RON GASTROBAR: A REBEL IN FINE DINING

Welcome to Ron Gastrobar, fine dining at star level, but without the overdone frills. Ten years ago, acclaimed chef Ron Blaauw traded the formality of his two-Michelin-starred kitchen for the vibrant casual elegance of Ron’s Gastrobar in Amsterdam-Zuid. Ditching white tablecloths and rigid tasting menus, he embraced a tapas-style concept that celebrates bold, shareable dishes and an inviting atmosphere. Far from diluting his craft, this shift culminated in a third Michelin star, awarded soon after the Gastrobar’s opening, and acting as proof that culinary brilliance thrives even in relaxed settings.

Restaurant Ron Gastrobar serves pure, uncomplicated dishes at an exceptional price-quality ratio. The top-tier cuisine returns to the essentials: each plate featuring no more than four ingredients. As beautiful and polished as it is, there’s an atypical choreography than your usual going-out-for dinner routine, which only adds to its charm. 

With everything on the menu priced around twenty euros, the starter-main-dessert formula gets thrown out the window. Instead, dishes arrive when they’re ready, not in a stiff order, and no one seems particularly concerned with where you’re “supposed” to begin. One moment you’re eating soft-shell crab with a sharp, citrusy twist, and the next a buttery beef tartare with enough crunch on top to make you pause mid-sentence, leaving space for conversation, wine refills, and for changing your mind.

Who knew that letting go of the rules could taste this good?