On the night in question, we were looking for a pre-concert dinner near the Concertgebouw and came across this gem of a place quite by accident. Packed to the rafters, Eetcafé Schotsheuvel, a great little French bistro, is definitely the place for locals and those dedicated concertgoers who frequent the nearby Concertgebouw concert hall. With tables crammed into what is really quite a small dining room, this is a restaurant for all ages: from families with small children, to the courting couple, and friends meeting for a post-work get-together and an opportunity to mull over the day before heading home.
The main course
Turning to the food… both my husband and I ordered the bavette steak – a wonderfully flavoursome piece of meat which was cooked beautifully and went very nicely with a surprisingly good glass of French red wine!
The dessert
The star of the meal however, was the pudding – a deconstructed blackcurrant cheesecake which tasted of summer. I grow blackcurrants myself and very much appreciate the fresh and clean flavour of fruit, frozen in season, and then months later, teases us with a little hint of summer. This cheesecake was absolutely delicious!
As we left at 19:30 to head to our concert, this cosy restaurant/bar was bursting at the seams. Excellent and prompt service from all at Schotsheuvel. We will definitely return.
The menu
Our return visit!
And we did return – three months later, in June 2023. This time we decided to try one of the starters: the confit prawns – a very light and delicate dish, which worked very well with a glass of cava!
Main course no.2
We followed this with the lamb, and while not being the prettiest of dishes, it definitely did pull a punch in terms of flavour. Back home in England, we would eat lamb much more frequently than here in The Netherlands where availability is a real issue, so to see it on the menu, and cooked to perfection, is a real bonus. On a slightly different note… I am not the greatest fan of polenta, and while it must be said that the chef did not manage to change my opinion on this matter, the delicious fries were the perfect partner.
What really made me smile was the level of service – the wonderfully kind and knowledgeable waitress recognised us from our previous visit, and we were able to pick up where we left off, discussing wine, food and life! For anyone who frequents the Concertgebouw as much as I do, this little French bistro, tucked away in a most desirable residential suburb of Amsterdam, is a definite must; one to be cherished. We will return again and again…
Reviewed on Thursday 1st June, 2023 ★★★★
Eetcafé Schotsheuvel | Banstraat 14 | 1071 JZ Amsterdam
Click here to read about delicious English food in The Cottage, Amsterdam
Follow Clare Varney on Facebook or Instagram to read more about Music, Food and Culture
