Tag Archives: Amsterdam

Dylan Hotel, Amsterdam

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The Dylan Hotel is an idyllic refuge of quiet sophistication and extraordinary luxury located amongst the stylish nine lanes in the Jordaan district on one of Amsterdam’s most famous canals, Keizersgracht. Behind the enchanting historic façade, I discovered one of the most beautiful boutique hotels I have ever seen.

After a day of dashing about the city seeing sights and gorging on food, we were relieved and delighted to slump down at the Dylan reception desk. The staff were friendly and attentive, welcoming us and offering a stress-free personalised service. We wandered straight through to the picturesque open-air courtyard. This central area is a sanctuary of calm, the perfect place to enjoy the special High Wine, the Dylan offers in the afternoon. It was fascinating to hear of this building’s rich history and easy to observe the prominent features from the courtyard. This 17th Century landmark functioned as one of the city’s most famous theatres and has a tumultuous and intriguing story to tell. We learnt of all the Dylan’s secrets while sipping exquisite wines.

Our room was stunning and immaculate, spanning two floors – the bedroom downstairs with a rustic staircase leading up to a chic minimalist bathroom. Our luxurious duplex room provided us with a lavish retreat, in fact it was so comfortable we came home early from our night out to enjoy the facilities! The décor was striking and monochrome with ancient china urns furnishing the room giving an exotic Oriental feel. No expense is spared with innovative design and high quality materials in every aspect of the room, ensuring nothing compromises one’s comfort. The room felt intimate and yet there was plenty of space to relax especially upstairs. The Dylan offers rooms with different themes, each inspires a different mood and ambience. Free Wifi and a giant TV in the room allow one to keep in touch with the world, though it was tempting not to!

The bathroom was very impressive, a show room that looked too good to use. A huge bath, power-shower and toilet are all arranged upstairs away from the bedroom. My only criticism, would be the lack of mirror in the bathroom, aside from a tiny magnifying mirror which I found terrifyingly revealing. The bathroom has plenty of space and a mirror for convenience of teeth brushing and make-up application would be useful. We thoroughly enjoyed our hot baths, which we relished while listening to music on the Bose Ipod speakers. Slipping on the soft bathrobe and slippers I felt like I was in a spa.

I slept blissfully well in the plush master bed, the marshmallow soft duvet moulded to our bodies and ensured we slept straight through the night, which for me is incredibly rare. Breakfast is served downstairs in Vinkeles, the atmospheric destination restaurant, Michelin star awarded and renowned for its exceptional cuisine. A spectacular display of continental treats is on offer for guests to indulge in. I was happy to relax over a strong cappuccino and croissant, but found myself persuaded by the delicious homemade cereals and fresh fruit. From the hot menu, we tried the Poached egg on toast and French Toast. Though elegantly presented, I found my pancakes to be a little lacklustre, a few tiny bits of soggy cinnamon flavoured bread with maple syrup and fresh red fruits. The egg looked divine perfectly simple yet delicious.

Dragging our suitcases through the hotel, I observed a bright and refined dining room and the heavenly living room, I wished we could have stayed longer. The Dylan Hotel is an intimate and romantic hide-away, the perfect place to stay while enjoying a fairytale weekend in Amsterdam.

More information and book here.

http://dylanamsterdam.com/

THOROUGHLY MODERN MISS: High tea at the Amstel Hotel Intercontinental, Amsterdam

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When we arrived in Amsterdam, the weather was unexpectedly lovely – hot and sunny without a cloud in the sky. So when we got off our bicycles at the Amstel Hotel (Amsterdam’s Intercontinental) for afternoon tea, we decided we’d quite like to take advantage of the sunshine we’d been missing so much in England. They sat us at a table right by the huge French windows, which opened onto the canal and we were bathed in sunlight. There probably isn’t a better way to experience afternoon tea.

We were served 4 different types of tea that afternoon; a Darjeeling, a Lung Ching, an Oolong Fancy and a China Jasmin Chung Hao. Each tea is explained in the menu; the Darjeeling being ‘the champagne of tea’; the Lung Ching a traditional Chinese green tea with a slightly bitter finish; the Oolong Fancy, a half fermented tea from Taiwan and the China Jamin Chung Hao a delicate jasmine tea that was traditionally reserved for the Imperial Court of China.

We started with two traditional Dutch sweets – a Dutch Kringle, which is a sweet, sugary puff pastry biscuit and a Hazelino with a crème of mocha, which was almost like a cross between a meringue and a macaroon, with a creamy mocha filling.

