Sofa

We were staying at the Kasteel Suites and this restaurant was the only one in the area. It has supposedly won a number of awards but I was sadly disappointed in the quality.
Food: ²⁄₅
The appetizers are tiny and very expensive, we ordered a tuna wrapped in crunchy pieces and it was sadly underseasoned. The fish had no flavor and didn’t seem fresh either.
For our entrees, we had sliced cod with spring vegetables and lamb 3 ways. The fish was overly salty and the star of that dish were the spring vegetables, but for almost 30 euros that seems a bit ridiculous. The lamb 3 ways was served with asparagus (white and green), these veggies were tasty. But of the 3 ways, there was only 1 tasty piece of lamb.
Overall, sadly with the quality of food. It wasn’t seasoned correctly and the food didn’t have any memorable moments.
Service: ²⁄₅
We were seated inside because it was chilly in the evening, but most people were sitting outside. It took a long time to be served and we were mainly forgotten about through most of the night.
Atmosphere: ³⁄₅
It has very pretty modern décor, and a gorgeous view of the castle.
Value: ¹⁄₅
Entrees are around 30 euros per dish, and they are not very big or filling. Poorly seasoned food, and vegetables being the only redeeming factor. This was a very sad sad disappointment.

Was fortunate enough to try a sampling of SOFA’s food during the annual Preuvenemint. The Preuvenemint is a four-​day culinary event on the Vrijthof square in the city of Maastricht. SOFA (short for «Sounds Fantastic») set up a modest booth, and because I had heard it was a top-​tier restaurant, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
Dozens upon dozens of vendors crowed the square. The food was overwhelming and the alcohol was flowing. My friend and I rounded the square dabbling in a various dishes from innumerable kitchens.
When we made our rounds to SOFA, I made a point to stop swigging the bountiful champagne/​prosecco (i lost track) and savor the amalgamation of an epicurean opus. Ok, i’m being waaay over the top with my description, but it was no kidding, stop you in your tracks good. How you turn a mobile kitchen and a fair tent into something that produces a legendary platter is beyond me.
I sampled the duck breast and was floored. I then proceed to guilt my friend into letting me sample her tuna and wasabi. Both were excellent, but I were to choose i would err on the side of my companion’s dish.
The great thing about SOFA is that the restaurant caters to both high end clientele and average joes like me. Two menus are available to restaurant patrons, so choose wisely. A meal will run anywhere from 18 to 60 euro based upon which menu you select. i would pay the money to eat a high-​end meal from this restaurant. It worth the price.

Attention les yeux et les papilles, cet endroit est top. Coupé en deux, une brasserie, pour les plus pauvres d’entre nous, et un restaurant top classe, genre étoile Michelin, mais sans étoile Michelin. L’endroit est difficile à trouver, même mon ami TomTom nous a plantés au milieu de nulle part, donc né compter pas sur lui.
J’avais pris la peine de réserver une table côté restaurant, si, si, mais l’hôtesse nous a placé côté brasserie. Nous n’étions probablement pas assez bling-​bling? J’ai demandé MA table côté restaurant mais il n’y en avait plus… What a shame ! Ils nous ont cependant trouvé une immense table (genre pour 8 couverts), nous avions donc beaucoup de place, à nous deux — j’ai dit champagne.
La salle est bizarroïde, l’alignement des tables étrange, on dirait une sorte de loft, mais qui serait encore en aménagement, rien de fixe. Notre table par exemple était m’importe où, n’importe comment, de forme ovale et oblongue, a-​t-​on idée? C’était presque dérangeant, mais cela donnait un petit côté bohème au lieu, qui finalement n’était pas déplaisant. Je m’adapte. Les nappes sont blanches, en coton, touché convivial. Les sièges sont ronds, comme les luminaires, mais pas spécialement adaptés.
La carte, uniquement en Néerlandais, là encore de structure un peu complexe, rien compris. Après une session de formation et d’explications, nous avons finalement opté pour une entrée suivie d’un plat (!) L’entrée était sublime, et justifie à elle seule mon «avis «sur ce site. Thon mi cuit à la crème de wasabi et croustillant de sésame. Superbe, l’allure, le goût, les textures, la qualité des ingrédients. Bref, holistique & parfaite. Je suis certain que Michelin lâcherait quelque chose pour cette entrée-​là. Nous finissions le champagne, l’atmosphère feutrée jouait à plein.
Le plat, après l’entrée fracassante, n’était pas à la hauteur. Bön, c’était bon, ok, mais rien de plus. Heureusement, nous étions à Maastricht donc nous avions choisi une bouteille d’Apostelhoeve, et comme nous avons le vin joyeux…
Nous avons terminé avec une assiette de fromages, excellents, en plus le pain était à tomber.
PS: Le service est lent, très lent, c’est toujours le cas à Maastricht, ils sont donc das la norme.