Aan de Poel

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Table by the Water

Aan de Poel sits at Handweg 1 in Amstelveen, just south of Amsterdam, with an uninterrupted view over the water that changes with every season. Inside, the room is composed of smooth lines, warm tones and round tables — a setting that feels at once refined and unhurried. The open kitchen runs along the opposite wall, so guests can watch the brigade at work throughout the meal.

The restaurant holds two Michelin stars, a distinction that reflects the consistency and ambition of the cooking. Wine Spectator has also recognised the cellar with its Best of Award of Excellence, an acknowledgment that the wine programme here is as seriously considered as the food.

Stefan van Sprang and the Kitchen

The creative force behind the menus is 2-star chef Stefan van Sprang. His cooking draws on French technique while reaching further — dishes on the current chef's menu move from Kingfish & Ponzu and Lobster & Spicy Tomato through to Turbot & Mussel and BBQ Veal & Sweetbread, with bites such as Profiterole & Truffle and Carrot & Tandoori setting the tone from the first moment. Among the à la carte specials, 'KLC' — Kingcrab, Langoustine & Caviar — and A5 Wagyu beef speak to the kitchen's appetite for premium ingredients handled with precision.

The French fine dining tradition is evident in the structure of the menu and the quality of the sourcing, but Van Sprang's palette is clearly his own.

The Wine Cellar

Sommelier Robbert Veuger oversees a list of more than 600 wines, balanced between the canonical — extensive Burgundy and Bordeaux selections, vintage Champagnes — and the genuinely exploratory: ancient grape varieties, unknown appellations, and producers from Austria, Germany and the lesser-charted corners of Italy and southern France. The philosophy is relaxed: guests are invited to describe what they enjoy and the team finds the match. The Wine Spectator recognition is a natural consequence of that breadth and care.

"Signature" — Ten Years in Print

In 2018, to mark a decade of the restaurant, Aan de Poel released Signature — a limited-edition, numbered book with a hand-painted cover by Stefan van Sprang himself. It stands as a record of the cooking and the thinking that has made Aan de Poel one of the most respected addresses in the Amsterdam region.