Riedstra Vis in Wijk 23 Lemmer

We come here especially for the delicious eel platter. It was perfect again! And cozy!

We had booked the night before and asked about gluten free. Yes that was fine we were told. Arriving the next evening, we ordered drink and food. Gluten free beer was not an option- fair enough, not everyone is there yet. We ordered burgers. The woman serving came back to inform me that I had chosen the only burger on the menu that could not be gluten free (apparently prawns were marinated in gluten). I chose the spicy smash. This duly arrived without the included fries. When asked where the fries were, we were told they were not gluten free. A slice of watermelon was served instead. Het spijt me but in what universe is it acceptable to substitute watermelon for a portion of fries?! Especially without any consultation/explanation/apology. The watermelon was nice enough but didn’t really want to dip it in the little pot of mayonnaise that had been thoughtfully provided. I can usually tolerate fries fried in the same oil so we asked for a portion of fries. By the time we finished our meal which we didn’t rush, and the fries still hadn’t arrived, we asked for the bill. I was asked what I wanted to do about the fries (shouldn’t a restaurant offer at this point). I asked for the price of a portion of fries to be removed from the bill. The serving staff were nice enough but it would have been nice to receive some kind of apology at that point. The burger was fine although I have questions about the claim of using fresh locally sourced produce (clearly not using fresh potatoes 😂). All in all somewhat disappointing especially from something that describes itself as an “urban food bar”. There was a lack of understanding of dietary needs. It would be helpful to label it on the menu. OK if you’re “normal” but won’t be going back.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! We had another delicious meal at Sem's and happily come here to eat with our family from Swifterbant regularly twice a month.

We - a family of five - had made a reservation, unfortunately we could not reserve a table outside. No idea why that wasn't possible. Pizzas were tasty, five different ones. Dessert tasted good. The Spiced Mule, an alcohol-free cocktail, was very tasty on this warm summer evening. Dessert took a very long time, ice cream had already melted before it reached the table. That's not necessary, I think. Staff work very hard, but are sometimes clearly inexperienced. Two tips: if there are tables available, but there is insufficient manpower, refuse new guests. Furthermore, smoking is prohibited at the entrance to a restaurant in the Netherlands. And not for nothing, it bothers other guests.

A very nice restaurant; we sat right by the canal. The fish and chips with red cabbage and celery salad were excellent! They had a great selection of wines and beers. Thank you for the friendly service.