In the Nine Streets, in a 17th-century canal house, Brasserie Embassy has been tucked away for those not paying attention since 2011. Part of the four-star Ambassade Hotel, but you needn't have known that. The brasserie stands on its own two feet. Chef Derek Reali runs the kitchen there: classic French, with a modern approach and fresh, seasonal ingredients. No frills, just good cooking.
The menu features dishes you would expect from a serious French brasserie, but executed the way it should be. The steak tartare is one to watch out for. The sea bass steak is fresh and tight. The duck confit does what a duck confit is supposed to do: slow-cooked, soft on the inside, crispy on the outside. And then there's the seasonal amuse-bouche that shows Reali has an eye for detail. Fifty wines on the menu, carefully selected, plus handcrafted cocktails, specialty beers and whiskeys for those who prefer them.
But what really sets Brasserie Embassy apart is the space itself. Hanging throughout the restaurant are original CoBrA artworks. Not reproductions, not prints. Original work by one of the most influential postwar art movements in the world, just hanging on the wall while you're eating your duck. That gives the brasserie something of a museum gallery, but one that you also just order a glass of wine with. Adjacent to the restaurant is the hotel's Library Bar, with more than 5,000 signed books by famous authors. Ordering a cocktail while surrounded by all that paper and all those autographs feels peculiarly right.
Hanging throughout the restaurant are original CoBrA artworks. Not reproductions, not prints. Original work, just on the wall while you're eating your duck.
The brasserie is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The building is in the middle of the Nine Streets, within walking distance of the major museums. For Amsterdam residents who live or work here, this is the place for a Thursday night dinner or a quiet Sunday afternoon with a good glass of wine and a Sunday Roast by the water. It doesn't always have to be a special occasion to go here.