Restaurant De Mark + Hotel De Durgerdam: a retreat on the outskirts of Amsterdam
Joe, we're going out of town! No, not really: on to Durgerdam, just like Amsterdam and one of the most beautiful parts of North Holland, less than a fifteen-minute drive from the center of Amsterdam. An amazing hotel opened here: De Durgerdam. What's in a name. On the banks of the IJmeer (so you can sit wonderfully among the reed plumes and gable houses on the water), a boutique hotel. A boutique hotel? A very beautiful and soothing one to be precise, and The Durgerdam is the name. The location went from inn to hotel to café-restaurant and back to hotel again. Enjoy peace and quiet at De Durgerdam, with its culinary centerpiece restaurant De Mark.
A boutique hotel, the name says it all. Small and quiet with only fourteen stylishly designed rooms and suites, which match the banks of the lake in terms of color.
And all that in Durgerdam of all places. Perhaps the dike village of Durgerdam doesn't ring a bell yet, but we will ring that bell for you. The small village (where time seems to pass ten times slower compared to the center of Amsterdam) has only one street and mainly consists of banks, lakes, polders and more polders. It may sound a bit dull, but it is anything but. It is a village with a rich history where ships from the sailing club pass by and where the fishermen of Durgerdam traditionally cast their nets. And that is enjoyment with a capital G, because along the way you will pass 17th-century gabled houses, a church with a bell tower and tall grass at the bottom of the dike.
And that oh-so-rich past of the region and the natural elements are reflected in the hotel, with, for example, hand-painted joinery from the time of the Zuiderzee, tile work and soft, sensual, velvety fabrics in the rooms. And with those nice rooms you get free access to the natural swimming pool (IJmeer) and the surrounding nature.
Hotel check, but what's the deal? Restaurant De Mark opens at the same time as the hotel. At this restaurant, dressed in natural tones, they cook locally, fresh and seasonal. With the crackling fire next to the bar, a nice wine cellar (guaranteed good wines) and a terrace on the waterfront, you will never want to go back to the city again. The Durgerdam
Maybe it's news, maybe it's not, but Restaurant de Mark is under the inspiring leadership of chefs Richard van Oostenbrugge & Thomas Groot, two of our favorite chefs in the Netherlands. Don't you say anything? Also check out places like Bistro de la Mer, the Juwelier and Restaurant 212, all in our list of best and favorite restaurants in Amsterdam. Not from day one, but soon, the men took over the kitchen helm at Restaurant De Mark and since then it has been even better, tastier and more fun. 'Soul foul food' here, and a team that knows its Pappenheimers. A real outing in your own city, that feels like a few hours of vacation.
And we're not done yet. No, because at breakfast The Mark you also want to be sure. Because being present is experiencing. They have unusually tasty dishes on the menu, for both adults and kids. A breakfast that just sells itself the looks, but whatever tastes excellent. You want to go here and join us, even if you don't sleep in the hotel. It's worth it.
