Cafe Parlotte - Amsterdam's Modern Fine Wine Institution

Amsterdam being called a strange place is often an understatement. With its ‘coffee shops’, red light district, and twenty-something-year-olds wandering the streets red-eyed whilst wearing bucket hats and man bags, it’s not often a city associated with fine wine like London, Paris, or Bordeaux.

Ask any wine lover in Amsterdam for a recommendation and one name always appears to be muttered with the same adoration. Café Parlotte in Jordaan.

A journey by bike to Jordaan is met with the best that Amsterdam has to offer. The canals are lined with the most beautiful tall and narrow houses that provide wonder and a feeling that you’ve traveled back in time 200 years. On a cold rainy Thursday evening, the streets are empty and upon turning onto Westerstraat where the restaurant is located, one can wonder if you’re in the right location. A little further down the road, you’re met with the answer. Shining bright is a cafe full of life and people.

By the time I’d reached the door of Cafe Parlotte, it was easy to see what the hype was about. Great bottles or ‘trophies’ line the doorway. Top producers and vintage from DRC, Bordeaux First Growths, and Champagne grande cuvées show that this tiny restaurant means business. The decor is simplistic reminding you of great brasseries in Paris. Formal but informal. An old wooden floor reminiscent of a brown bar built over 100 years ago sets the stage, topped by old tables and chairs beautifully balanced out by white tablecloths and silverware.

Describing itself as a place fascinated by its patrons, good food, and wine with a constantly changing daily menu, the recipe is simple. Do a few things, but do them well.

We arrive a few minutes early but are seated at the bar immediately to bridge the gap to our table being available. With a glass of champagne in one hand and an oyster in the other, our evening has begun.

The wine menu features a beguiling mix of classicism and wine menu musts, hard to find gems from Burgundy and Jura are balanced out by up-and-comers. Egly-Ouriet, Pierre Gonon of Saint-Joseph, Mugneret-Gibourg, Pierre-Yves Collin-Morey, and Cathiard from Burgundy grace the menu along with the likes of Envinate of Tenerife poured by the glass. Flicking through the many pages of the menu brings both excitement and a whimper from my wallet.

To leave a sense of mystery and self-discovery, we’ve only named a few things from the vast menu.

Freshly baked bread, homemade butter, clams, grilled octopus, and terrine are often featured on the menu. We order all of them. The sommelier suggests a bottle of Pouilly-Fuissé L’Áme Forest 2020 by Eric Forest to start as it’s drinking beautifully right now and pairs with our starters

After a long and enthusiastic conversation with the sommelier about the Burgundy domaines that grace my cellar, a secret bottle not on the menu arrives on my table. It’s my last one he says asking if I’d like it. Premier Cru Les Plantes 2015 in Chambolle-Musigny from Berthaut-Gerbet is poured alongside our mains.Turning the gaze around the room reveals it’s an engrossing mix of people. Young couples, older couples, wine enthusiasts wanting to learn and try new things, and groups of men trying to outdo each other with their wine choices can all be found here. Unpretentious, classic yet modern and friendly.

To sweeten an already great dinner, a glass of d’Yquem 2006 is served alongside our dessert with its trademark elegance and balance of sweetness and freshness that tastes like liquid gold. The wine was singing.

You’ll often find us passing by to drink a glass of wine at the bar, if not popping a bottle or two. Café Parlotte is set to firmly cement itself as an institution and a flag bearer for the exciting times for what Amsterdam will have to offer in the future for fine wine.

 

 

 

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