The creative but noisy Ipanema

Tucked away under the oak trees in the Charles Eyck park, right next to the river Maas, this charming café is perched in the far corner of the Bonnefanten Museum. Approaching from the museum’s front entrance, you could be forgiven for not even realising there’s a restaurant hidden in this beautiful round building.  

Although the cuisine is simple on the surface – since the café is only open till late afternoon, it’s just late brunch and lunch, salads and sandwiches – the menu has a sense of finesse and creativity. During my lunch visit, I’m barely through the door when a smiling waiter takes my order for the quiche of the day and a soy café latte. Practically before I can draw my next breath, another waiter delivers the latte. The place is buzzing with people – presumably museum visitors and employees from surrounding companies, like Vodafone – yet my quiche arrives in under fifteen minutes. It comes with fresh seasonal vegetables topped with sunflower seeds and red onions that I leave aside (have you ever smelled your own breath after eating red onions?). Even though I’m expecting a quiche with crunchy custard nicely covering the edges, the frittata, full of eggs, baked tomatoes and mushrooms, does not disappoint. All of Ipanema’s dishes are made from organic products (think fresh-baked bread and soups) – or at least they are trying, according to the menu.

Being of such excellent quality, the meals are quite expensive (warm bread €7.75; soups €5.20–€5.90). Yet Ipanema is one of those rare places that uses its fresh ingredients right. I’m already plotting a return visit to try the warm panini with goat’s cheese and pumpkin that my colleague ordered. My only criticism is that the place is noisy, even if the crowd starts to clear out a bit during my lunch. The acoustics are not helped by those echoingly high ceilings, which makes the atmosphere feel quite loud and busy.

Kate Surala

--> Ipanema, Avenue Ceramique 250, http://ipanema.nl/