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NZ Herald
01-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Auckland Airport to get new cargo precinct as fruit and vege freight booms
Cherries were the top summer export item in terms of tonnage. The airport's chief customer officer Scott Tasker said 2888 tonnes of cherries, enough to fill 30 Boeing 747 freighters, were freighted to destinations including China and Vietnam. Summer air freight from Auckland also included 1493 tonnes of capsicums. The airport said capsicum key export destinations were Japan and Australia. 'We saw solid growth at Auckland over summer with an increase in fresh produce, not just avocados but also cherries and blueberries, all being freighted in the belly hold of aircraft,' Tasker said. Blueberries freighted out of Auckland amounted to 935 tonnes, up 36% on the previous summer. Apart from fresh produce, air freight exports included infant formula, biscuits and jam. Auckland Airport said its share of total New Zealand international air cargo was 86%. Auckland Airport's impression of the proposed northern airfield expansion and cargo precinct. Photo / Supplied The new cargo precinct on Manu Tapu Drive will be adjacent to the 250,000sq m airfield expansion. 'Cargo is a core part of the airport eco-system but currently, cargo and freight operators are spread out across the precinct from when it was set up in the late 1960s,' Tasker said. 'To make things more efficient, these operators will be progressively moving into a single cargo precinct. This new precinct will function more like a modern port.' The precinct should also connect with an upgraded roading network. The airport said the project should improve access through the newly built Te Ara Kōrako, as well as improvements to Joseph Hammond Rd, George Bolt Memorial Drive and Manu Tapu Drive. 'This will move truck trips off the main roads to the passenger terminals at Auckland Airport and instead send them directly to the cargo precinct,' the airport said. The project was expected to take some incoming and outgoing cargo off the airport's core roading network and prioritise customer journeys to airport terminals. 'A daily wide-body passenger aircraft across a year can carry around $500 million in high-value freight,' the airport said. 'These contributed to over $2.6 billion in total of exported goods over the summer season.' Air freighter models include this Airbus A300-600ST, nicknamed Beluga, seen here in Kobe City, Japan. Photo / Naoki Maeda,Yomiuri, Yomiuri Shimbun via AFP Auckland Airport said it was New Zealand's third-largest port by cargo value handled, with $26.6b of exports and imports combined last year. Tauranga and Auckland are the country's biggest ports by cargo value handled. The airport on Tuesday released its updated master plan and said a second runway previously signalled to be operational by 2028 would now likely be pushed out by a decade. Forsyth Barr analysts this week said regulatory risk for Auckland Airport had increased with a review of how airports are overseen. The Ministry of Business, Immigration and Employment (MBIE) competition policy team is conducting the review. Forsyth Barr analysts said the airport's 'dual till' model could be at risk. They said the model provided for retail, car parking, and commercial activities to be unregulated, in contrast to regulated aeronautical activities. US duty-free ban looms, global air cargo demand up in March The International Air Transport Association (IATA) this week said total cargo demand was up 4.4% in March compared with a year earlier. 'March cargo volumes were strong,' IATA director general Willie Walsh said. 'It is possible that this is partly a front-loading of demand as some businesses tried to beat the well-telegraphed April 2 tariff announcement by the Trump Administration.' Walsh said uncertainty over tariffs might eventually weigh on trade but, for now, lower fuel costs were a boon for air cargo. IATA said jet fuel prices in March were down 17.3% year-on-year. It said a US ban taking effect today on duty-free imports from China and Hong Kong may have prompted companies and buyers to make purchases in advance to avoid significant import fees. The White House said US President Donald Trump was targeting deceptive shipping practices by Chinese-based shippers. The White House said many of those shippers were hiding 'illicit substances, including synthetic opioids, in low-value packages' to exploit the duty-free exemption.
