I still remember a cold autumn night six years ago when we tried Loetje for the first time. It was back then when I still adventurously planned dinners for me and Teko in the city center, when I still found it worthwhile discovering different restaurants hoping to find one or two to fall back on when guests were in town. Even then Loetje was already well-known for their steaks – proclaimed even as the best in the city – so much so we naively lined up before they opened for dinner service, and waited with anticipation for a good, if not a great, meal. After the doors opened and our eager group herded to our tables it was all downhill, and after that horrid night I vowed never to come back.

Well, tonight was a night of forgiveness when we found ourselves in Amsterdam Noord, initially for a drink, but eventually for dinner once we saw the modern, waterside building that housed another Loetje outpost. The surroundings were stunning, considerably helped by the nice weather today, and it wasn’t hard at all to get a table for two by the marina-side window.

Teko ordered the same tenderloin I had before, which still looked like charcoal swimming in mud, and I, for a change, got the tuna steak, which surprisingly didn’t look all too different from the beef. Teko thought his was one of the best steaks he’d ever had, and I thought the tuna was good though expectations of a Bouchon repeat may have been too much to ask. The Hendricks G&T may have a lot to do with it – not to mention the fantastic location and summer-perfect weather – but the whole experience was complete redemption from 6 years ago, by far. I may have added yet another restaurant to our small collection.