Dam Square has gained another tasty reason to linger just a little longer: BO by Bougainville, the new boutique dining concept from Hotel TwentySeven. MASTERS spoke to chef Tim Golsteijn about this new spot above Dam Square, where Bougainville’s signature is more relaxed. “You can dine at a high level, yet still be very accessible and spontaneous,” he explains. A single dish with a glass of wine, a few bites with a cocktail, or perhaps an evening that runs late: BO simply moves with you.
At Hotel TwentySeven, both international guests and locals could already visit Bougainville and the cocktail bar, but a more accessible restaurant format with the same culinary foundation did not yet exist. “We wanted a concept where you can eat in a faster, more accessible way, but still with very high quality,” says chef Tim Golsteijn. According to him, this also meant that the restaurant should not adopt a classic fine dining format. “We actually didn't want to call it fine dining, because that immediately conjures up an entire evening program. But we felt that calling it a bistro or brasserie would detract too much from what we do culinarily.”
That is why it ultimately became boutique dining: small in scale, free in style, but still firmly rooted in the same culinary philosophy as Bougainville. “I actually don’t even want to call it dining,” says Golsteijn with a laugh. “Anything is possible. Whether you eat a single dish with a glass of wine, or put together your own menu from the à la carte menu.” According to him, that is precisely where the strength of the concept lies. “People want more freedom these days. That you aren’t immediately tied down to a whole evening.”
He sees this need recurring more and more often, especially among younger guests. “I think people want more than just a long sit in a restaurant. Often it flows into having a cocktail or going somewhere else. It can be more energetic, feel a bit more relaxed.” On weekends, this is literally visible at BO. Then the restaurant and Bar TwentySeven increasingly merge into one another, with music and a DJ adding extra dynamism to the evening. “You’ve seen that in Spain for much longer,” says Golsteijn. “Restaurants that almost turn into a club later in the evening. That is starting to happen more and more in the Netherlands now as well.”
I think people want more than just a long sit in a restaurant.
Although BO feels more relaxed, the culinary foundation remains close to Bougainville. Both restaurants work from the same kitchen and with the same attention to technique, ingredients, and preparations. Only the presentation changes. “At Bougainville, dishes really have to be little works of art,” says Golsteijn. “At BO, it can be a bit rougher. We don't have to arrange everything with tweezers anymore.” He even had to consciously switch gears to that himself in the beginning. “I’m quite into details and refinement. It’s just ingrained in me. So sometimes I actually had to tell the team: guys, it can be a bit looser.”
He describes his cooking style as creative, refined, and international. Travel, in particular, plays a major role in this. “At a certain point, as a chef, you naturally develop your own style more and more. For me, that comes very much from traveling and the flavors I encounter along the way.” That is why, with BO, he did not want to commit to one classic cuisine. “I didn’t want a purely French cuisine or something very traditional. That international aspect is really ingrained in my way of cooking.”
This is reflected on the menu, where dishes from different corners of the world come together. From Peruvian sea bass tiradito to Vietnamese veal cheek and langoustine with Thai red curry. Yet for Golsteijn, it often ultimately comes down to something else: sauce. “When people ask what my specialty is, I always find that difficult,” he says. “But sauces and pastry are really two things I’m crazy about.” According to him, sauce literally forms the foundation for many dishes. “People might order a piece of fish or meat, but ultimately, the sauce gives a dish depth and flavor.”
The same signature
He himself is a particular fan of the sea bass tiradito. “I’m more of a fish person anyway,” he says. “And I love acidity, spiciness, and smokiness. That dish has all of that.” The tiradito is served with a sauce based on reduced mandarin juice and Peruvian pepper. “It remains light and fresh because of that, not too heavy.” That international and layered character is exactly what he wanted to create with BO as well. “We mainly stayed true to ourselves. What is my taste, my vision, and how do we translate that into a concept that is freer and more dynamic?”
According to Golsteijn, however, this freer form does not mean that classic fine dining is disappearing. “I think there will always be a market for that,” he says. “Personally, I also love going to a starred restaurant for a long lunch or an elaborate dinner.” He just notices that the perception of Michelin restaurants is slowly changing. “The idea that it is all stiff and classic hasn't been the case for a long time.”
