French technique smacked into global flavour-town

Rating: 5/5
Cuisine: Modern French
Price: Starters €15‑25, Mains €30-45

Roux: exposed brick, low lighting, leather banquettes. Stylish but not self‑important. Oh! And there is this beautiful painting overhanging the stairs near the entrance. Unfortunately it is not for sale. Apparently..

Chef Sebastiano Guglielmucci (with kitchen partner Teun Daemen) at Roux in Amsterdam’s Jordaan takes classic French technique and smacks it into global flavour-town with curious, resolute confidence.

Escargots with cêpes XO and vin jaune: Earthy mushroom fervour met the yellow‑wine’s nutty charm, and the snails slithered elegantly between them. Texture, flavour, memory.

Then. A grilled monkfish tail, the size of your fucking forearm.. lacquered in passionfruit and served with a crab bisque: the fish had a charred, satin‑glaze of tropical brightness, the bisque was deep and shell‑rich. The passionfruit’s zing pushing the crab into a new context. What a dish! Vivid yet balanced, inventive but sure as hell not gimmicky.

Paired with a South African chardonnay from Stellenbosch. Big oak‑spice, fire‑stone smokiness, citrus peel coiling into a creamy mid‑palate, the finish lingering long after the last sip. This sommelier knows his stuff. The 300‑plus wine list at Roux indeed flirts you into serious choices.

This is just an allround fantastic restaurant. Great service, buzzing, outstanding food and a serious wine-list..

Did I mention we had a monkfish the size of your forearm?!