Telegraph
18-04-2025
- Telegraph
The 38 best restaurants in Amsterdam
It's easy to eat your way round Amsterdam. Why not start with lunch at an apothecary shop turned diner, or enjoy a blowout supper at a double-Michelin restaurant with high-rise views? You could swing by a sparsely decorated canalside joint which knocks out some of the city's best sandwiches or head to an upscale food hall with vendors selling everything from Turkish meze to sushi. Foodies should make a beeline for the über-hip eateries in the dining quarter of De Pijp, but just as pleasing is a traditional meal at a classic Dutch restaurant. Our expert picks out the city's gourmet highlights. Find out more below, or for more Amsterdam inspiration, see our guides devoted to the city's best hotels, bars and cafés, shopping, things to do and things to do for free, plus how to spend a weekend in Amsterdam. Note: Many Amsterdam restaurants require a deposit when you make a reservation. This is debited to your credit card, and subtracted from your bill at the end of the evening. Find a restaurant by type: Best all-rounders Best for families Best for cheap eats Best for walk ins Best for fine dining Best small but mighty spots Best all-rounders Jansz. Through an old apothecary's shop (its original shelving still intact) find a series of rooms, simply decorated with plain wood floors, grey wainscots and bentwood chairs. Shoppers from the Negen Straatjes quarter appear for lunch and young couples and Amsterdam foodies arrive at night to savour cuisine that's robust, big on flavour and full of subtle surprises. A pumpkin salad comes with beech mushrooms, earthy lovage and a buttermilk dressing; classic Dover sole with beurre noisette, capers and lemon. And all this with a canal view – sublime. De Reiger Old-fashioned Amsterdam eetcafé ('eating café') dining at its best. With its high ceilings, mahogany bar, wooden wainscoting, Art Deco lamps and old prints, De Reiger dates from the time when De Jordaan was a working-class quarter. The clientele has moved upmarket, but the atmosphere and no-nonsense fare hark back to the Jordaan of old. Daily-changing menus are chalked up on the wall, and might include lamb's shank with rosemary sauce, and a tarte tatin. Area/neighbourhood: The Jordaan and Amsterdam West Contact: Prices: ££ Reservations: Recommended The Duchess Housed in the magnificent former counting house of a bank, built in 1906 and complete with enormous, distant, stained-glass roof, The Duchess became the talk-of-the-town the moment it opened, as much for the space and sumptuous décor as for the cuisine (everything from spaghetti with Beluga caviar to good old beef Wellington). You can toy with cocktails, seated in a sofa in the comfy bar section, then repair to the dining hall beneath a wall of portraits (which turn out to be LED screen projections), for a night out with Amsterdam hipsters. Area/neighbourhood: Central Amsterdam Contact: Prices: £££ Reservations: Recommended Koevoet With its dark wood panelling, Tiffany lampshades, wall clocks and assorted bric-a-brac, Koevoet seems every inch a traditional Jordaan café – until you get the menu. The cooking is by a wildly talented Sicilian family who supply homemade pastas, their own sausages (with a smoky fennel tang), and other fine flavours of the south. The artichoke ravioli ranks easily with the best I've tasted. The restaurant is hugely popular among visitors to town, dating couples, and local Italian expats, though perhaps more expensive than you might expect given the simple style. Area/neighbourhood: The Jordaan and Amsterdam West Contact: Prices: ££ Reservations: Recommended Café-Restaurant Pllek Housed in a gigantic box of converted shipping containers, Pllek was one of the trailblazers in the transformation of the Amsterdam Noord docklands into a hip new city quarter. Just a few steps from the NDSM shipping shed, which now houses around 200 artists' studios, it is the place artists go for grub, long conversations, or to party alongside cool Amsterdammers coming across the water from Central Station. The food (mostly organic, largely vegetarian) is good, DJs rock the place some nights, and the large waterside terrace becomes an outdoor cinema in the summer. Area/neighbourhood: Amsterdam North Contact: Prices: ₤₤ Reservations: Advisable Miri Mary The love-child of a New Delhi lawyer and her financial whizz-kid partner, Miri Mary aims to bring the taste of a new India, and something of its artistic flair, to Amsterdam. It is wildly popular, situated on what's easily my favourite city square (almost car-free, tall plane trees, uplighting from between the paving stones), on the quieter edge of the hip De Pijp foodie quarter. You're a world away from flock wallpaper and formulaic menus here, surrounded by bright (sometimes surreal) artwork, quirky contemporary crafts, and handmade fittings, and tucking into a spread that might involve fermented-grain crêpes with lentils and tamarind, or beetroot cutlet and spicy blackeye beans with coconut stew. Serre Serre restaurant has a tree-shaded terrace directly beside a canal serving affordable high-end cuisine – zingy yellow-tail ceviche, with komboecha (sweet fermented tea) and flowers, perhaps, or perfectly cooked red three-course Bibendum