Restaurant in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Two stars, 23rd floor, book early.
Ciel Bleu holds two Michelin stars on the 23rd floor of Hotel Okura Amsterdam, with a wine list ranked first in the Netherlands and a La Liste score of 94 in 2026. Chef Arjan Speelman's kitchen is strongest on crab, lobster, and fish in a classical European format. Book six to eight weeks ahead minimum — this is one of Amsterdam's hardest tables to secure.
Two Michelin stars, a 23rd-floor view over Amsterdam, and a 4.7 on 424 Google reviews: Ciel Bleu earns its reputation through consistency rather than hype. Chef Arjan Speelman's kitchen focuses on crab, lobster, fish, and meat with classical precision — and if that format matches what you want from a high-end tasting menu, this is the right booking. If you are looking for plant-forward creativity or a more casual splurge, look elsewhere. Book at least six to eight weeks ahead; this fills like the two-star room it is.
Ciel Bleu sits on the 23rd floor of the Hotel Okura Amsterdam, and the view over the city is a genuine part of the offering, not a distraction from it. La Liste scored it 94 points in 2026 (up from 93.5 in 2025), Opinionated About Dining placed it 58th among classical European restaurants in 2025, and its two Michelin stars have held firm across multiple consecutive years. Star Wine List named its cellar the number-one wine list in the Netherlands in 2025. That is a strong credential stack for a single room.
Speelman inherited the kitchen from Onno Kokmeijer, a transition that reviewers at Opinionated About Dining explicitly flagged as a concern before concluding the future of the restaurant was assured. The kitchen's orientation is classical French-influenced European: premium protein, precise technique, rich saucing. Vegetables appear on the menu but, as OAD's notes observe, they are used more sparingly than a fully plant-forward kitchen would manage. If you are vegetarian or primarily interested in vegetable cookery, this is a mismatch worth knowing before you book.
Because Ciel Bleu's menus are not published here, the safest guidance draws from what the awards record tells us about the kitchen's strengths. The consistent emphasis across all critical coverage is on seafood: crab, lobster, and fish preparations are where the kitchen invests its most serious technique. A tasting menu that lets Speelman sequence those courses is almost certainly the format that delivers the strongest return on your spend. Ordering à la carte and bypassing the seafood courses would be a poor use of a two-star room at this price tier.
On timing: the restaurant operates Tuesday through Saturday from 6:30 pm, closing at midnight. It is closed Sunday and Monday. There is no lunch service listed. For the leading seasonal experience, winter and early spring menus in northern European fine dining typically feature richer shellfish preparations and heavier saucing, while late spring and summer bring lighter fish work and, at kitchens like this one, a modest expansion of vegetable courses. If the OAD critique about vegetable underuse matters to you, summer visits are the more likely window for improvement in that area. That said, this remains primarily a seafood and protein restaurant year-round, so season-driven menu variation here is more about texture and weight than a fundamental shift in approach.
The wine list ranked first in the Netherlands by Star Wine List in 2025 is not a trivial detail. Pairing through the tasting menu is worth taking seriously here, and the sommelier team in a hotel of this standing typically carries the depth to match classical European wine service. Budget accordingly: a serious pairing in a two-star hotel restaurant in Amsterdam will add meaningfully to the per-head total beyond food alone.
| Detail | Ciel Bleu | Spectrum | Bolenius |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michelin Stars | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Price Range | €€€€ | €€€€ | €€€€ |
| Cuisine Style | Creative / Classical | Creative | Modern Dutch |
| Setting | Hotel (23rd floor) | Hotel | Standalone |
| Wine List Ranking | #1 Netherlands (Star Wine List 2025) | Not ranked | Not ranked |
| Dinner Only | Yes (Tue–Sat) | Yes | Yes |
| Booking Difficulty | Near Impossible | Very Hard | Hard |
Address: Ferdinand Bolstraat 333, 1072 PG Amsterdam. Tuesday to Saturday, 6:30 pm to midnight. Closed Sunday and Monday. No phone or website listed in our records — book through the Hotel Okura Amsterdam directly or via a third-party reservation platform.
