Head-to-Head · Amsterdam
Ciel Bleu vs Flore
Ciel Bleu is Speelman's two-star French room above the skyline; Flore, Van Kranen's two-star plant-forward table. Book Ciel Bleu for the view.
The Verdict
Ciel Bleu is the classic two-star. Arjan Speelman cooks on the twenty-third floor of Hotel Okura, with the Amsterdam skyline below and a kitchen rooted in classic French technique sharpened by international spice. The format is a five or seven-course tasting, the six-course signature lands at two hundred and twenty-five euros and the eight-course at two hundred and seventy-five, with a serious wine pairing on top. The restaurant has held two Michelin stars without a break for more than a decade. It scores 9 for food, 9 for the room and 7 for value.
Flore is the green two-star. Bas van Kranen rebuilt the old Bord'Eau as a plant-forward room on the Amstel, seating just thirty guests for a tasting that draws on roughly eighty Dutch plants and reads as a statement about the season. The kitchen holds two Michelin stars and a Green star for sustainability, and the omnivore and botanical tastings both run at two hundred and fifty euros, with the vegetable work doing the heavy lifting rather than the protein. It scores 9 for food, 8 for the room and 7 for value.
The split is skyline versus conscience. Ciel Bleu is the twenty-third-floor French occasion with the view and the long pedigree; Flore is the ground-level green table where vegetables lead and the cooking argues for a different kind of luxury. One is the grand hotel two-star, the other the future-facing one.
Scores, Side by Side
| Score | Ciel Bleu | Flore |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 9 / 10 | 9 / 10 |
| Atmosphere | 9 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| Value | 7 / 10 | 7 / 10 |
Which One for Which Occasion
| Occasion | Editorial Pick |
|---|---|
| A skyline celebration | Ciel BleuThe twenty-third-floor view over Amsterdam and the classic French tasting make Ciel Bleu the grand occasion. |
| A plant-forward special dinner | FloreBas van Kranen's two-star, Green-starred botanical tasting is the city's most considered vegetable-led meal. |
| Closing a deal over dinner | Ciel BleuThe composed Okura room, the long pedigree and the discreet service suit a high-stakes business dinner. |
| A sustainability-minded date | FloreThirty seats, canal-side calm and roughly eighty Dutch plants give Flore the more intimate, principled evening. |
| Best classic two-star experience | Ciel BleuMore than a decade of unbroken two-star cooking makes Ciel Bleu the safe reference choice in Amsterdam. |
Price and How to Book
The split is skyline versus conscience. Ciel Bleu cooks classic French on the twenty-third floor of Hotel Okura and trades on the view and the pedigree; the full read is in the Ciel Bleu review. Flore runs Bas van Kranen's thirty-seat plant-forward room on the Amstel and argues for a greener luxury; the detail is in the Flore review. Both anchor our Amsterdam dining guide.
For cuisine context, weigh Ciel Bleu against the world's best French restaurants and Flore against the finest plant-based restaurants. For occasion fit, see our picks for closing a deal and an anniversary. More match-ups sit on the compare index, including Greetje vs Rijks.