There are evenings that call for a delicate sequence of small plates. And there are evenings when someone should put an enormous pan of saffron rice in the middle of the table and let everybody become quiet for a moment.
HORTA, the Spanish restaurant near Amsterdam Zuid, is built for the second kind of evening.
The pan arrives
Paella is theatre before it is dinner. You smell the toasted rice and stock first. Then come the prawns, mussels, squid, peppers and lemon, all competing for attention. The best part is the socarrat: that caramelised layer on the bottom of the pan that makes otherwise polite people negotiate over the final spoonful.
At HORTA, the pleasure is in the sharing. Plates move around, wine gets poured, somebody claims they are completely full and then continues eating directly from the pan. It feels generous and celebratory without requiring a special occasion.
Amsterdam outside, Spain at the table
The area around Zuid can feel brisk and businesslike. That contrast makes a warm Spanish meal even better. Inside, the pace changes. Paella is not fast food, and waiting for it is part of the point: order a drink, argue about whether one more starter is sensible, and let the kitchen do its work.
Is it subtle? Not particularly. Is that a problem? Absolutely not. Saffron, seafood, crispy rice, wine and friends are allowed to be obvious pleasures.
Verdict: Go hungry, order for the table and defend your share of the socarrat.
Restaurant: HORTA Amsterdam. Header photograph is an original editorial visual rather than a documentary photo of the restaurant.
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