To round off our recent Amsterdam visit, we had a really pleasant meal at the quirkily named 5&33, in-house restaurant of the Art-Otel, the hotel where we chose to call home for two nights while in Amsterdam.

The Art’Otel is located in the heart of Amsterdam and only minutes away from Amsterdam Central Station. Given its great location, Art-Otel was well placed for the many attractions of Amsterdam such as the Royal Palace, the canals, the Jordaan district, Dam square and many other popular attractions. But it wasn’t just the location that was great, but also the hotel’s innovative art house design. The Art’Otel offers a slick, contemporary experience, and it’s funky décor saw the Art’Otel win the Best Hotel Design 2013 Award by VENUEZ magazine, one of Netherlands’ leading hospitality magazines.

Art’Otel – Our arty bedroom

Our meal at 5&33 restaurant was a casual relaxed affair. 5&33 has all the trappings of a contemporary bistro with its sleek décor and dark mood lighting. But it’s more than just a restaurant and serves as a bar, library, lounge and art gallery as well.

5&33 offers an all day menu consisting of a selection of small plates and larger mains, all designed for sharing. We started with a number of small bites such as the calamari fritti with a paprika mayo (€9) which was nicely done with the batter being crispy and the calamari being tender. There was also a nice touch of paprika in the creamy mayo that went well with the calamari.

Calamari

Some grilled octopus proved to supremely tender and had been paired with olives and some lovely artichoke (€13). It was a pleasant dish, but a little more zing in the dressing would have helped to elevate it further. We liked the texture of the pasta in a dish of goat’s cheese ravioli (€8) served with some delicious aubergine and a sprinkling of pinenuts for added texture. The sauce was a little floury however and a touch salty.

Grilled octopus

Goat’s cheese ravioli

To some of the meat dishes, and braised ox cheeks with mashed potatoes and wild mushrooms (€10) were wonderfully tender and succulent, although the sauce was again a little salty. The grilled rib of beef (350g – €32) from the large plate section proved to be fabulously tasty and juicy.

Ox cheeks

Rib of beef

Our final dish was a whole grilled sea bass (800gr – €42). It had been stuffed with a variety of herbs and lemon and was wonderfully moist and tasty. To finish, we sunk our teeth into a dreamily creamy panna cotta (€6) with a yummy vanilla flavour and some lovely sweet berries.

Grilled sea bass

Panna cotta

5&33 certainly filled the brief in terms of a satisfying meal in a smart setting. There was a decent choice running through the menu and we really enjoyed the sharing aspect to it. The cooking was decent, and the restaurant offers a funky, buzzy vibe that made for an enjoyable night out. The service was good too and 5&33’s location also makes it a very accessible restaurant.

Summary Information:

Food rating: 3.5/5
Service rating: 3.5/5

Prices: About €50 to €60 a head, excludes drinks and service.

Website: http://www.art-otel-amsterdam.com/

Website: http://5&33-restaurant.com/