RIJKS RESTAURANT, Amsterdam
RIJKS first opened its doors in the Rijksmuseum’s Philips Wing in 2014, with Joris Bijdendijk at the helm as the restaurant’s executive chef. Bijdendijk introduced his Low Countries’ cuisine (or ‘Low Food’), which is firmly rooted in Dutch produce – in all its modest glory.
The chef and his young team draw their inspiration from ingredients grown on Dutch soil, often also making use of the many international flavours that have influenced Dutch cuisine across the centuries. R IJKS received a Michelin star in 2016, rose from 16.5 to 17 points in the Gault & Millauguide in 2019 and was included in the brand-new ranking list of the team behind The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants that same year; the 50 Best Discovery.
Artists with ambition:
The Rijksmuseum tells the story of the Netherlands. Influences from countries far and near can be seen here as well. We continue this trend at R KS®: quality, authenticity, uniqueness, translated to the cuisine, the chefs, the interior and the location. RIJKS is the Rijksmuseum on your plate.
Joris Bijdendijk: “We are on the threshold of a new golden age of Dutch gastronomy. There’s some excellent cooking going on in the Netherlands, farmers are changing course and going for quality over quantity, and ever more producers are committing to high- quality products.
When we set up RIJKS we were determined to keep our focus close to home, and that applies to more than just the food: we had plates made for us from clay excavated during the construction of Amsterdam’s new North-South metro line – and when building work on the line meant a tree had to be cut down, we would buy it to use for wooden items in the restaurant. Just as the museum sometimes holds exhibitions of loaned art, several times a year we invite a guest chef into our kitchen.”
Guest chefs:
RIJKS has welcomed several guest chefs in the last 5 years including:
Margot Janse (The Tasting Room / Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek, South Africa), Jacques Pourcel (Jardin des Sens in Montpellier, France), André Chiang (André in Singapore and RAW in Taiwan), Tim Raue (Tim Raue, Berlin), Yotam Ottolenghi (Nopi, London), Nick Bril (The Jane, Antwerp), Virgilio Martínez (Central, Lima), Fergus Henderson (st. John, London), Eelke Plasmeijer (Locavore, Bali), Dan Hunter (Brae, Australia), Kamilla Seidler (Gustu, Bolivia), Sang Hoon Degeimbre (L’air de temps, Belgium), Micha Tsumura (Maido, Peru), Fredrik Berselius (Aska, New York), Matt Abergel (Yardbird, Hong Kong), Josean Alija (Nerua, Bilbao) Nicolás López (Villanos en Bermudas, Bogotá), Richard Ekkebus (Amber, Hong Kong), Jorge Vallejo (Quintonil, Mexico City), Mauro Colagreco (Mirazur, France) and Manoella Buffara (Manu, Brazil).
"When entering the restaurant first thing you notice is the exquisite design and friendly staff welcoming you. Once seated at the table you can choose from variety of dishes or a multiple course menu served with wine pairing that stands out or other drinks such as cocktails or non-alcoholic beverages. The food is absolutely delicious, refreshing and the whole experience makes you want to go back regurarly. It is one of the best places to eat in Amsterdam and we highly recommend it. You can read more about it soon in our coming issue." – Timotej Letonja
