Gertrude
Amadou Dia's candlelit corner does special occasions without the starch.
Gertrude is the Oud-West special-occasion room for people who break out in hives at white tablecloths. Chef Amadou Dia (ex-Bordewijk) and Billy Wattimena cook a French-leaning seasonal menu in starter-sized plates, fish cakes with sesame, caramel and prawn; tuna with eggplant, kiwi and ponzu; duck with plum and carrot, and the five-course chef's menu lands at €65, a number Gault&Millau rewarded by nudging its score up to 13.5. The corner room on Bosboom Toussaintstraat does a lot of the work: herringbone floor, leather banquette, and a curved wooden bar you'll want to drink at long after the kitchen closes. Weekend service starts at noon, so it moonlights as a long-lunch spot for anniversaries that can't wait until dinner. Bring your parents; they'll quietly conclude you've made it.
Add the oysters with cherry and rose water before the €65 chef's menu takes over.
What to order
Full menu- Chef's menu by Amadou€65 pp
Five courses of the kitchen's call, how most tables and reviewers play it
- Fish cakes with sesame, caramel and prawn€13
Survives every seasonal menu rewrite, the closest thing to a house signature
- Tuna, eggplant, kiwi, ponzu€19
The other fixture: raw tuna with an odd-sounding combo that just works
- Shrimp and bone marrow dumpling€16
Rich one-biter with pork and anise that reviews single out
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