A large part of our travelling consists of doing research and then imagining what the planned experiences will be like. We usually start by selecting twenty or so restaurants from Tripadvisor and from this list we can then go a little more in-depth with the help of food blogs, newspapers, etc. If the two sources do not agree, we try to find out why. This method sometimes gives some funny results but still provides a decent balance between efficiency and avoiding the worst of the worst.
In this specific case, however, we could have skipped our research because the Silver Mirror was a very well-deserved first place in the ranking. From the outside it looks rather unassuming but once inside you are greeted by a tasteful classical interior but also a warm welcome that felt genuinely welcoming rather than the cold professionalism that often characterises finer places.
We had booked a silver and golden special which, in addition to an eight-course tasting menu and accompanying wine, included a champagne cocktail, amuse bouche and some treats for coffee. You can see the wines above and the dishes below. A tip might be to not come starving to a menu like this as it makes you not really enjoy the first dishes.
Already after the initial cocktail and amuse bouche, we realised that this would be something out of the ordinary as it was both beautifully presented and tastefully composed.
After the excellent introduction came a cavalcade of flavours where each dish was like a small work of art. So beautiful that it was hard to destroy the creation, but at the same time so incredibly tasty that you couldn't resist. You may react to the fact that some dishes look very similar but it was absolutely not due to a lack of creativity but rather a question of it being the vegetarian version of the same dish.
The next stop was the "main course" and this required a little extra precision and an experienced hand to ensure that the small dish was not completely drowned in the good sauce. For one of the dishes we got what they jokingly called their own interpretation of KFC, a pair of perfectly fried chicken skewers.
This also illustrates the light-hearted and relaxed atmosphere of the restaurant. It's right up our street as we're not fond of places that take themselves too seriously. It made us remember a truffle menu a few years ago where star chef Norbert Lang said: "I have run many restaurants over the years and my motto has always been that a restaurant should never be more beautiful than its guests."
No menu is complete without the desserts. A funny detail was that the first dessert came in on a small white cushion. It was only when you poked it that you realised that it was not made of fabric but some kind of ceramic. Really nice! The second dessert was also a small masterpiece both in form and taste. Finally, the taste pieces came to the coffee and by now we were far beyond salon drunk, just past happy in the hat and well on our way into a new state that cannot be described as anything other than completely satisfied in both body and soul. We have been to many tasting menus over the years, but this was undoubtedly one of the absolute best we have experienced. An obvious ten points!
The restaurant is located in a beautiful old building from the 17th century in the typical style of the city. You might think that all the builders were constantly inebriated during construction, but apparently this is due to the sandy soil on which the whole of Amsterdam rests. We can also mention that the place has a star, but we don't usually attach much importance to it as it doesn't guarantee a good experience. The advantage is that, just like a five-star hotel, you know that it fulfils certain formal requirements, but at the same time, these requirements can make it boring and that you do not dare to take the turns too much. However, this was not the case with de Silveren Spiegel, as they manage to keep the perfect balance between personality, creativity, service and the highest level of cookery.
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