Cafe Brutal in Wijk 07 Zuid

What an amazing discovery! Love the vibe and the people are so friendly. Great wine selections and small bites. I had the Kaasplank- a platter with a tasting of 5 cheese which I paired with two whites ! 😋 🥰

One star, and honestly, the service doesn't even deserve that one star. We were seated at a long shared table and then completely ignored. Only after we started waving did someone come over, with the excuse that he hadn't seen us. That immediately set the tone. We ordered a wine that was advertised on the menu as being served lightly chilled. Not chilled, and a moment later it turned out the bottle was out of stock altogether. The same story with the second bottle: that one was on the menu too, but wasn't there. And the wine list by bottle wasn't exactly extensive to begin with, so the fact that half of it isn't available is downright sloppy for a wine bar. In the end, we didn't get what we ordered: a Chilean wine instead of the Stellenbosch from the menu. When we pointed this out, it was denied at first, followed by the argument that it was the same grape after all. As if origin doesn't matter when it comes to wine. When that didn't sink in, came the kicker: "But do you like it?" No apology, no offer to get the right bottle after all, nothing. From someone who serves wine for a living, you expect at the very least that he knows the difference between South Africa and Chile and takes it seriously. Next, we asked what that replacement bottle cost. We didn't get an answer to that either, only the vague remark that it made a bit of a difference. No price. So, you are served a random bottle without knowing what you are drinking or what you are paying for. And then the bill. It simply listed that first bottle that they didn't even have in stock. It was only corrected after we pointed it out, and the amount went from 78 to 66 euros. That is no small mistake; that is twelve euros that wasn't charged simply because we were paying attention. Anyone who isn't paying attention simply pays too much here. We won't be coming back, and I advise everyone to pay close attention to the bill and whether you are actually getting what you ordered.

Sometimes you aren't looking for a restaurant, but just a place where you can sit down for a while with a good glass. VinVin turned out to be exactly that. We walked in, received immediate advice instead of an endless menu, and in no time, wines were on the table that really added something. The atmosphere is intimate and relaxed, the snacks simple but tasty, and the team clearly focused on what they do. In the end, we ran just a little too late, so we'll definitely be going here more often!

The food is fine, the building beautiful, and the staff friendly. An understandable mistake was quickly corrected. That's how it should be!