[Amsterdam] 2* Ciel Bleu in Hotel Okura

Rating: ❤❤❤ (3/5)

Our last meal in Amsterdam was at the 2* Ciel Bleu in Hotel Okura, but the food was ultimately unremarkable and in need of an update - much like the dated hotel itself. Located on the 23/F of the hotel, the restaurant provides nice views of the city and we were invited to sit in the lounge area first to peruse the menu. Three menus are available for dinner: 5 courses for €150, "Guestronomy" for €170 and Full Experience for €240. We always felt that you can tell if a meal will be good based on the amuse bouche, so after trying a few bites we decided on the 5-course menu to limit the damage.

We started with a few Bites including:
Cracker, Artichoke & Ras el hanout / Bitterbal, Parsnip & Tandoori / Garden Peas, Goat Yogurt & Mint / Tom Yam, Grey Shrimp & Chicken Skin

The flavors mostly lacked sophistication, especially the Tom Yam one which tasted like what Westerners think Thai flavors should taste like 10 years ago. 

The Oyster with elderflower, green apple and celery was pretty decent and refreshing even, but nothing unique since I've had this exact same flavor profile at many other restaurants. 

Next came the bread course where we got to choose our own butter. They had interesting choices like yuzu, chili, garlic, et

The King Crab with Oscietra caviar and 'Beurre Blanc' is supposed to be their signature dish but it was too sweet for me and I wasn't really impressed with the flavors to be honest.

The White Asparagus with Dover sole, Amontillado sherry and clove turned out to be the best dish of all and I felt like the fish was really the star of the dish instead of the white asparagus. 

Lamb from Dorset with green olive, Hyssop and toast cannibal - the texture of the lamb was too soft for me and the flavors were typical and uninspiring. 

The Flavors of nougat de Montelimar was surprisingly clever and cheeky compared to the dishes we had before. It was a “joint” with rice paper where we were supposed to roll it up to eat - very appropriate for Amsterdam and I just wished we had more creative dishes like this. 

The Strawberries 'Shaken not stirred' with panna cotta, sorrento lemon and dacquoise just proved that the desserts were the stronger part of the meal. 

Mignardises with sweet creations of Dutch flavors and childhood memories

For a restaurant with 2 Michelin stars, I expected the level of food and creativity at Ciel Bleu to be much higher especially given the high prices. And for 2 stars, I'd much rather go to to Librije's Zusje instead where the food there just blows this place out of the water.

Ciel Bleu

Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, 1072 LH Amsterdam, Netherlands

Tel: +31 20 678 7450
https://www.okura.nl/en/culinary/ciel-bleu-restaurant/





Follow me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/supertastermel

Follow me on Instagram! www.instagram.com/supertastermel