Menu is especially good value, or you can simply drop by for a club sandwich or burger in this pared down setting: muted beige upholstery is offset by a bold blue ceiling; tables are well-spaced and the elegant canalside terrace (with no traffic thundering by) is one of the best in town. Back to index Best for families Barracuda Unlike Scheveningen (in The Hague), or coastal towns in Zeeland, Amsterdam is thin on top-quality, yet no frills, fish restaurants. Barracuda swims in sleekly to fill the gap. No foams, reductions, or surprising spices here: this is fish without flash, just freshness, good ingredients, traditional flavours (garlic, lemon, oregano, thyme) and careful cooking. Try the succulent Zeeland oysters, smoked shrimps and homemade lemon mayo, mouthwatering mix of mussels, clams and other shells in wine, perfect fish a la plancha, the kiddie favourite kibbeling (juicy cod nuggets in a light, crispy batter), and more. Order at the bar, and tuck in at big tables afloat on a bright-blue floor. Area/neighbourhood: Amsterdam North Contact: Prices: £-££ Reservations: Essential Foodhallen Amsterdam A hip, upmarket version of an Asian food hall, with different vendors ranged around a pool of central tables. You can mix and match from healthy wraps and salads, Middle Eastern meze, dim sum, chunky Dutch meat grills, Vietnamese springrolls, Mumbai street food, and much more. Or perhaps have just a drink with Dutch cheeses or charcuterie. It all takes place in a former tram depot, in a hot-and-happening quarter just west of the city centre. Area/neighbourhood: The Jordaan and Amsterdam West Contact: Prices: £ Reservations: Not possible A Beautiful Mess A prime view across the IJ to Renzo Piano's shiplike NEMO building…but your eyes are drawn inside to the happy jumble of tables: long communal ones, and those just for two; low ones with comfy chairs, and ones you perch at on a barstool. Around you are brightly woven textiles, beaming photos, pot plants, and above all chatty, relaxed drinkers and diners. Refugees to Amsterdam from around the world make up the staff and create the cuisine, so you'll find Middle Eastern home cooking: falafel and fattoush, spicy Iraqi chicken and honey-soaked baklava, but also Pakistani dal and Ukrainian beet salad. Area/neighbourhood: Oosterdok and Amsterdam East Contact: Prices: £ to ££ Reservations: Recommended in the evenings Rijsel A trendsetter in the local move towards no-nonsense ruig (literally 'shaggy', or 'rough') cuisine, Rijsel occupies what was the canteen of a former health clinic. In some ways, things have barely changed – bright lights, ceiling fans, noisy conversation, the clink and clash of crockery and cutlery. But there the comparison stops. The food, though hearty and traditional, is subtle, flavourful, perfectly prepared, in dishes such as cod with mussel vinaigrette, and skirt steak with a classic shallot sauce. The rotisserie chicken is superb – and the Anjou pigeon (should it be on the menu) is even better. 't Blauwe Theehuis Sitting like a cross between a pagoda and a flying saucer in the middle of the Vondlepark, and a prime example of 1930s Nieuw Zakelijkheid architecture, 'The Blue Teahouse' is a popular daytime beer garden, breakfast and lunch spot. This is the place to come for your morning mashed avo on toast, for smoked mackerel or pastrami for lunch, or for passable pizzas and soups. But most come for the excellent artisanal beers from local artisanal brewery 't IJ – to while away an hour or two with a couple of beers and traditional Dutch snacks like bitterbalen (spherical croquettes) and vlammetjes (spicy mini spring rolls). Area/neighbourhood: Museum District and De Pijp Contact: Prices: £ Reservations: Not necessary Little Collins Australian owner-chefs rev up the dining scene at one of the most popular spots in De Pijp. It's brisk and busy and emanates no pretensions with a 'it's the food that matters' atmosphere: plain walls, scrubbed wood, jars of home-made pickles. Top-quality ingredients and imagination and style go into dishes such as grilled stilton bruschetta with pears, and saffron-pickled mackerel. The idea is to share dishes tapas-style. Brunch (highly hip in Amsterdam) is big at Little Collins, with such stalwarts as kedgeree and eggs hollandaise joined by the likes of oysters with tequila-lime granita. Area/neighbourhood: Museum District and De Pijp Contact: Prices: £-££ Reservations: Recommended De Plantage Spreading with elegant nonchalance between two 19th-century pavilions and their high-girdered, glass-lined linking gallery, De Plantage once murmured genteelly with the conversations of privileged members and officials of the Royal Artis Zoo. Today it's a busy, friendly restaurant and café, more popular with local Amsterdammers than tourists, with a view onto a public terrace that offers glimpses of the animals. Pop in whenever you like from breakfast (poached eggs, ham and brioche; smoothies), through lunch (delicious bacalao tartine; beet and goat-cheese ravioli), to dinner (roast duck with celeriac; parsnip gnocchi with trompette de la mort). Or just come for the coffee and prize-winning apple tart. Back to index Best for cheap eats Annavilaas Annavilaas is a down-to-earth vegetarian (and vegan) Indian restaurant