We moved on to a delicious selection of sandwiches, cakes, salads and tiny sweet treats. There was the interesting looking ‘pain surprise’ which was a hollow loaf of bread containing sandwiches filled with salmon, egg and watercress, smoked chicken and cucumber salad. Alongside this was a cake stand with a number of tempting afternoon tea snacks. On the top layer were two small salads; seared tuna for me and mozzarella for Milly. The salad was filled with ripe avocado, tomato and romaine lettuce and was crunchy and fresh. Alongside this was a ‘Tramezzinno’ with roast beef and mustard mayonnaise. We also had homemade scones, chocolate and vanilla, served with clotted cream, preserves and lemon curd. The chocolate scones were a little stodgy, but the vanilla scones were very light and served warm.

On the bottom two layers of the cake stand were some very enticing looking treats. A bon bon of Tia Maria and Nougatine, which was rather like an alcoholic Ferrero Roche; a ‘brownie lolly’- a round brownie served on the end of a little stick, which was a genius idea, since it prevented you from getting your fingers covered in the sticky, oozing chocolate. An orange cremeux on a sable with almond – a delicate orange cream with a very thin, crunchy, almond biscuit base, and a cupcake with vanilla mousse and fresh red berries. The cupcake was perfect; light in texture, whilst the berries cut through the sweet vanilla cream and gave it a good tartness.

The last thing we ate was the ‘Crème bavarois of strawberries with an infusion of roses’. This was almost like a mini cake with a creamy, strawberry topping and strawberry sauce, laced with a rose flavour. It was very sweet, perhaps overly sweet, but tasty.

Our experience at the Amstel was really enjoyable, helped along by the opulent surroundings and blazing sunshine, but the food and tea spoke for itself; a very lovely way to spend a few hours in the afternoon.

More information here.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Miss, Jessica Hill.

THOROUGHLY MODERN MISS: High Wine at the Dylan Hotel, Amsterdam

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There are many types of highs in Amsterdam, but I would argue, none as good as ‘High Wine’ at the Dylan Hotel. This is the Dylan’s take on afternoon tea – substituting the tea for wine and the cakes and sandwiches for mini meals. A brilliant idea for those who want something light at the end of the day.

What made this experience so special were the beautiful surroundings. The courtyard of the Dylan feels very private, hidden by four, ivy coated walls and filled with a sense of calm. It’s the perfect place to relax after a busy day wandering around Amsterdam.

We were expertly attended to by the in house sommelier, whose knowledge of the four wines he served us was excellent. Every wine that was served came with an explanation of its history and background, region, and why it was so well suited to the particular dish we happened to be eating. Each dish was small; enough for a lovely flavour experience, but not so much that we ended up feeling uncomfortably full. Around us, the tinkle of cutlery against china, and glass against table tops suggested that others were also tucking into some delicious snacks and chilled wine.

We started with a dried ‘Cecina de Leon’ beef with Cavaillon melon, pumpkin seeds and a red port vinaigrette. This was served with Weingut Bernhard Eifel Mosel 2011; a delicate and pale white wine that complemented the sweet and salty flavours of our food.

Next came a sautéed fillet of plaice with a fennel and radish salad, French fries and tartar sauce. The plaice was expertly cooked, with a crisp, flavoursome outside and juicy, flaky texture on the inside. Milly isn’t a huge fan of fish, so at the last minute, they prepared her a beautiful tiny cut of steak, seared on the outside and wonderfully pink in the middle. Again, the amount of food was just right, although on first impression the one french fry looked a little lonely on the plate, any more and it would have been overwhelming. With this dish we were served Petra Unger Kremstal Tradition weinguter Gruner Veldliner Oberfeld 2010; another lovely white wine, this time with a little more depth to it to complement the slightly richer amuse we were eating.

A roasted chicken breast with carrots, turnip and smoked mussel and brown bread sauce followed the plaice. The chicken was juicy and the vegetables had a good crunch to them. It was a lovely, flavoursome dish. With it, we drank a Spanish red – El Mago 2010 Garnacha Terra Alta (Cataluna). It was light in colour, without that punchy, deep flavour that lots of reds deliver, which ensured that the food wasn’t overwhelmed by the wine.

The last dish that we ate in this gastronomic frenzy was a beautifully delicate dessert consisting of poached aprictos, champagne, goji berries, yoghurt and Greek basil. A sweet and sour pudding experience served with Weingut Tschida Neusiedlersee Samling Auslese – a sweet dessert wine.

Overall, High Wine at the Dylan was a lovely experience and the perfect way to wind down after a long, hot day in the city.

More information here.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Miss, Jessica Hill.