Ciel Bleu sits at the leading of Amsterdam's fine dining tier by star count. For other serious options in the city, Spectrum and Vinkeles offer strong one-star alternatives at the same price tier, while RIJKS® and Daalder are worth considering if you want something slightly less formal. 212 is a reliable option for a shorter menu without the full tasting-menu commitment.
If you are building a longer Netherlands trip around serious food, De Librije in Zwolle and 't Nonnetje in Harderwijk are worth the journey. Closer to Amsterdam, Aan de Poel in Amstelveen is a practical alternative if Ciel Bleu is fully booked. Further afield, Brut172 in Reijmerstok, De Bokkedoorns in Overveen, De Groene Lantaarn in Staphorst, De Lindenhof in Giethoorn, and De Treeswijkhoeve in Waalre round out the Dutch creative fine dining tier for travellers willing to travel beyond the city.
For a broader picture of where to eat, drink, and stay, see our full Amsterdam restaurants guide, Amsterdam hotels guide, Amsterdam bars guide, Amsterdam wineries guide, and Amsterdam experiences guide.
For a one-star alternative at the same price tier, Spectrum is the most direct comparison , creative European cooking in a hotel setting, easier to book. Vinkeles offers a similar formality in a canal-house setting. If you want to step down a price tier without sacrificing seriousness, Daalder and RIJKS® are the cleaner picks.
The tasting menu is the right format here. Every credible review of Ciel Bleu points to seafood , crab, lobster, and fish , as the kitchen's core strength under Arjan Speelman. Ordering à la carte and skipping the seafood courses would miss the point of a two-star room. Take the wine pairing seriously: the cellar is ranked first in the Netherlands by Star Wine List (2025).
The counter and tasting-menu format make solo dining workable at most two-star restaurants, and the 23rd-floor setting gives solo diners something to engage with beyond the table. That said, the price per head at €€€€ with a serious wine pairing is a significant solo spend. If the per-head cost is a constraint, 212 or Daalder offer a lower commitment for a solo visit.
Yes, clearly. Two Michelin stars, the leading view of any restaurant in Amsterdam, a wine list ranked first in the Netherlands, and formal hotel service from Hotel Okura: the occasion infrastructure is all present. The only caveat is that this is a classical European seafood-forward kitchen, not a theatrical or immersive experience. If you want drama or spectacle alongside the food, this is not the room. If you want precision and seriousness in a genuinely impressive setting, book it.
Six to eight weeks minimum, and longer for Friday and Saturday evenings. Ciel Bleu is rated near-impossible to book spontaneously. The combination of a small two-star room, a hotel setting that attracts international guests, and a strong awards profile means availability disappears fast. Check cancellations if you are inside a four-week window, but do not count on them. If Ciel Bleu is fully booked, Aan de Poel in Amstelveen is the most practical nearby fallback.
At €€€€ with a serious wine pairing, you are spending at the leading of Amsterdam's range. The two Michelin stars (held across multiple years), a La Liste score of 94 in 2026, and OAD's European classical ranking at 58th all suggest the kitchen delivers at that level. The honest qualification: if classical French-influenced seafood cookery is not the format you want, the price feels harder to justify. For plant-forward cooking or a more modern Dutch approach, Bolenius at the same price tier makes more sense.
Yes, assuming seafood is your priority. The tasting menu is the format that lets Speelman sequence the kitchen's strongest courses , crab, lobster, fish , with proper wine pacing. Opinionated About Dining's notes flag that vegetables are handled to a high standard but appear less frequently than a fully produce-driven menu. If you are primarily interested in vegetable cookery, the tasting menu here will feel unbalanced relative to what you are paying. For everyone else with a serious interest in classical seafood technique, it delivers.
