Sinne

Fusion modern cuisine in Amsterdam

BBQ duck breast with bimi, creme of red curry lentils, Thai basil

Dutch cuisine is somewhat an unknown outside Holland, but actually, there is plenty of top quality, exciting restaurants in the country, taking influences from around the world. With Amsterdam alone, 25 restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars, and Sinne is one of them. It is a very modern restaurant that combines French, Asian and Mediterranean flavours together to create something unusual and contemporary. Unlike most other restaurants, Sinne also doesn't run a classic a la carte menu. Instead, diners would be asked how many courses they would like, ranging from 3 to 8 dishes. It is a no choice fixed menu in a way.

Mackeral, lime, almond, radish

Beef tartar, shallot, oxtail jelly

Celeriac, egg, truffle, hazelnut

I went for 5 courses. The celeriac doesn't look interesting but the taste was smashing, finely seasoned with bags of earthy flavours from the slow cooked egg yolk and truffle. I especially enjoyed the hazelnut and garlic touch which added a lovely crunchy texture and richness. The main of BBQ duck breast with broccolini had a strong hint of Asain element, cooked pink with a fruity glaze. It came with mild red curry lentils and Thai basil, offering a creamy, spicy kick and very aromatic aroma. I found the dessert was fun and visually pleasing, dark chocolate with peanut and banana, rich in taste but not overly sweet, the bitterness was just right and the vanilla delivered the much needed lightless which made it a well-balanced dish.

Passionfruit and white chocolate

Curd of vanilla with fennel, carrot and orange

Dark chocolate, peanut and banana

Overall, the cooking at Sinne was somewhat unusual and fun, the quality of the cooking was impressive. However, I don't think it is quite to the 1 star Michelin standard, the refinement was lacking for me. The attention to those smaller courses, such as the canapes and pre-dessert, was just not on the same level as other main dishes, it always feels like it came out from another kitchen. The service was decent but rather slow, it took a while for a waiter to come to us to take our order but I suspect that is because it was an extremely busy evening. Sinne is a great restaurant for anyone who fancies fusion flavours in a very informal setting, just don't expect everything to be smart and slick.


Food 3.5/5

What I paid: 
£70 per person

Average cost without drinks and services:
£60 Tasting menu


Ceintuurbaan 342, 1072 GP Amsterdam, Netherlands

http://www.restaurantsinne.nl/en/

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