TRAVEL
The service is second to none and they cannot do enough for their guests. The hotel restaurant is called Carstens, a brasserie with a strong focus on Dutch products. The Chef, Mark Kuijpers is a master of his craft and we had a splendid meal that l cannot fault in any way. We enjoyed a starter of Yellow Beetroot that was thinly sliced like carpaccio and Steak Tartare with sour pickles and chives. Both were superb and came with a bread basket of some of the finest sourdough bread l have ever tasted - and made by Maarten the baker. Good man, good name!
that. My partner enjoyed Mullet with sauce made from traditional Dutch hotpot and was superb and beautifully cooked. This all came with Dutch Spinach pan-fried with garlic, and cauliflower with brown butter and goat quark. We then asked for the cocktail list and this comprised the bartender coming over to discuss what we would like - a novel bespoke cocktail service that l could really get used to.
boats that take you in every direction and this really is the way to see the city. There are boats to set locations and then the hop on, hop off, therefore allowing you to use it like a bus to get around the city. The organisation of this system really could be better. No obvious signs of where to go, which boat goes where and, annoyingly, you only find out you
“The steak was great and the Stamppot was stupendous”
This was followed by Tournedos, tenderloin from the Simmentaler cow accompanied by Stamppot, a traditional dutch mashed potato dish with sour cream and tarragon. The steak was great and the Stamppot was stupendous - worth going back for just for
He knew his stuff too and possibly we shouldn’t have just kept ordering them my head told me the next day! A totally fabulous meal with fabulous service throughout. www.carstensbrasserie.nl/ www.parkplaza.com One further advantage of the hotel’s location is that it is directly opposite the loading site for all the canal tour
are in the wrong queue when you get to the ticket seller. Very annoying. I would recommend all visitors buy the I Amsterdam City Card (IACC) as this gives you discounts all over the place and free entry to many attractions. The main office for this card, and all other tourist board related information, can be found behind the main station. www.iamsterdam.com
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