Restaurant ZaZa

Continuing with my restaurant review vibe I thought I'd write about another excellent meal I had in de Pijp last night with my friend Stephan. At his suggestion we met in the Heinekenplein and made our way around the corner to Daniel Stalpertstraat where this cosy and well designed restaurant was positioned.

On entering I was immediately impressed by the hard wood finish, tasteful lighting and generally relaxed atmosphere about the place. We were seated by a very friendly american waitress at a cute table at the back which seats the guests next to each other. It's perfect if you want a little privacy (I am told the restaurant can get noisy during its busier times) although I'd recommend swapping places half way through the meal if you want to avoid neck pain! The place also has a strong 'Ab Fab' influence with some amusing artwork and books placed strategically around the establishment.

My company was engaging and we talked about many hilarious and amusing things throughout the course of the night, including how in Bulgaria pre the internet the local homosexuals used to call telephone information exchanges with pre-recorded annoucements on train times etc. in order to meet one another: because the infrastructure was so elderly it was possible to use the connection as a conference style pick up line! My point was that the food was sufficiently excellent to make a good counterpoint to the conversation.

The menu immediately aroused my curiosity, the chef was clearly capable with a diverse range of menu items displaying his skill. For starters I ended up choosing a garlic soup with melted Gruyere and grilled almonds, while Stephan chose the rabbit rilette served with melba crostini. Both courses were very well prepared, and excellently presented. My soup was the perfect temperature and tasted delightful with the deeply flavoured creamy garlic liquid accentuated with the melted moments of Gruyere on the spoon. The rilette, similar to a pate, was very tasty and originally prepared.

For the main course I opted for a second vegetarian dish of sage ravioli of wild mushroom and spinach with pumpkin carrot sauce and a crispy cheese wafter. Stephan went for the duck with cous cous, eggplant and yogurt and sweet and sour apricot sauce. My dish was a triumph and although large with many differing flavours they mixed well together, I ate the dish punctuating each mouthful with a small wafer of the melted cheese which was served alongside. I could see how rich the duck was the moment it was put on the table and Stephan luxuriated in the dish, taking him easily 20m to (almost!) finish. The flavours were excellent with the sweetness of the apricot in the cous cous helping to release the gamey undertones of the rare duck breast.

This is another must visit, the price was very reasonable (70 Euros for the two of us, although admittedly without a bottle of wine), the service outstanding for Holland, and the chef very talented: thanks to you Vincent.

You can reach ZaZa's on +31 (0) 20 673 6333.