An Outstanding Four Course Meal at Restaurant ANNA in Amsterdam

Restaurant ANNA in Amsterdam will give you an outstanding dining experience. I recommend their four course dinner and wine pairing–marvelous.

Following from my last post, you’ll know that my mother and I had dinner one evening at Restaurant ANNA, during our stay in Amsterdam.

Disclosure: Amsterdam Marketing arranged for us to be hosted by Restaurant ANNA. All opinions are solely my own.

The restaurant is located directly across from the 800 year old Oude Kerk (Old Church) which is Amsterdam’s oldest building and oldest parish church–ironically, within the Red Light District. When we arrived at Restaurant ANNA, we were welcomed immediately and seated near the back of the restaurant with views of the church. I loved the atmosphere in the contemporary and stylish setting. My mother and I had no idea what a wonderful culinary experience we were about to have as we sat down.

Rodney was our attentive server who explained that we’d be enjoying the ANNA Prix Fixé 4 course dinner with paired wines, and shortly thereafter brought us an amuse bouche with some bread. Couscous truffles sat upon radish slices coated in quinoa, and were very enjoyable. Both Mum and I were enamored with the crunchy quinoa and I’m not usually a  fan. Also on the plate were gelatinized pickle cubes with shallots, which was a nice palate cleanser.

Next arrived a lovely and unique presentation consisting of asparagus mousse with hidden pieces of asparagus below an extremely thin slice of super crisp potato, topped with a quenelle of pâté. It was very appetizing, and again, the crispness of the potato was a wonderful addition.

I failed to mention that Rodney had also brought our first wine to the table, a German Reisling, with just a hint of sweetness.

Courses are listed below in bold and the wine pairings follow in italics.

Octopus – Dutch shrimp – orange – grapefruit – roasted tomato – cantaloupe – fennel – sweet and sour cucumber

Wine Pairing – Dr. Burklin-Wolf – Reisling, Germany, 2014

This octopus terrine was sublime, and with the mélange of fruits and vegetables on top, it was even more so. The texture was chewy and I really enjoyed tasting each fresh and flavorful ingredient. I could have eaten another serving and been completely content with dinner, but I knew there were more tantalizing dishes to come.

Ray – lime oil – cream of artichoke – baby artichoke – rocket (arugula)

Wine Pairing – Macon-Villages –  Chardonnay, 2013

I must admit, my mother and I had never eaten ray before, so we were curious. We both agreed, after tasting one bite, that we were fans. The chef’s preparation with the lime, artichoke and arugula combination was delectable , but the ray was very tasty, even on its own. The accompanying full-bodied Chardonnay was a bit fruity, with hints of oak and vanilla; excellent with this dish.

Veal onglet – broad beans – peas – asparagus – morilles jus (morel sauce) – vitelotte noir (black truffle potato)

Wine Pairing – Tandem – Syrah, Morocco, 2012

My favorite dish and wine pairing of the evening. The veal was perfectly cooked, tender and tasty, especially with the sauce. The wine was another first for us as it was from Morocco (who knew they made wine in Morocco?) It was a 100% Syrah, low tannin wine, fruity and full bodied–a lovely accompaniment to the veal.

Pre-desserts – Oh yes, these were delightful, and as much as I swooned over all the savory dishes, I could recommend coming to Restaurant Anna simply for the sweets, although, I am a bit of a sweet-tooth, as you may know.

Sabayon with fresh fruit – I adore crème brûlée, as does my mother, so this was a mouthwatering dessert for both of us as the flavor was definitely reminiscent of this French sweet. (Excuse the quality of photos from this point onwards as it was getting dark.)

Lemon Meringue pastry with Raspberries – another perfectly prepared mouthful of deliciousness: the singed meringue was lovely with the light flavor of almond in the custard below.

Coconut – passionfruit mousse – mango – kiwi – pandan ice cream (This is what was on the menu for dessert with the meal, however, my mother and I had already picked out two favorites and asked if it was possible to have those instead, and Rodney didn’t miss a beat in saying it was perfectly fine. This may seem unremarkable, however, restaurants and businesses are not always as quick to oblige customers’ requests in Europe as they are in the US. Bonus points for Restaurant Anna!)

Chocolate bombe – vanilla panna cotta – chocolate batons – orange cointreau sauce

Wine Pairing – Rosenkönig, Moscato Rosa,Northern Italy, 2013

This was Mum’s choice, although I did also have a taste of her dessert and wine. Batons were replaced by light macarons, which adorned the ganache covered panna cotta center. It was a fabulous combination of flavors which included an orange sauce I would have liked to have bathed in. Let’s just say my mother cleaned her plate. Again. The moscato is a favorite dessert wine of ours, so this didn’t go wrong either.

Apple Tarte Tatin – caramel sauce – almond tuille – Tahitian vanilla ice cream

Wine pairing – Domaine Sarda – Malet, Grenache Noir, France,  2011 

This luscious conclusion to my meal was truly divine! I savored every sweet bite, noting to my mother (who incessantly proclaims that my choices are “too sweet”) that it wasn’t at all cloying. She tasted a bite and agreed. The liqueur was also a marvelous ending to my culinary experience at Restaurant ANNA, as it too, wasn’t overly sweet- I truly enjoyed it with the Tarte Tatin, and I too, cleaned my plate. Again.

Rodney appeared once more with two perfect Madeleines, he had been the loveliest server–very friendly, professional and attentive without being overbearing.

For French pastry recipes like these desserts, head over to Mad About Macarons.

Overall, I would give Restaurant ANNA 5 stars. They have the right combination of good service, excellent food, classy surroundings and perfect location. Prices are very reasonable given the location and quality of the food. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear of them winning awards for their innovative dishes and styling.

On Restaurant ANNA’s website it states:

     Dinner at a very high level for an extremely reasonable price in a relaxed, informal atmosphere. That is –  in short – the mission of Restaurant ANNA.

I would have to add, “Mission Accomplished.”

For more information or to book a reservation CLICK HERE.

FACEBOOK/Restaurant ANNA

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Disclosure: Amsterdam Marketing arranged for us to be hosted by Restaurant ANNA. All opinions are solely my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.