among the hipster frippery in De Pijp. Orange walls and geometric-design screens keep the atmosphere at once cheerful and intimate. Staff are quietly charming, and there's a steady come-and-go of custom (the restaurant is a favourite among the South Asian expat community). Tuck into spicy rasam soup (tangy with tamarind, pepper and tomato), paper-thin dosas, soul-lifting dals and so much more. The menu can seem overwhelmingly long, but everything tastes freshly cooked, and there are a couple of thali-style 'menus' that deftly remove the need to choose. Area/neighbourhood: Museum District and De Pijp Contact: 00 31 20 786 4739; Prices: £ Reservations: Not usually necessary Maydanoz Splendidly patterned Turkish tiles line the walls, light glints through the coloured glass of lamps and lanterns, and from the kitchen come prime grills and Turkish cuisine. The old favourites are there – baba ganoush, homemade with smoky, wood-grilled aubergine and crisp filo börek stuffed with feta. But there are more adventurous dishes, too, such as rocket salad with pomegranate dressing. The grilled fish, fresh from the nearby market, and a real treat. There's a mixed crowd – Maydanoz gets its share of hip De Pijp diners, but it is also a popular neighbourhood hangout. Area/neighbourhood: Museum District and De Pijp Contact: Prices: ££ Reservations: Not necessary Bird Crush up at the window counter or grab one of the handful of small tables for tangy Thai food, cooked while you wait. Dishes are basic, and turnover is quick – this is really just a snack bar – but for authenticity and flavour, the cooking is hard to beat. I especially love the squid with basil and chilli. Though Bird restaurant across the road, run by the same people, is more comfortable and has a more sedate ambience, I've always found the food disappointing in comparison to a lively meal at the snack bar. Area/neighbourhood: Central Amsterdam Contact: Prices: £ Reservations: Not possible La Perla A prime corner spot, neighbourhood conviviality, and wholesome Italian food – La Perla is a favourite hangout in the Jordaan quarter. It's on a bustling alley of galleries, quirky shops and eateries, and is open all day – great for lunch after the Saturday farmer's market, or for one of those chatty afternoon coffees that becomes a drink, then dinner. Wood-oven pizzas lead the way (with adventurous toppings such as fennel-seed salami with artichokes), but at lunchtime there are bulging, crusty baguettes and salads, and in the evening charcuterie platters, other antipasti and pasta. The homemade ravioli is a treat. Area/neighbourhood: The Jordaan and Amsterdam West Contact: Prices: £ Reservations: Recommended Couscous Club Just couscous, and only three types to choose from, but made with fine ingredients, in the traditional manner (with the couscous being steamed over the bubbling vegetable stock), and served in convivial surrounds. The Couscous Club does indeed have a clubby feel – a relaxed, neighbourhood place, full of regulars, popular with groups of friends getting together to chat, grab a bite, and enjoy a couple of bottles of wine. The vegetarian couscous is varied, subtle in flavour, and hard to beat. The couscous 'Royal' with succulent lamb and a touch of spicy merguez is what most people come for. Area/neighbourhood: Museum District and De Pijp Contact: Prices: £ Reservations: Recommended Elements A training restaurant for students in their final year at hotel school, diners might expect to encounter the odd wobble, but most will never be disappointed here. The dishes are refined, well-presented and a real treat – not to mention easy on the pocket. Menus change every few weeks, and may include adventures such as mussels with coconut and Franco-Indian vadouvan spices, or more down-to-earth farm-kitchen veal with aubergine and Marsala sauce. The kitchen closes early (7pm), but the restaurant is only a short walk from the Concertgebouw, making it an ideal for a pre-concert meal. Area/neighbourhood: Museum District and De Pijp Contact: Prices: £ Reservations: Essential Back to index Best for walk ins Lion Noir Dimly lit, with dark wood, deep-green walls, bright prints, flashes of foliage, and the odd bit of surreal bric-a-brac such as a stuffed peacock. Staff are friendly and efficient, and without a bristle of pretentiousness that such a venue seems normally to inspire. The chef is unafraid of big, unfussy flavours – duck with pumpkin cream, polenta, chicory and madeira; and sauteed sea bream with lemon risotto, purslane and crayfish tortellini. Vegetarian dishes aren't wimpy either: Jerusalem artichoke risotto with forest mushrooms, chestnuts and hazelnuts. Try for a table in the courtyard garden, beside the building's supremely elegant rear façade. Area/neighbourhood: Canal Belt – East Contact: Prices: ££ Reservations: Recommended, especially for the garden courtyard. Arca A hidden – literally, you can't see it from the street) gem near Centraal Station – an area otherwise arid of good eateries, Arca sits between an open kitchen and a large open hearth, in the depths of the designer-savvy art'otel. Under the guiding hand of Portuguese culinary supremo Henrique Sà Pessoa, chef Rodrigo Silva comes up with fine renditions of classic Portuguese fare, such