Restaurant Bridge is a fine dining restaurant located in the heart of Amsterdam in The Netherlands. It is the gastronomic flagship of the luxurious hotel Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam. Tourists, locals and worldwide foodies find their way to this remarkable property. The restaurant is located at the front of the hotel, facing the canals. It has a separate entrance for its guests and is positioned separately from the hotel to appeal to a wide audience.

The building of the hotel and the restaurant are unique and tell a part of the history of Amsterdam. Originally founded in 1411 as a monastery, the building served as the city hall of Amsterdam for a long time. The rooms where the restaurant is located were the previous staff canteen. It was at the entrance of this room that artist Karel Appel painted the famous artwork ‘Vragende Kinderen’ in 1949.

The interior of restaurant Bridges was totally renovated in 2015 by French interior designer Christophe Daudré. He created a contemporary, warm and cosmopolitan restaurant. The reflections of the water from the canals were the source of inspiration for the designer and guests can notice this in the mirrors and playful decorations. Lots of wood was used, and design furniture, brown, grey and golden colours create a laid-back, elegant atmosphere. The private dining room at the back of the restaurant is ideal for bigger groups. At the side of the courtyard garden of the hotel, one can also find a bistro restaurant, ‘Le Petit Bistro’, where the team serves French bistro classics in an urban setting. The Garden Terrace can be found in the courtyard garden itself. It is one of Amsterdam’s most cosy terraces and a perfect location to enjoy the chef’s dishes when the weather is fine.

Bridges is a restaurant ‘inspired by Ron Blaauw’, one of The Netherlands’ most famous chefs. Since 2015, executive Chef Bobby Rust is in charge of the kitchen at Bridges. Bobby gained experience in several famous restaurants in The Netherlands such as Oud Sluis, Le Cirque and De Librije, and worked in Ron Gastrobar (another one of Ron Blaauw’s restaurants) until 2015. The chef uses this experience to create refined, delicious dishes. For Bobby, everything starts with the product. He brings a product-driven ‘what you see is what you get’ kitchen. Bobby Rust loves the cooking craft and adores beautiful products like whole chicken, good meat, spit roast… He goes for refinement and perfection in the kitchen, whether this is at a fine-dining restaurant or at a more casual restaurant like Ron Gastrobar. Passion, ambition and hard work are Bobby’s keys to success.

At Bridges, Bobby translates his cooking philosophy into creative dishes with a focus on seafood. Guests can choose between the Menu Du Chef (4-6 courses), a lunch menu or several dishes à la carte. Famous starters include the langoustine tail, served with potato confit, pickled onion and broth of carrot and pine needles. The dishes ‘to share’, such as the turbot with a half European lobster, or the sea bass in salt crust, are highly recommended as well. The lacquered skate wing with a cream of rice, shrimp juice, sea vegetables and almond, surprises with a pleasant saltiness and beautiful presentation. As one can notice, fish and seafood remain a very important element of the kitchen of Bridges.

Wines are presented by top sommelier Lotte Wolf. Lotte gained experience in one of The Netherlands’ most famous restaurants, Oud Sluis. The remarkable sommelier travels the world to discover the best wines and is one of the most passionate wine-lovers you will meet. Of course, she has an impressive wine knowledge and will precisely advise you a bottle or pairing arrangement to complete your meal.

Restaurant Bridges remains a very good option for fine dining in Amsterdam. Delicious food, a modern, accessible atmosphere and top quality wines… There are plenty of reasons to visit this great restaurant.

Written by Sven, Frank & Adriaan