This is Lars's signature introduction to his style — a refined balance of French fundamentals and Asian-influenced preparations. Each course builds on the previous, moving through vegetables, fish, and land proteins before closing with dessert. Reviewers note that the Experience menu repeats nothing across multiple visits, as the 5-week rotation ensures ingredients always reflect what's peak in the seasons.
Tips from diners
The Experience menu is the standard. Unless you're specifically interested in wagyu or want the full gastronomic exploration, this is where to start — it's never disappointing.
For diners wanting the complete Lars vision, this is the tour de force. The extra three courses allow Lars to layer techniques and showcase more ambitious preparations. Each course receives more attention and time in execution. The Exclusive menu typically includes rare or premium ingredients (perhaps wagyu, truffles depending on season) that don't appear on the other menus.
Tips from diners
If you're celebrating an anniversary or special occasion, the Exclusive menu becomes the moment. Mention when you book — they'll occasionally add a small surprise course.
Unlike the fixed tasting menu format of dinner, lunch offers flexibility. You choose from a curated daily list, allowing you to construct your own progression or focus on specific courses. This format has made Lars more accessible to local regulars who visit multiple times and want variety within the same price point.
Tips from diners
The lunch menu is printed fresh each day. Come without expectations about what you'll eat — it's designed for discovery, not ordering the same thing twice.
Often an unexpected amuse or palate cleanser, this course directly celebrates the rooftop garden. The herbs are picked fresh and infused into a light broth or consumed as a delicate, aromatic course. It's Lars's way of grounding the experience in place — every diner tastes the garden in real-time.
Tips from diners
If you're seated with a view of the terrace, you can sometimes see the garden area where these herbs were picked hours before you ate them.
This is the menu unique to Lars Amsterdam — literally grown on-site. The Green Menu celebrates vegetables with the same precision as the Experience menu treats proteins. Each course is built around what's ready to harvest, making it the most seasonal offering at the restaurant. Reviewers who've done both menus note the Green menu often outshines the Experience menu in flavor depth because Lars has been working with these ingredients for months.
Tips from diners
The Green Menu lunch is the best price-to-value ratio at any Michelin restaurant in Amsterdam. Book midweek for the most relaxed service.
Lars Amsterdam opened in 2018 in Amsterdam's Houthavens district, earning a Michelin star in 2022 under chef and co-founder Lars Scharp. The restaurant's defining feature is its 400 m² rooftop garden established in 2023, which provides seasonal produce that shapes the Green Menu and influences every course. Scharp combines classical French techniques with subtle Asian influences, rotating menus every 5 weeks and offering personalized dining through three distinct menu tiers.
Book 4-6 weeks ahead for Friday-Saturday dinner. Thursday lunch is the easiest to book and offers the same quality at half the price.
The restaurant occasionally releases counter seats 1-2 days ahead on Instagram. Follow @larsamsterdam for walk-in chances — you get a full menu experience, no a la carte limitation.
The three-course lunch menu at €65 is the best entry point to Michelin dining in Amsterdam. It includes a protein-forward course and dessert, full execution.
Wine pairings are €60-85 depending on menu tier. The sommelier leans toward low-intervention and natural wines — expect discovery over prestige names.
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