really, when you consider that Amsterdam is barely half an hour from the coast. Whatever the reason, Dutch restaurant Bridges is breaking the mold. Positioned in the glittering Sofitel, Amsterdam, and headed by French chef Aurélin Poirot, Bridges style is defined by ‘fins et vins’. Fins provided by Poirot’s offering of eight or so varieties of fish, and wine pairings by adept sommelier Hans Tuin. It also has an impressive raw bar offering dishes such as yellow fin tuna with wasabi, caviar blinis and scallop ceviche. One highlight is the raw seafood platter – it’s surprising the platter itself doesn’t buckle under its weight. This work of seafood art, with crustaceans and molluscs aplenty, is paired with a bottle of Gosset, the house champagne. Once this lands on your table, you’ll be forever thinking of Amsterdam as by the sea.