as bacalao with potatoes, parsley and olives, but also branches out into the wilder worlds of kimchi-marinated pumpkin, and fig-leaf ice cream with horseradish sauce. Area/neighbourhood: Central Amsterdam Contact: Prices: ££ Reservations: Advisable The Lobby A long bar, lots of space, comfy leather chairs, and witty designer quirks such as an open hearth suspended mid-air from its own chimney – all these facets make The Lobby at once hip and cosy. Dishes are hearty, healthy and superbly done – try the flat iron steak with chanterelles, artichoke, and porcini gravy. The wine list includes some intriguing, lesser-known bottles, with a good range by the glass. The Flammkuchen – thin, pizza-like Alsace bread, spread with crème fraiche and savoury toppings such as nduja, olives and artichoke – are a must. If you're very hungry, you could manage one as a starter. De Laatste Kruimel Homemade is trending in Amsterdam, and De Laatste Kruimel's forest-fruit bread puddings, dangerous chocolate cake and comfy scones (like Granny made, with home-made jam and lashes of cream) top the lot. Some of the wilder experiments (courgette and lemon-curd tart) don't quite do it for me, but this remains one of my favourite afternoon sugar-fix pit stops. It's small and usually crowded, but the upended wooden fruit-box seats ensure a quick turnover. They do a variety of quiches and other savouries, too, plus good coffee and smoothies to go with it all. Area/neighbourhood: Central Amsterdam Contact: Prices: £ Reservations: Not necessary Spirit Large windows let in floods of light and a view of one of Amsterdam's last remaining windmills. Pale wood, white walls and high ceilings add to the air of brightness and well-being. In the midst of it all, a long buffet table is spread with hot and cold delights – 100 per cent organic, all vegetarian. Flavours venture away from the norm (wild carrot salad with yacon root, hazel nuts and tahini), but there are also old favourites and delicious veg curries. They also do a great chocolate mousse and a wicked range of cakes and pastries. Area/neighbourhood: The Jordaan and Amsterdam West Contact: Prices: £ Reservations: Recommended Wing Kee Everyone has their favourite restaurant in China Town, and I will fight Wing Kee's corner till I drop. We're talking neon lights, plastic chairs, and sometimes gruff service, but the roast suckling pig (crispy crackling and meltingly succulent meat), and the noodle dishes (delicate stock and subtle, distinct flavours) are unsurpassed. The suckling pig is usually only available over weekends (it is worth checking before you sit down), but then the duck is pretty good, too. Note that there's no alcohol licence, and that the 'Bring Your Own Booze' concept does not hold in Amsterdam. Area/neighbourhood: Central Amsterdam Contact: Prices: £ Reservations: Not necessary Back to index Best for fine dining Bougainville Quietly detached from the hectic life on the Dam, in a cocoon of rich fabrics and sumptuously soft upholstery, at convivial round tables you can succumb to a succession of delicate, finely tuned dishes from executive chef Tim Golsteijn. Local products and unalloyed natural flavours predominate, with a nod to the Netherlands' trading past: pork belly and langoustine, with different preparations of pumpkin and just a waft of vadouvan spices. Skilled sommelier Ronald Opten employs his extensive knowledge and subtle imagination to alight on wine matchings with finesse. Area/neighbourhood: Central Amsterdam Contact: Prices: £££ Reservations: Essential Ciel Bleu Arjan Speelman, long part of the duo that has won Ciel Bleu two Michelin stars, now steers the ship with Mike Klaassen as chef de cuisine, and comes up with delightfully wayward creations such as oysters with elderflower, green apple and celery, or pigeon with pistachio cream and smoked beetroot, in a full silver service, classical setting. Well-heeled, well-dressed epicures rub shoulders with business folk on fat expense accounts. There's an excellent wine list, worth exploring for its odder corners. The restaurant, on the 23rd floor of one of the tallest buildings in town, offers a rare unrestricted view across the entire city. Van Oost In a 1908 former medical school dissecting theatre, surrounded by two-storey-high windows overlooking the Oosterpark, Van Oost is one of the most exciting restaurants to hit Amsterdam in years. Chef Floris van Straalen takes you on a dance that pirouettes from comfort food to the exotic, with leaps into the unexpected: velvety Dutch potato marinated in brown butter and pine-smoked salt, with a dust of shitake powder; quail's leg glazed in vadouvan spices; perfectly cooked halibut with smoky oxtail ravioli on the side. Adventurous wine pairings both harmonize and cheekily contrast. You could linger for hours in chic comfort, with a zip of hip. Area/neighbourhood: Oosterdok and Amsterdam East Contact: Prices: £££ Reservations: Essential Rijks Star chef Joris Bijdendijk glitters in a restaurant tucked beneath the Rijksmuseum. There is a delicate, sophisticated touch given to his dishes: wild duck with sweet-and-sour fennel; pumpkin, aromatic with fresh porcini and hazelnut. This is by far the best cuisine to be had near the big museums, and well worth a special lunchtime