eten Amsterdam
August 19, 2015 2:28 AM Subscribe
Where should we go for a special dinner in Amsterdam?
My partner and I are taking a spontaneous jaunt across the channel to Amsterdam this weekend and would like to go for a semi-fancy for dinner - but we're drowning in options!
Can you recommend somewhere with great food, which is youngish, hip, smart-casual and low-key but foodie-focussed?
To give an idea what we usually like: if the same question were asked of me in London, I would recommend Dishoom; in Bath I would recommend Circus; in Nottingham I would recommend Sat Bains.
Demands:
- a couple of vegetarian options
- great wine list
- £50-£100 per head
- relaxed atmosphere
Wishes:
- able to book
- great cocktails
- will increase our 'cool' status
Thanks!
My partner and I are taking a spontaneous jaunt across the channel to Amsterdam this weekend and would like to go for a semi-fancy for dinner - but we're drowning in options!
Can you recommend somewhere with great food, which is youngish, hip, smart-casual and low-key but foodie-focussed?
To give an idea what we usually like: if the same question were asked of me in London, I would recommend Dishoom; in Bath I would recommend Circus; in Nottingham I would recommend Sat Bains.
Demands:
- a couple of vegetarian options
- great wine list
- £50-£100 per head
- relaxed atmosphere
Wishes:
- able to book
- great cocktails
- will increase our 'cool' status
Thanks!
I also came to recommend De Kas. Restaurant Merkelbach, which is next door, is also good.
&samhoudplaces and RON Gastrobar have a 'cool' factor. &samhoudplaces has a pretty extensive vegetarian menu, but it might be hard to get a last-minute reservation.
As always, Amsterdam Foodie has some useful reviews.
posted by neushoorn at 2:55 AM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
&samhoudplaces and RON Gastrobar have a 'cool' factor. &samhoudplaces has a pretty extensive vegetarian menu, but it might be hard to get a last-minute reservation.
As always, Amsterdam Foodie has some useful reviews.
posted by neushoorn at 2:55 AM on August 19, 2015 [2 favorites]
Best answer: For major 'wow' factor? Plantage.
For an unexpected update to Dutch cuisine? De Wilde Zwijnen.
For gezelligheid? Balthazar's Keuken (call to ask about vegetarian options).
For cocktails after? Hiding in Plain Sight.
posted by nerdfish at 3:04 AM on August 19, 2015
For an unexpected update to Dutch cuisine? De Wilde Zwijnen.
For gezelligheid? Balthazar's Keuken (call to ask about vegetarian options).
For cocktails after? Hiding in Plain Sight.
posted by nerdfish at 3:04 AM on August 19, 2015
Seconding De Kas. Like katrielalex, I also had one of the best meals of my life there.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:54 AM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 8:54 AM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
My wife and I ended a three-week European trip last year with an amazing dinner at Tempo Doeloe, which I think fits all of your criteria (I don't know anything about wine, but online reviews praise their list).
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:18 AM on August 19, 2015
posted by The Card Cheat at 9:18 AM on August 19, 2015
Also, given the upper limit on your budget, I'd recommend booking the chef's table if it's available. We did that, and it was €130 per head, with wine pairings--it was amazing (and a bargain compared to other restaurants' similar offerings). They're able to do a vegetarian meal if you mention it ahead of time, and I think this also applies to the chef's table (check first).
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:25 AM on August 19, 2015
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 9:25 AM on August 19, 2015
De Kas was very nice and the grounds and building are amazing. The food was very good, but I found it to be somewhat precious, and it's most definitely not a "relaxed atmosphere." Not that I'd turn down a Chef's table seating there. It will most definitely make you cooler if you're going for trendy-cool.
The Seafood Bar has very good seafood. Nothing crazy, but British tourists may be shocked by your gluttony and/or escargot which makes one cool, I think. A much more relaxed environment.
I didn't actually get to go to Restaurant Blauw, but I kept hearing all about it and was unable to procure a reservation, so it must've been cool, and seems to have a pretty casual vibe. The other Indonesian restaurants I ate at were damn good, so a step up from there is very appealing to me. I mention this even though I didn't go because after all of my research on this topic I was very disappointed not the make it here.
This last one is the actual Best Restaurant I've Ever Been To, and I'm slightly hesitant to recommend it for two reasons: One, it's not in Amsterdam as you're actually asking, it's in Delft, a 40 minute train ride. Two, it doesn't seem to be all that well known even among locals, making it something of a secret, and not trendy or hip, and therefore very cool. Cafe Du Midi. It's got a seasonal menu sourced from the farms and woods that surround it. It's very laid back but the service is attentive. I don't remember if they had cocktails, but they definitely have an excellent beer and wine list. They make a creme brulee that pops like a party cracker when you tap it. I had venison carpaccio that was just crazy, and a cioppino that I would sleep in a puddle of if I could. If I'm not being clear about my affection for this place; I literally want to live in Delft so that I can go here whenever I like.
posted by cmoj at 10:32 AM on August 19, 2015
The Seafood Bar has very good seafood. Nothing crazy, but British tourists may be shocked by your gluttony and/or escargot which makes one cool, I think. A much more relaxed environment.
I didn't actually get to go to Restaurant Blauw, but I kept hearing all about it and was unable to procure a reservation, so it must've been cool, and seems to have a pretty casual vibe. The other Indonesian restaurants I ate at were damn good, so a step up from there is very appealing to me. I mention this even though I didn't go because after all of my research on this topic I was very disappointed not the make it here.
This last one is the actual Best Restaurant I've Ever Been To, and I'm slightly hesitant to recommend it for two reasons: One, it's not in Amsterdam as you're actually asking, it's in Delft, a 40 minute train ride. Two, it doesn't seem to be all that well known even among locals, making it something of a secret, and not trendy or hip, and therefore very cool. Cafe Du Midi. It's got a seasonal menu sourced from the farms and woods that surround it. It's very laid back but the service is attentive. I don't remember if they had cocktails, but they definitely have an excellent beer and wine list. They make a creme brulee that pops like a party cracker when you tap it. I had venison carpaccio that was just crazy, and a cioppino that I would sleep in a puddle of if I could. If I'm not being clear about my affection for this place; I literally want to live in Delft so that I can go here whenever I like.
posted by cmoj at 10:32 AM on August 19, 2015
Vlaming on Lindengracht. They also have a location on Prinsengracht which the tourists find more often. The front of the house guy, Jeff, is wonderful.
posted by humboldt32 at 10:36 AM on August 19, 2015
posted by humboldt32 at 10:36 AM on August 19, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you all so much for the recommendations - they all nailed some aspect of the aesthetic I wanted!
We ended up going to Wilde Zwijnen, and then for cocktails at Hiding in Plain Sight (where I had an amazing Caitlyn Jenner-themed drink). Highly, highly recommended.
De Kas was sadly fully booked but that and Plantage (which we happened to walk past on our travels) are definite bookmarks for next time.
posted by citands at 2:12 AM on August 24, 2015
We ended up going to Wilde Zwijnen, and then for cocktails at Hiding in Plain Sight (where I had an amazing Caitlyn Jenner-themed drink). Highly, highly recommended.
De Kas was sadly fully booked but that and Plantage (which we happened to walk past on our travels) are definite bookmarks for next time.
posted by citands at 2:12 AM on August 24, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by katrielalex at 2:40 AM on August 19, 2015 [1 favorite]