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They serve a steak tartare so good that Michelin-star chefs from other restaurants come here to eat it, that’s the kind of establishment Auberge Jean & Marie is. With classic dishes from the 70s and 80s on the menu and hospitality that’s almost unheard of in Amsterdam.
“We treat our guests the way we would like to be treated ourselves,” Marije Bremer says. “Wouldn’t you appreciate it when we remember at which table you were sitting last time you were here and what type of wine you prefer?”
‘Guests appreciate our love for the trade and classy details such as white tablecloths and classic white tableware’
Two years ago, Bremer and Jan Grijspeere opened restaurant and wine bar Auberge Jean & Marie, located in the quiet part of the Albert Cuypstraat. And with the North-South metro line finally running, the Auberge is now even easier to reach.
Love for the trade
FOTO: JOHN TEN BOER
“The same team of waiters, top quality food and drinks, a nice atmosphere. That’s what we find important,” says Jan Grijspeere, who mentions Brasserie Van Baerle and Joop Braakhekke’s Le Garage as prime examples of excellent hospitality. “Guests appreciate our love for the trade and classy details such as white tablecloths and classic white tableware. And yet we’re very accessible.”
That personal attention has led to a growing number of regular guests, some of them just popping in for a coffee or a glass of wine – there’s a choice of 200 wines, of which 70 are served by the glass. Guests who come for dinner can eat à la carte or opt for a 3- or 4-course menu. During the day, the Auberge serves dishes based on the dinner menu, plus real lunch classics such as bouchée à la reine with veal ragout and sweetbread. And on Sundays, guests are welcome for an extensive lunch or early dinner.
Salade Landaise
The classics from the 70s and 80s are often a feast of recognition. Take for example the Salade Landaise with smoked duck breast, confit of duck gizzards, duck liver, raspberry vinaigrette and walnuts (see photo), or escargots Café de Paris, eel on toast and shrimp cocktail. “That’s what we used to eat at Christmas when we were young!’ some guests say with a smile. Why reinvent the wheel, with all these wonderful dishes French cuisine has to offer?”
‘We’re only four minutes away from the Zuidas – ideal for a business lunch’
“We adapt these classics to this day and age: a little less butter, a slightly more sour taste, subtle changes.” After many years of working in various restaurants and being self-declared Francophiles, they felt it was high time to open their own French restaurant.
And with the revamped Albert Cuypstraat, a new car park under the Hobbemakade and the North-South metro line in service, the timing is perfect. “Before people go to the Concertgebouw, they can enjoy an early dinner here, or have supper afterwards. And we’re only four minutes away from the Zuidas – ideal for a business lunch.”
Auberge Jean & Marie
Albert Cuypstraat 58-60
Amsterdam
T 020 845 2005
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 12:00 to 23:00 hours
Sunday: 12:00 to 19:30 hours (only dishes from the dinner menu)
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