treat. As befitting a restaurant at the national museum, Bijdendijk sources mainly local and traditional products. Try one of the Dutch white wines such as Apostelhoeve Riesling – they are surprisingly good. Area/neighbourhood: Museum District and De Pijp Contact: Prices: ££-£££ Reservations: Recommended Spectrum Amsterdam's Waldorf Astoria Hotel occupies a stretch of six of the city's grandest 17th-century canal mansions. The hotel has lured one of the Netherlands' top chefs into town to establish a restaurant looking out into the garden at the back. From the langoustines with kimchi, magnolia and tulip bulbs, through carrots with fermented garlic, caraway and morels, to duck with bergamot-flavoured yoghurt, and then nori nougat, Sidney Schutte's cooking represents all that is inspired and adventurous in Dutch cuisine. Try his cheeky take on the classic Waldorf salad: the same ingredients (walnuts, apples, celery) transformed into a surprisingly scrumptious dessert. Vinkeles In a 19th-century former almshouse bakery, complete with fairy-tale cast-iron oven doors set into rough brick walls, and overlooking a secluded garden courtyard, comes cuisine that transports you to another realm. Chef Jurgen van der Zalm combines pure ingredients with poise and flair: Dover sole with fennel, white grapes and roast onion, perhaps, or Anjou pigeon with a flutter of flavours: duck liver, sour cherry, and the purest Chuncho chocolate from the slopes of Machu Pichu. Vegetarian options are just as sublime. You sit in comfortably padded chairs, at widely spaced tables, and are treated with relaxed, friendly attentiveness: high-end without hauteur. Area/neighbourhood: Canal Belt – West Contact: Prices: £££ Reservations: Essential Back to index Best small but mighty spots até Step through a door hidden in the oak panelling of a grand old canalside building to an intimate chef's-table restaurant for just six diners. A single, organically shaped table, like a lava lamp bubble, means that you don't have to talk to the others if you prefer à dieux. But the evening is about sociability and stories. Rising-star chef Filip Hanlo weaves childhood memories, his mixed heritage, travels and training into a tale of France, Japan, Mexico and the Netherlands, blending flavours from each with delight and exhilarating invention. Area/neighbourhood: Canal Belt – East Contact: Prices: £££ Reservations: Essential Batoni Khinkali A cosy spot behind the Concertgebouw serving heart-warming Georgian cuisine (that's Georgia as in the Caucasus, not USA). Fat, steaming khinkali (dumplings) come from the tiny kitchen, juicily stuffed with meat or mushrooms; glistening grilled kupati (spicy sausages) pop at the prick of a fork; grandma-style brown-bean stews appear, as well as delicate guinea fowl braised in milk and garlic. Some intriguing Georgian wines, a relaxed, family-run atmosphere, an open kitchen run with verve, and affordable prices all help make this a good choice for a meal à deux before a concert, or a longer, more gregarious feast. Area/neighbourhood: Museum District and De Pijp Contact: 00 31 20 358 5491; Prices: £ Reservations: Recommended Sinne Small tables within just-squeeze-by distance of each other; bare bricks, white walls – and a nightly crowd of food enthusiasts in the know. Sinne is in the thick of De Pijp hip dining quarter and has an unpretentious atmosphere. All energies hone in on the food: marinated oysters in a smoky citrus dressing, with lime and radish and other startling turns of flavour that shoot across your palate; roast cuttlefish, with chorizo, olives, and a paprika kick; a fine meringue tart made with yuzu, rather than lemon to finish. Dishes are exquisitely presented, and the price tag is not quite as big as you might expect. Area/neighbourhood: Museum District and De Pijp Contact: Prices: ££ Reservations: Essential Bouchon du Centre A tiny restaurant, where Hanneke Schouten runs the show entirely on her own. You sit on bentwood chairs at one of a handful of tables covered with cheerful checked cloths, as if you were in her home kitchen, and take pot luck – from the breads and saucisson, to pork-neck confit and coq au vin. By Hanneke's own admission, it is food that is not for picky eaters, or vegetarians. This is a spot for long, luscious weekday lunches. Hanneke likes evenings to herself, and the restaurant is not open at night. Area/neighbourhood: Canal Belt – East Contact: Prices: ££ Reservations: Essential De Juwelier Two of Amsterdam's top chefs, Richard van Oostenbrugge and Thomas Groot, come up with no-fuss dishes with a firm classic backbone, but with inspired touches, in an atmosphere poised between traditional 'brown café' and no-nonsense brasserie (wooden wainscotting, crisp white tablecloths, padded banquettes and bentwood chairs). Their aim of providing a more affordable, accessible counterpart to their exquisite, multi-Michelin-starred (but credit-card-melting) restaurant 212 nearby is achieved with aplomb. Marrowbones come with the bones stuffed with marrow and chanterelle mushrooms, served with bread smokily toasted over an open fire; hearth roasted wild duck, glazed with blackcurrants, comes with a classic sauce royale. Area/neighbourhood: Canal Belt – East Contact: Prices: ££ Reservations: