The Duchess
A fantastic one Michelin star date night spot.
It’s only my second day ever in Amsterdam and I already know this is going to be my favorite restaurant of the trip. It’s only the seventh month of the year and I already know it’s a top five meal of 2024.
The Duchess is located within the swanky W Hotel in central Amsterdam. It’s like the world’s most luxe Cheesecake Factory in the best possible, no shade, Michelin-starred way: it’s a surprisingly large menu, the portions are generous, a lot of it is comfort food, and it’s best to share.
As with the best restaurants, when considering individual dishes, it mostly came down to what we liked versus what we loved.
A tartare of the freshest tuna was finely minced and served topped with pistachio and a tomato mint chutney purée, which made for an interesting combination of textures and flavors that are unexpected in a tuna tartare.
You may think a simple spaghetti dish topped with caviar for $58 is a gimmick — and you’re probably right, but it’s a delicious gimmick. Beluga caviar, known as the least fishy of fish eggs, adds a delicious salty and unctuous element to a perfectly executed pasta with beurre blanc. Indulgent and satisfying. Even my fiancé, who is pretty new to caviar and not its biggest fan, thought it was delicious.
Tagliolini tossed in pistachio pesto and topped with burrata was another delicious pasta dish. Pistachio pesto is a bit different than its pine nut or walnut siblings, and it sure is tasty. And you should know from the beginning that I never say no to burrata, stracciatella, mozzarella di bufala… it never makes a pasta dish worse, let’s just say.
This was my first Beef Wellington, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but we both enjoyed it. We ordered it medium rare when asked to choose between that and medium — the rarer the better is a good rule with many cuts of steak. Finely chopped mushrooms and spinach crowned the filet underneath a cozy layer of puff pastry. The flavors in this dish are comforting and homey but nothing super complex or special. Still, worth trying.
The only thing I can’t wholeheartedly recommend was a dessert that was more theatrics (think dry ice) than flavor (the chocolate explosion). We overheard the server telling another table that their most popular dessert is the crème brûlée, which is the other one we were considering. If I’m lucky enough to return, that’s what I’d get!
TL;DR: WHAT WE ATE
Loved: tuna tartare with tomato-mint chutney, spaghetti with beurre blanc and Beluga caviar
Liked: pistachio pesto tagliolini with burrata, beef Wellington (cooked rare of course), “Pear Cobbler” cocktail
Should have skipped: chocolate explosion