On my recent trip to Amsterdam last week, I stayed at the gorgeous Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam. This hotel has heritage and prestige given its twenty-five restored 17th and 18th century houses that were once homes of prosperous trade merchants and the decadent and flamboyant Dutch aristocrats. The hotel grounds now encompass nearly an entire city block along Prinsengracht, the canal dedicated to the Prince of Orange.
This hotel is still under renovations when I was there but when I entered the hotel, it felt like entering a high-end private residence. On the left of the door, you enter the very chic, indigo blue reception area, where you’d walk on thick plush carpet and meet the friendly receptionists to check in.
Throughout this hotel, there are so much detail went into each room. In their gorgeous Extraordinary Suites, you can’t really go wrong since they all have their distinctive personalities. The Book Collector’s Suite is a very handsome suite with a private entry door from the canal. You see books decorated in the most creative way in the suite (the archway leading from the bedroom to living/library area) and when you enter the library, it’s a wall of fashionable books and magazines, handsome desk with a view of the canal (touristy, yes but it’s incredibly charming) and the open bar cart.
The namesake Pulitzer Suite is considered the most romantic suite of the hotel and you could feel it when you enter. The bit of floral, feminine touches on this suite would pretty much make any woman swoon starting with the blue, rose patterned rug runner, curvy chair, vases of roses, and most importantly, the modern bathtub set near the bed. This suite has a view of the garden, not the canal but it’s lovely either way.
The most funky of the suites is the Art Collector’s Suite. Once you enter the foyer/hallway of your suite (either from the normal entry or the private canal entry), you would be greeted by multiple frames of modern and contemporary art and as you walk toward the living area, you would come across the huge canvas of a hip-hop inspired “The Last Supper” painting (it’s so cool to see the fun details). The living area itself has tons of personality with the gilded hand chair, bright fuchsia chair and the bar cart decorated with a bright yellow pug statute. Thankfully, your eyes will get a break when you go to your room and bathroom but both rooms are tastefully decorated in muted color palate.
Jansz is Pulitzer’s restaurant. This place is named after a 17th century copper craftsman Volkert Jansz was a man with discerning tastes. If you keep an eye, you see the the little touches of copper in every room and each room has its distinct look.
I started my decadent lunch with king crab on toast (€20) topped with dots of avocado cream and a generous shaving of small Italian white truffles. This kind of toast I won’t get tired of having. Densely topped sweet crab meat on a seeded toast, neatly piled with perfectly cooked mixture of mushrooms and the truffles gently enhanced the crab.
The Duo of Duck (€28) with butternut squash is definitely a duck lover’s dish. Beautiful medium-rare seared duck breast and a croquette of duck confit and the butternut squash added a touch of earthy sweetness and silkiness to the dish. It’s perfectly seasoned and hearty.
For dessert, I opted for the lime coconut panna cotta (€9) and a cup of coffee. The panna cotta was superbly made of having the cream just set and not overtly made with gelatin. The bright lime green sauce threw me off in terms of color but it tasted pleasantly lime and not too sweet.
I was not aware that my cup of coffee also includes a pair of fresh baked madelines so I had two desserts unintentionally. )I needed the coffee because of jet lag.) I was informed they sourced their beans from a local Dutch coffee roaster and it was a very good cup of brew. As for the madelines, they were freshly made and it was delicately flavored of lemon. Sweet but not too much and the fluffy texture of the cake with the fine, crisped edges makes it a perfect madeline.
The service at Jansz was professional but so friendly. I chatted to a few of the outgoing servers and they were open to talking to you about their wonderful city. Food was great. I couldn’t ask for a better experience for a restaurant and welcoming me as a first-time visitor to Amsterdam (or any city).
To see the entire photo set of this visit, please CLICK HERE or see some of the photos below:
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Information:
Pulitzer Amsterdam
Website
Keizersgracht 224, 1016 GZ Amsterdam, Netherlands
Phone: +31 20 523 5235
