Restaurant Review: Ciel Bleu, Amsterdam, Netherlands

If you have been following me for a while, you have probably determined that I seek out top rated restaurants when I travel.  During our recent few days in Amsterdam, my boyfriend and I had time for one amazing meal and selected Ciel Bleu, a 2 Michelin star rated restaurant under chefs Onno Kokmeijer and Arjan Speelman.  Ciel Bleu is located on the 23rd floor of the Hotel Okura Amsterdam, so the name references the location: being up on the 23rd floor of the hotel means that there is blue sky all around you as you dine.  This restaurant is not located within the canal rings, it was about a fifteen minute drive south from the first canal ring where our hotel was located (closer to the Museumplein but a bit further east).  Ciel Bleu was awarded one Michelin star from 2005-2007, in 2008 they received their second and they have maintained those stars ever since.  Please read on for photos and details of our amazing meal at Ciel Bleu.

First amouse bouche with all of the flavors of a Tom Yum soup.  The paper was edible, we were instructed to roll it up and eat it as one bite.  This bite reminded me of Thailand!

Second amouse-bouche.

Third amouse-bouche.

First course: New Zealand oyster with cucumber, gin tonic, and grapefruit.

First Course Wine Pairing: Domaine Louis Michel & Fils 2011 Chablis Premier Cru.

Second course: King Crab with baerii caviar, beurre blanc ice cream, and preserved lemon.  This is Chef Onno Kokmeijer's signature dish.

Second Course Wine Pairing: De Trafford 2013 Chenin Blanc.

Langoustine steamed over ginger, brought out for the third course.

Third course: Langoustine with combava, succade fruit, and ginger.

Third course wine pairing: Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla Classic Dry Manzanilla.

For the fourth course, chef de cuisine Arjan Speelman brought out a huge plate of truffles to shave on top of the next dish.  Look at those truffles!

Fourth Course: Winter Truffle with oxtail, egg yolk, and brown butter.  This was our favorite!

Fourth Course Wine Pairing: Chateau Mont-Redon 2010 Chateauneuf de Pape Vignoble Abeille.

For the next course, the server brought this to the table: pigeon baked in a salt crust.

The server took a hammer and brush and chipped away at the salt crust.

The pigeon unearthed from the salt crust, prior to plating.

Fifth course: Pigeon 'Anjou' with pistachio, polenta, and pomegranate.

Fifth Course Wine Pairing: Ca'Marcanda 2012 Magari.

 Three wines were brought out for the dessert course.

Chambers Rosewood Vineyards Rutherglen Muscat.

Errazuriz Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc.

Loosen Bros 2011 DR L Riesling.

First dessert.

Second dessert.

Third dessert.

Fourth dessert.

Selection of cookies.

Last but not least, the servers brought our a cart with an insane amount of chocolates.

A fantastic quote on Ciel Bleu's menu - I can absolutely appreciate and relate.

I hope you enjoyed these photos and descriptions of our meal at Ciel Bleu in Amsterdam.  This was an exceptional dinner in a wonderful city that I hope to visit again soon.  Thank you for visiting my blog today, and I hope you have a great weekend!