Essential Tujuh Maret A favourite spot for an Indonesian rijsttafel – a feast of tiny, spicy dishes served with rice and relishes. The restaurant is simple and homely, and the service has delightful, personal touches (such as a basket of reading glasses, for those who have forgotten theirs at home.) Elsewhere, rijsttafel dishes can be a set of barely distinguishable curries, but here each is subtle and different. You can order courses individually, but the Rijsttafel Minahasa is recommended for its bounty, and subtlety of flavours. You'll end up stuffed: consider skipping lunch if you're coming for dinner. Back to index How we choose Every restaurant in this curated list has been tried and tested by our destination expert, who has visited to provide you with their insider perspective. We cover a range of budgets, from neighbourhood favourites to Michelin-starred restaurants – to best suit every type of traveller's taste – and consider the food, service, best tables, atmosphere and price in our recommendations. We update this list regularly to keep up with the latest opening and provide up to date recommendations.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Bentley's Latest One-Off Batur Features Dazzling 18-Karat Rose Gold Trim
The details are what set Bentley's latest one-off build apart from the pack. The British marque has just unveiled a new example of the Batur called 'The Black Rose.' The coachbuilt grand tourer is the first to feature 3-D-printed solid rose gold trim. More from Robb Report Police Just Busted a Crime Ring That Was Rerouting Deliveries of Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, and More How Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and More Marques Are Responding to Shifts in the EV Market Thieves Were Sentenced After Stealing $11.5 Million in Luxury Cars Bentleys don't get much more exclusive than the Batur. Introduced in 2023, the exquisite coupe, like the open-top Bacalar before it, is an ultra-exclusive version of the Continental GT. At the time of its unveiling, the automaker announced that its bespoke division, Mulliner, would build just 18 examples of the two-door, each of which would be designed with the input of its owner. The Black Rose features a striking color scheme you won't find on any other Batur. The lower half of the vehicle is done up in metallic black, while the upper body is finished in glossy Beluga. It's the trim that's especially noteworthy, though. Satin Rose Gold accents adorn the grille, hood, intakes, side skirts, and mirror caps. You'll even find traces of the color on the 22-inch gloss black wheels. The glitzy hue can also be found inside the vehicle. Bentley says that 210 grams of 18-karat rose gold is present throughout the Black Rose's decadent cabin, including on the dashboard, steering wheel, and drive mode selector. The trim was applied via a 3-D printing technique that the automaker claims has never previously been used on an automobile. Other premium materials found in the interior include Beluga leather, charcoal gray tweed fabric, and metallic black-painted veneers. Bentley's vehicle announcement doesn't include any mechanical details, but previous examples of the Batur have been powered by the marque's soon-to-be-extinct twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12. The brawny mill is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and makes 730 hp and 737 ft lbs of torque. Thanks to all that oomph, the unnamed owner can accelerate from zero to 60 in 3.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 209 mph. Unfortunately, the Black Rose is a one-off, so if you want a Bentley looks like it you'll probably have to commission it from the automaker yourself. If the car does ever wind up on the secondary market, expect to pay its $2.1 million sticker price or more to add it to your of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
BelugaST fleet goes belly-up as Airbus closes cargo airline
Airbus has shut down its new for-hire cargo airline focused on transporting oversize shipments using the odd-shaped Beluga superfreighter because of self-described operational challenges and what appears to be weak demand for the service. The aerospace manufacturer last week terminated Airbus Beluga Transport (AiBT), the specialized airfreight business introduced last March for hauling outsize cargo, and suspended BelugaST flights, Airbus confirmed in a statement. French business daily Les Echos first reported on Airbus' decision to ground the third-party cargo service due to a lack of external customers, resulting in the loss of 75 jobs. Airbus said operational issues, not weak demand, were the biggest challenge. But the two problems went hand in hand, according to an air cargo professional familiar with the market for heavy-lift cargo. 'I believe the lengthy internal procedures to permit new cargo types on the aircraft and high charter costs prevented ABT from being a competitive player. I would also say chartering the Beluga externally wasn't a high priority for Airbus,' said Brian Davis, commercial director for Neo Air Charter, an aircraft broker based in Ruesselsheim, Germany, that matches logistics companies and other shippers that need custom airlift with available cargo airlines. 