There are few places in the city where you sit as directly on the water as at Ode aan de Amstel. The terrace really floats, on the Amstel River itself, overlooking the water and the banks of Oost. No crowded terraces along the canal, no tourists taking pictures of your plate. Here it is different. Quieter. The Amstelboulevard is one of those streets that many Amsterdammers barely visit, but is worth going especially for.
In the kitchen is chef Carolina. Her menu is a combination you don't see everywhere: Mediterranean base, Asian twist. That sounds like a recipe for confusion, but in practice it works. She has created a chef's menu that is available throughout the day, showcasing cuisine as she envisions it. Not a menu that tries to be everything to everyone, but a cohesive line of flavors that says something about what she's all about.
The interior space overlooks the water. Big windows, riverside views, elegant decor that doesn't scream but is present. It's a restaurant where you can also just have a glass without having to eat, and you notice that in the atmosphere. Not too sleek, not too casual. The terrace is the great weapon when the weather is right: floating on the Amstel, with the sound of water and the view across. On a summer afternoon, that's hard to beat.
On a summer afternoon on a floating terrace on the Amstel River, overlooking the other side, that's hard to beat.
East has gotten a lot of new business in recent years, but Ode aan de Amstel is not a Javastraat store or a place in the Indische Buurt. The Amstel Boulevard is a different corner of the neighborhood, quieter and less frequented. That gives the place something special. You sit here by the river that gave the city its name, on a terrace that moves with the water. Chef Carolina's cuisine does the rest.