Please note that since writing this blog post, Elsa's has closed down
Saturday night: it’s approximately -12 degrees. I’m wearing heels whose soles are as smooth as a baby’s bum. Ice is unavoidable: canals, road, bike paths. And where do I decide to go for dinner? A boat.
It takes us far longer to find the elusive ‘Steiger 5′ on the Oosterdok than is entirely comfortable given the temperature and our attire. When we do, we have to walk down what can only be described as a gang plank – covered in ice and swaying atop a menacingly dark, cold looking IJ. We scramble up the metal ramp to the Feniks, a vessel who houses a few hotel rooms and, mercifully, a warm dinner.
Elsa, not only the chef but also the woman who gives her name to the boat’s homely restaurant, greets us in a friendly mix of Dutch and English. We explain the reason for our lateness (our treacherous journey) and crack open our BYOB wine, while Elsa tells us to help ourselves to the very green soup.
The two-course seasonally changing set menu costs €15 and is only available (rather bizarrely) during the winter months November to March. It’s the kind of food you’d make yourself at home, but for the price and the freshness of the ingredients, it’s worth letting someone else cook it for you. The evening we visited, the main dish was baked salmon in a spicy tomato sauce; my non-fish eating friend had lamb cutlets, but bear in mind you’ll need to call in advance if you’ve got special eating requirements. Both mains were served with roasted beetroot, salad and potato scones that were a cross between Scotch pancakes and rösti. For a small additional cost, we ordered the apple cake with whipped cream, and sat sipping tea and talking loudly and inappropriately for the next two hours – no doubt Elsa loved us. Hey-ho.
If your idea of restaurant dining requires eating something you wouldn’t (or can’t) cook at home, Elsa’s won’t float your boat. But if you’re after large portions of fresh, home-cooked comfort food in a slightly unconventional spot, it’s time to walk the plank.
