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The French Café Bistrot at its buttery best

Please note that since writing this blog post, The French Cafe Bistrot has closed down

I’ve just signed a petition to make free water in restaurants mandatory. It’s something I feel fairly strongly about. I think I can honestly say that I have no problem spending money – sometimes a lot of money – in restaurants. But I do have a problem with wasting money, plastic, glass and energy on something that flows freely (well, sort of) out of the tap. Especially when what comes out of our taps in Amsterdam is some of the cleanest, freshest water in the world.

Ok, rant over. But for those who agree with me, you’ll be pleased to know that The French Café Bistrot is one restaurant that has taken this to heart, and is happy to serve customers free water out of beautiful, reusable, blue-glass bottles. The first of many reasons I liked this place so much.

I’d been meaning to go to The French Café for years – ever since a chef friend recommended it to me. And then its less expensive sister restaurant opened, and I had double the reasons to visit the Gerard Douplein in de Pijp. Not feeling too flush this month, I decided to hit the bistrot, and – despite the menu’s cheaper price tag – it did not disappoint.

I am a huge fan of rillettes and tend to order it whenever I can, so it was the obvious choice when I saw it on the list of starters. These rillettes (which could have been duck or goose – the menus didn’t seem to agree with each other!) were served simply with bread and pickles. Classic and delicious, especially with a glass of Tempranillo.

Next, I chose the meat dish of the day, which in this instance was onglet: it came perfectly cooked, slowly but still pink in the middle, with potato purée and a beefy, buttery jus. It could probably have used some greenery to break up the richness, but then again the restaurant does have the word “French” in the title. Never let a vegetable get in the way of a butter-fest, eh?

We were too full for dessert, but the other main dishes I tasted were every bit as flavoursome as mine. Dinner came to just under €45 each, including a tip, which was well deserved for attentive service. Not to mention the free water!

all the info

The French Cafe Bistrot (French)
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