High Wine Amsterdam, experience it at Wine Bar of the Year

There are dozens of places in Amsterdam where you can book a High Wine. But there is a real difference between an arrangement with a bottle of wine and a snack board, and a true High Wine where every pairing has been carefully considered by a sommelier who knows why it works.

At Paskamer, it is the latter.

What is a High Wine?

High Wine is the wine equivalent of High Tea. Instead of tea and scones, you receive several glasses of wine, each accompanied by a matching dish. The difference from a regular wine tasting: at a High Wine, the combination is the focus, not the wine alone. The food is not a side note. It is half the experience.

Every wine is chosen to do something with the dish: reinforce, contrast, or bring out a flavour that simply would not exist without it. That is sommelier logic, not guesswork.

Why Paskamer offers the best High Wine in Amsterdam

Paskamer was named Wine Bar of the Year in the Netherlands in 2023. That is not a marketing claim. It reflects the wine list (350+ wines, 50+ by the glass), the expertise of the team, and the consistency with which guests are surprised and delighted.

All sommeliers at Paskamer trained at the Amsterdam Wine Academy and build the High Wine from the wine list outward, not the other way around. That means you will not receive a standard Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot from a set package. You drink a Braunewell Riesling 'Paskamer' from Rheinhessen alongside a dish that calls precisely for that minerality. Or an Etna Bianco from the volcanic slopes of Sicily next to something that needs exactly that saline depth.

That is the difference.

How does the High Wine at Paskamer work?

On arrival, you choose between three courses (39.50 p.p.) or four courses (52.50 p.p.). From that moment, you do not need to think about anything. The sommelier takes over.

With each pairing, you receive an explanation: why this wine, why this dish, what the chemistry is between the flavours. Not a lecture, but a conversation. Accessible for someone who knows little about wine, and engaging enough for someone who knows a great deal.

The High Wine begins no later than 18:00 and lasts approximately one and a half to two hours. Dietary requirements and allergies can be noted when booking.

An example of a recent combination:

• Marinated salmon with black sesame, paired with a fresh, mineral white wine
• A savoury middle course alongside a light red or orange wine
• A more powerful final pairing with a fuller glass, with an explanation of why the intensity works now

The exact composition changes with the seasons and the menu. That is intentional.

Who is the High Wine at Paskamer for?

For couples looking for a special evening. For groups of friends who want to experience and discover something together. For business relations in an informal, welcoming setting. For wine lovers who want to understand what they are drinking. And especially for people who do not know where to begin, because the structure of a High Wine is perfect for that.

The atmosphere at Paskamer is warm and direct, not formal. You are seated at a table in De Pijp, not in a Michelin-starred restaurant. That is a deliberate choice. The best wine and food combinations are the ones where you feel completely at ease.