Restaurant BARBOUNIA | La dolce vita in the Conservatorium Hotel
Schilo van Coevorden opened restaurant BARBOUNIA in the Conservatorium Hotel - credits Nina Slagmolen
Dishes of restaurant BARBOUNIA in the Conservatorium Hotel - credits Nina Slagmolen
Homemade gelati at restaurant BARBOUNIA in the Conservatorium Hotel - credits Nina Slagmolen
Breakfast at restaurant BARBOUNIA in the Conservatorium Hotel - credits Nina Slagmolen
Opening – This week, Mediterranean restaurant BARBOUNIA opened at the Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam. The soft opening is until January 30th, guests dining at BARBOUNIA are paying reduced rates during this period. The restaurant takes its inspiration from three renowned culinary cultures: Italy, the French Riviera and Greece. Surrounding regions and cultures are also subtly featured. Located in the Conservatorium Hotel, in the middle of the Museum Quarter – the luxurious and cultural heart of the city – BARBOUNIA offers a unique setting. With its glass ceiling and adjacent terrace, it is an asset to Amsterdam.
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Restaurant BARBOUNIA brings the sun to the Conservatorium Hotel
Chef Schilo van Coevorden surrounds himself with a team of chefs from the Mediterranean region – chefs from Italy and Greece. They pay homage to that sunny Mediterranean holiday feeling in the ambiance of la dolce vita. Restaurant BARBOUNIA is not just another addition to the Conservatorium Hotel. It is a stand-alone concept: an embrace of the rich diversity of multiple Mediterranean cuisines. For Amsterdam, this is a novelty that will undoubtedly receive a warm welcome. The Greek name BARBOUNIA pays homage to a delicate fish from the Mediterranean region: the red mullet. With BARBOUNIA, Chef Schilo van Coevoerden brings the Mediterranean sun to the Conservatorium Hotel. “BARBOUNIA is my ode to sun-drenched Mediterranean holidays. After 13 years at the helm of the Conservatorium Brasserie, I wanted to create something new, something that brings the Mediterranean sun directly to Amsterdam. We can all use some Mediterranean sunshine in our lives.”
The result of Schilo’s dream is a unique dining experience that appeals to locals and international guests alike. “We want BARBOUNIA to be a place where guests can taste, see and feel the sun,” says Schilo van Coevorden.
Ambiance and menu
The interior of BARBOUNIA restaurant is faithful to its original design, but with a modified Mediterranean decor. There is live music daily, with a stage for live musicians and DJs. The overall experience is inspired by the Mediterranean. The menu includes a varied selection of dishes, starting with dips like taramosalata, tzatziki, baba ganoush, served with tasty crystal bread. Alongside these dips, there are pastas such as lobster linguine and ravioli with ricotta and courgette flowers. Most of the fresh fish and meat dishes are cooked on the charcoal grill. Schilo’s signature dish is the deep-fried Barbounia. For dessert, they serve homemade gelati.
The wine list of BARBOUNIA restaurant
The wine list offers a selection of wines from the Mediterranean region, with a focus on Italian wines. Most of these are from Sicily and Sardinia. There are also exquisite wines on the menu from the French Riviera, including vineyards in Provence, as well as some beautiful Spanish wines. “We aim to make prices more affordable and accessible. The diversity of our menu offers multiple options. Some choose an informal experience with delicious drinks and dips, others prefer a complete culinary experience,” says Schilo van Coevorden, the chef and driving force behind the concept.
About Schilo van Coevorden
Schilo van Coevorden was born around the corner from the Conservatorium hotel. He attended the Culinary School in Rotterdam and soon after completing his internship, started travelling around Europe and Asia, where he took on managerial roles and opened restaurants such as Focaccia and Sphinx in Dubai. In March 2011, Schilo was appointed Executive Chef of the Conservatorium Hotel in his native Amsterdam. Here he developed his own style, consisting of classic and often simple preparations as a tribute to the purity of fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. In September 2014, Schilo founded Taiko Cuisine & Bar. Both are hugely popular among locals and hotel guests. Schilo combines his love of Asian cuisine with local and seasonal produce. Due to the success of his Amsterdam Taiko, Schilo was asked to open a Taiko restaurant in Dubai as well in 2020. He was also appointed Executive Chef for The Set Collection, which includes the Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam, Hotel Café Royal in London, Hotel Lutetia in Paris and Mamilla in Jerusalem. Schilo has a solid culinary and creative foundation, an impressive background in opening culinary hotspots that have all become highly successful and real ‘places to be’ for local clientele and international visitors.
We already wrote a few articles about Schilo’s initiatives at Taiko!
Website: Restaurant BARBOUNIA in the Conservatorium Hotel