No dress code is listed in our records, but the setting , a two-star room on the 23rd floor of a five-star hotel , implies smart to formal dress is appropriate. Showing up in casual or sportswear at Hotel Okura's flagship restaurant would be out of place. Business smart or cocktail attire is the practical baseline. When in doubt, err more formal: you will not be overdressed in a room like this.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ciel Bleu | Everything in Ciel Bleu (“blue sky”) is high: you dine in a luxurious setting on the 23rd floor of the Hotel Okura in Amsterdam South (the best restaurant view in Amsterdam, by the way). The level o...; La Liste Top Restaurants (2026): 94pts; Chefs Arjan Speelman & Jelle Conijn have a tough task, surpassing their teacher Onno Kokmeijer. This unique place on the 23rd continues to radiate class, also culinary. The future is assured, we are no longer worried about that. But for now, the focus remains on crab, lobster, fish & meat. Fortunately, vegetables are processed to a high standard, but they are more rare than 100%. There is more to be done with boys…; Star Wine List #1 (2025); Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe Ranked #58 (2025); Chef: Arjan Speelman document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function() { var el = document.getElementById("Achievements_chefs"); if (el && el.parentNode) { el.parentNode.removeChild(el); } });; La Liste Top Restaurants (2025): 93.5pts; Michelin 2 Stars (2025); Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe Ranked #47 (2024); Michelin 2 Stars (2024); Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe Ranked #27 (2023) | €€€€ | — |
| Spectrum | Michelin 2 Star | €€€€ | — |
| Bolenius | Michelin 1 Star | €€€€ | — |
| De Kas | Michelin 1 Star | €€€ | — |
| Wils | Michelin 1 Star | €€€ | — |
| BAK | €€€ | — |
How Ciel Bleu stacks up against the competition.
Spectrum (one Michelin star, more approachable price point) is the closest direct comparison for serious cooking without the full €€€€ commitment. Vinkeles and Bolenius are also credible one-star options. If you want a complete change of format, De Kas focuses on greenhouse-grown produce and is far more casual. Ciel Bleu sits at the top of Amsterdam's starred tier by credential count, so alternatives involve a trade-off on either setting, stars, or price.
The kitchen's documented strength is seafood: crab, lobster, and fish feature consistently across the awards commentary. Meat dishes are noted alongside these as core to the menu. Vegetable courses appear but are described as less central, so if plant-forward cooking is your priority, manage expectations. Given the €€€€ price range, the tasting menu is the format that best reflects what chef Arjan Speelman's kitchen is doing.
Possible, but not the natural format. Hotel Okura dining rooms at this level typically configure around tables for two or more, and a two-Michelin-star tasting menu at €€€€ is a significant solo spend. If solo fine dining is your preference, confirm counter or bar seating availability directly when booking, as the 23rd-floor restaurant setting is formal rather than counter-oriented.
Yes, straightforwardly. Two Michelin stars, a 23rd-floor panoramic view over Amsterdam, and a La Liste score of 94pts (2026) make the occasion case easy. It is one of the few Amsterdam venues where the setting and the kitchen both contribute to the event rather than one compensating for the other. Book well in advance for weekend evenings, which fill fastest.
For a Friday or Saturday dinner, book at least four to six weeks out. Ciel Bleu is closed Sunday and Monday, so your options run Tuesday through Saturday from 6:30 pm. Being a two-Michelin-star hotel restaurant with a widely recognised city view, weekend slots go quickly, especially for groups. Mid-week is more forgiving, but do not leave it to the week before.
At €€€€, it is one of Amsterdam's most expensive dining experiences, but it is also the city's most credentialed: two Michelin stars held consistently, ranked #58 in Opinionated About Dining Classical in Europe (2025), and rated #1 on Star Wine List (2025). The value case is clearest if you want both a serious kitchen and a city view in one booking. If the view is irrelevant to you, a one-star alternative like Spectrum covers the cooking quality at a lower price.
Given the kitchen's focus on crab, lobster, fish, and meat, the tasting menu is where those strengths are best shown across multiple courses. At a two-Michelin-star level in a €€€€ venue, à la carte is rarely the optimal format. Awards commentary specifically flags consistent quality and class in execution, which supports the multi-course format. If you prefer a shorter meal or have dietary constraints that limit seafood, check current menu options before committing.
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