Where does the number ’23’ in the name of De Harmonie 23 stand for? It’s located at the Westersingel number 95 in the city Rotterdam, so it’s not about the house number. It’s all about the 23 dishes of the renown tasting menu of this...restaurant. De Harmonie 23 has been renovated in the year 2017, through which it evaluated from a classical place to a hip and modern restaurant. A velvet green couch, small trees in the middle of the room, round mirrors hanging on the wall and lounge music playing: this is a spot you can see yourself spending hours with family and friends, but also with business partners. We really love the cosy living room vibe going on around here, which is strengthened by the warm welcome by maître Suet-Wan. We start our dinner with the signature cocktail: Chef’s Rum. A modern version of the Baco we all know. Yes, we may taste the first bites: a tiny ice cream cone with crab and tomato sorbet, a basket with mini bapao’s of pulled pork and a matze cracker with tuna salad that’s making its way to our table on an interesting rock. These appetizers perfectly do what they have to do: making us véry curious and excited about the rest of our dinner! Oh, and – not unimportant – the presentation is fantastic. The first wine is a surprising one to start with, as it’s a red wine from Valpolicella in Italy. It turns out to be quite light and a beautiful match with our first course of vegetarian “steak” tartare made of beetroot, potato and piccalilli ice cream. After this impressive starter dish, our gastronomical journey moves forward with lots of original highlights. Dishes that really stood out to us were the amazing creamy bisque with Argentine gamba, tomato, courgette and basilicum emulsion and the dish of Parmesan cheese and mushrooms. Such intense flavors but still so perfectly balanced. Wow, these dishes form a reason to visit this place all by its own. Throughout the entire menu, the vision of chef Marco Somer comes out. He grew up surrounded by nature and you can tell he truly respects all elements of nature. This can be noticed in the way his creations allow all ingredients get their chance to shine. This chef handles food in a creative and philosophical way and tries to outperform his talent for himself and his guests. From the first bite to the last friandise and all beautiful dishes in-between, the team of De Harmonie 23 took the greatest care of us. They will make sure you don’t have to ask for anything more and just get pampered for a while. It’s a place you would like to stay and come back as soon as possible. The ambiance is warm and cosy, the service is quick and the dishes surprisingly fulfilling.More