Sinne is a small restaurant in the Pijp neighborhood of Amsterdam that was awarded a Michelin star in 2014. So it was about time I went to check it out. The cuisine is a mixture of Mediterranean and Oriental influences. You can look straight into the open kitchen (which featured a ‘big green egg’ BBQ) and the tables are quite close together as space is at a premium in this neighborhood.

At Sinne you can decide on the number of courses (between 3 for 38 euros up to 8 for 85 euros) and have them selected by the chef or pick them yourself from the small but nice menu (with 1 meat, 1 fish, and 1 vegetarian option for each of starter, in between, and main, as well as cheese and desserts). We opted for 5 courses with an accompanying glass of wine with each course.

We started with the ‘amuses bouches’: a small, crunchy and fresh cone and a nice parmigiano mousse with olives and tomato. Since it was a week night I tried an alcohol-free fizzy wine that turned out to be quite nice.

First course: Codfish with yoghurt, curry and jus of apple, fennel and celery, with a glass of unoaked chardonnay, aged on its lees, from South Africa. The cod was perfectly cooked and slightly charred. The spicy bits on the side were very tasty. 8/10

Second course: red prawn with green curry, fennel and sauce of prawn and coconut, with a glass of a crispy dry white from Greece made from autoctonous grapes with minerality from volcanic terroir. The combination of prawn and green curry is always delicious, and so it was here. 8/10

Third course:celeriac from the BBQ with 63C/145F egg yolk, hazelnut, hollandaise and truffle, with a glass of Auslese chardonnay from Pfalz in Germany. The dish has very round and earthy flavors, whereas the wine was fresh and fruity. An alternative Auslese pinot gris was a better combination. 8/10

Fourth course: Black Angus with chicory, mushrooms, and gravy, with a glass of Somontano, an oaked Spanish blend of monastrell, tempranillo, merlot, and cabernet sauvignon. The beef had great flavor and was very tender. I think the gravy had soy sauce in it, so lots of umami in this dish. 8/10

 

Fifth course: “Going bananas” with banana in rum, bread&butter of banana, praline and ice cream of coffee, with a glass of Mavrodaphne, a fortified red dessert wine from Greece that is like Banyuls. The dessert was outstanding, with great flavors and textures. 9/10

 

Sinne is a good one Michelin star restaurant. All the food was delicious, beautifully presented and technically perfect. A well deserved 8.5/10 for the food. If it were up to me, for a second star the combinations of the different items on the plate should have more of a “1+1=3” effect.

The wines were good and certainly not clashing with the dishes, but not much of a “1+1=3” effect there either. It seems most of the wines were chosen to provide a contrast with the dish rather than bringing out the best in each other. It is always a good sign when my glass of wine is finished by the time I finish the dish, because I have been alternating between taking bites and sipping. This did not happen in this case, as I preferred to enjoy food and wine separately. So 8/10 for the wines, but 7/10 for the wine pairings.

The service was very good, I’d even say outstanding. The meal was perfectly paced and the server was attentive and friendly, and genuinely interested in showing us a great time. 9/10 for the service

Sinne offers great value for money, so it is no surprise you have to book a table weeks in advance. I’ll be back!