Magnolia

“Magnolia, you sweet thing. You're driving me mad,” crooned JJ Cale. My experience of restaurant Magnolia in De Pijp was slightly less ecstatic.

Magnolia was rather like a blind date. On paper, its dishes sounded accomplished, with just a hint of audacity. But when they arrived, there was something about the execution of all of them, with the exception of the main course, that left me feeling slightly cheated.

The starter of poached cod rillettes and a sliver of grilled corvina was well-seasoned but came on a bed of watery greens it could have done without.

Image of Restaurant Magnolia The second course was scarcely any better. A lone scallop was accompanied by an overly salty chunk of haddock and a lobster and crab bitterbal balanced on a slice of courgette. It was a simple dish - without any of the positives that that can imply - and I could have had a slightly less fancy bitterbal for a lot less money at any number of eetcafes.

The main course finally gave me hope: rosé slices of duck draped over creamy carrot stamppot (mash) were accompanied by parsnip batons wrapped in Chinese cabbage and homemade potato crisps. The dish reminded me of Christmas dinners in England, but was perhaps an odd choice for spring in Holland.

The cheese course simultaneously undermined the cheeses of three countries. Triangles of brie, gorgonzola and stolwijk had been bundled together in a rouleau. This meant that all the flavours exploded together in your mouth like a bad fondue.

In contrast, the dessert of chopped mango, lemon sorbet and mango mousse was insipid, lacking any of the vibrancy you would expect from fresh fruit.

Presentation was often muddled with thin sauces sloshing messily across the plates, and the wines served only to numb my growing disappointment. Service was disinterested and the waitress barely cracked a smile the entire evening. By the time I left restaurant Magnolia, I wasn't in the mood to smile either.