Ciel Bleu () – Amsterdam – 4/18/2025

My wife and I were fortunate to dine at Ciel Bleu during our trip to Amsterdam.

Food/Wine:

We both had the Signature experience and added the supplement instead of replacing the main dish. The food was impeccable. Every dish wowed us with its presentation and flavor, even the bread service. The Wagyu and Sea Bass were my favorite dishes. The cheese cart they have is impressive and we found a wonderful new cheese that we loved. This meal was our favorite in Amsterdam and we would easily go back for the food alone.

I’ve provided the menu below but let me know if you have any questions and I’ll be happy to answer them.

Service:

Aside from the food, the reason this restaurant has two stars is definitely the service. Everyone was kind and personable. They set utensils, plates, and glasses in unison. They also took away everything the moment our plates were clear. There was a particularly rude guest in an adjacent table who was hard to deal with. Saying things like “I didn’t know fruits de mer were raw, WHY DIDN’T YOU EXPLAIN IT TO ME?” And asking for things off menu left and right “Do you have any boiled or fried seafood?” as well as sending several plates back. Not once did professionalism drop from what we saw. They worked hard to try and meet the wild demands and did it with a smile. Felt really frustrated for the front of house staff but also really impressed how they handled it all.

After dinner we met with Chef Arjan Speelman in the kitchen and thanked him for the wonderful dinner he and his kitchen staff put together. It was all really special and cool to see where everything happened behind the scenes.

Location:

The interior of the restaurant is beautiful and definitely gives off a high end restaurant feeling. The view is also gorgeous. We sat at one of the couches towards the wall but still had a good view. Amsterdam does not have many prominent land marks like the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum, but it was special to dine while watching the sun set over the city.

Hotel Okura is a little out of the way from Amsterdam Central. We are staying in the Jordaan and it was the first time all week we’ve gotten a cab, but it was well worth it.

Closing Thoughts:

Ciel Bleu was a very special dinner. The food, the service, the location were all fantastic and it was easily our favorite meal in Amsterdam. I would highly recommend it to anyone that finds themselves in Amsterdam.