The Zuidas has added a serious dining spot. HORTA is not a business meeting restaurant or an average lunchroom for office workers, but a place that takes the cuisines of Valencia and Catalonia seriously. That's considerable promise for a neighborhood traditionally known more for meeting sandwiches than good Spanish cuisine.
The man behind HORTA is Raul Lansink. That name says something if you follow the Amsterdam restaurant landscape a bit. Lansink previously opened NAZKA, the Peruvian fine-dining restaurant that attracted considerable attention. With HORTA, he is taking a different tack. No multiple courses with white gloves, but a full-day concept where you can drop in at noon for a Menu del Día and still be eating in the evening. That rhythm, from lunch through after-work to dinner, is exactly how it works in Spain. Lansink is trying to import that feeling here.
