Scheepskameel

A whitewashed shed on the old naval yard where plain-sounding food lands with sniper precision and the wine list speaks only German.

On the old naval yard behind the Maritime Museum, in a whitewashed shed with globe lamps and a permanently full dining room, Scheepskameel does the least fashionable thing possible: it cooks simply and gets everything right. The chef's menu changes daily and reads plainly, veal, turbot, beans, then lands with the kind of precision that makes you put your fork down and look up. The all German wine list, hundreds of bottles deep, was a provocation when the place opened in 2016 and is now the reason sommeliers drink here on their nights off. Parool gave it a 9 minus, Michelin keeps it on the Bib Gourmand list, and the room runs on regulars rather than tourists because nobody stumbles onto the Marineterrein by accident. Come with a group, order riesling with everything, let the staff steer, and finish with the madeleines people write home about.

The menu is set, so mention allergies when you book; then ask for a riesling with some age on it, the cellar goes deep and the markups are friendly.

Photo: Scheepskameel