The title compound, C(18)H(17)NO(6) [systematic name: (2R,3R)-4-benzyl-amino-2-benzo-yloxy-3-hy-droxy-4-oxobutanoic acid], is the first structurally characterized unsymmetrical monoamide-monoacyl tartaric acid derivative. The mol-ecule shows a staggered conformation around the tartramide Csp(3)-Csp(3) bond with trans-oriented carboxyl and amide groups. The mol-ecular conformation is stabilized by an intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the carboxyl and amide carbonyl groups, forming translational chains along [001]. Further O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds as well as weaker C-H⋯O and C-H⋯π inter-molecular inter-actions extend the supra-molecular assembly into a double-layer structure parallel to (100). There are no directional inter-actions between the double layers.