'The limitations on cargo weight as well as the complex requirements for organizing and relocating special loading conveyors closed them off to a lot of business,' he added. While the BelugaST can accommodate oversize loads, it's not as versatile as the Antonov An-124 or Boeing 747 because of weight limitations and the need for special loading equipment. With a maximum payload of 44 tons, it isn't able, for example, to transport tanks, generators or other heavy industrial equipment that can easily be rolled onto other freighters that have front or rear ramps. Loading and unloading is a complex process that requires a dedicated, trained crew. The loader is basically scaffolding with a built-in rail system that allows the plane to be filled from a high point, above the cockpit. The platform has to be assembled, put in containers, and transported to each destination. It takes several hours to position the platform in front of the aircraft, connect it with the aircraft handling system and load/unload shipments, with the assistance of a crane. When the loader is carried on the same flight as a load, it reduces the available capacity. The BelugaST completed a total of six missions for external customers in 2024, the Airbus spokeswoman said by email. In addition to meeting customers' requirements for safe carriage of sensitive equipment, Airbus' aircraft design office had to approve different types of payloads to make sure lashing systems and other systems would hold large shipments in place. AiBT operated four BelugaST superfreighters. Aircraft tracking site Flightradar24 shows the planes were parked in Toulouse and Bordeaux, France, starting in the first week of January. No decision has been made yet about their midterm and long-term future, an Airbus spokeswoman told FreightWaves. The ultralarge aircraft for now will be placed under the air operating certificate of Airbus Transport International, the in-house airline that operates larger BelugaXL jets that transport aircraft sections between different Airbus manufacturing sites in Europe. Whether they will be used again for internal purposes depends on future circumstances, she said. The unique aircraft's design is based on an A300-600 and borrows features from the beluga whale, a species with a distinctive white color and prominent forehead found in Arctic coastal waters. Airbus modified the frame by lowering the cockpit and adding a bulbous fuselage shell to accommodate large aircraft sections so they could be moved from factories to assembly plants in Europe by its in-house airline. Airbus announced plans in January 2022 to commercialize its fleet of BelugaST freighters after replacing them with the BelugaXL, which is built on a larger A330-200 frame. The business offered dedicated transport services to shippers with cargo that is too tall or wide to fit in a traditional freighter aircraft. With the largest cross section of any transport aircraft in the world – 50% higher and 10% wider than alternatives such as the Antonov An-124 or Boeing 747-8 – the Beluga was well suited for nonstandard shipments such as satellites and helicopters. But the limitations on heavy-lift cargo and complexity to operate reduced its overall appeal. The aircraft also is unable to make long journeys without multiple trips because it was designed for regional flying in Europe. Over time it will become extremely difficult to transport oversize and heavy cargo, Neo Air Charter's Davis explained. The biggest issue is the lack of replacements for the ultralarge An-124. In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, only a handful of An-124 ultralarge freighters are available to charter in the European and North American regions. Ukrainian freighter operator Antonov Airlines, which relocated to Leipzig/Halle airport in Germany when the war started, has only two An-124s in commercial service. Two other An-124s are committed to flying military cargo for Ukraine, and the three remaining aircraft have been inactive for months or years, according to industry sources and Flightradar24 data. Meanwhile, Russian cargo airline Volga-Dnepr, which operates An-124s and Ilyushin IL-76s, is banned from U.S. and European airspace. The only other An-124 operator is Abu Dhabi-based Maximus Airlines, which has a single aircraft. The An-124s are getting very old, and finding replacement parts is increasingly difficult, said Davis. Atlas Air and Cargolux operate the largest fleets of Boeing 747 freighters. Airlines are gradually phasing out Boeing 747-400s because of their age and high fuel consumption. Boeing stopped making the 747-8 last year. The largest production freighter currently available from Boeing is the twin-engine 777, but it lacks the nose-loading capability of many 747s. Azerbaijan-based Silkway Airlines also operates two IL-76s that can operate in the U.S. and Europe. Click here for more FreightWaves stories by Eric Kulisch. Israel's Challenge Group prepares to fly all-new 777 converted freighter Emirates leases additional Boeing 747 freighters to meet shipper demand Taiwanese startup Starlux Airlines doubles down on Airbus A350 freighter China Airlines to buy Boeing 777-8 freighters The post BelugaST fleet goes belly-up as Airbus closes cargo airline appeared first on FreightWaves.
