restaurant of the week: a table

If you, like me, are not blessed with a French aunt who spoils you with homemade quiches and tarts, then praise Eleonore from À Table! 

what i love about this place

À Table is a cute little breakfast and lunchroom. As most Amsterdam places where you actually feel welcome, it is run by the owner Eleonore. Eleonore is a bit too young to be our aunt, though. Instead she is a charming young French lady with a passion for cooking and already quite well-known within Amsterdam’s French circles.

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burrito in Amsterdam

In the time span of 2 months, two burrito places opened in the west part of the centre. And I happen to temporarily live in between these two places. So what else is an Amsterdam blogger to do than do a burrito-comparison-dinner?!

PS please notify me if you've found other burrito places to be reviewed.

The Burrito Maker vs The Original California Burrito Company (TOCBC)

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restaurant of the week: scossa

The Dutch do not have the habit of visiting hotel restaurants and bars. They’re missing out! 

Some of Amsterdam’s best bars and restaurants are located in the hotels. A few weeks ago, I reviewed the Amsterdam Marriott’s Midtown Grill, a must-visit for any steak lover. And I continuously rave about the Okura Hotel, which has the best Japanese restaurants on this side of the world. 

However, not all hotel restaurants are up-class and expensive. Scossa is such a place. People living in the vicinity should definitely bookmark this post. 

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restaurant of the week: l'invité

With its black and white tiles, brown wooden chairs and white table linen, L’Invité reminds me of a classy French brasserie. Now, what’s better than an undiscovered, unpretentious, reasonably priced brasserie on one of the most beautiful canals of Amsterdam?!

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restaurant of the week: la viña

La Viña is the best kept secret of the Rivierenbuurt 
Few Amsterdam restaurants get ‘it’ right and I’m pleased to tell, I’ve found another little gem! La Viña is a Mediterranean restaurant where a Dutch lady gracefully ensure all guests get served properly.

what i love about La Viña
I love it that a small restaurant can create such a perfect dining experience. The dishes are well-thought through and well prepared. Then the wines are perfect and Jacqueline is a most professional hostess. 

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restaurant of the week: moes eet- en drinklokaal

I'm (still) in a been-there-done-that mood. Sometimes you come across a restaurant that does make me excited. Moes is such a place. It's so down to earth and honest... I am but happy to tell you about it.

what i love about this place: honest hospitality & food  

What I mean to say is that the restaurant staff has the genuine ambition to make guests happy. 

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restaurant of the week: district v

District V (five) changed into an Italian restaurant... and I love the new place!

what i love about this place

> It’s a true Italian trattoria, situated on the picturesque little square ‘Van der Helstplein 17’ in the quieter part of ‘the Pijp’.

> Great food in a unpretentious environment with friendly service. The waiters are friendly with most of the crew being Italian. Truly Mediterranean.

> The charismatic manager is originally from Rome, who has many stories about the ingredients served, making a dinner here very entertaining.

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restaurant of the week: midtown grill

Steak lovers attention! This restaurant is meat paradise on earth! Midtown Grill is by miles the best steakhouse in Amsterdam. I know a picture speaks a thousands words, still I think the photo below deserves extra information.

what i love about Midtown Grill  

• Here one can enjoy top-quality ingredients prepared by talented chefs.
• Service is up to standard to bring your most important business clients. And thankfully, 'stiffness' and 'pretentiousness' does not apply to the staff. They are actually so proud of their beef, in particular, that they can talk hours about them.

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breakfast in amsterdam

Breakfast out of the house is probably the most unDutch thing to do. There are probably no more than a dozen of breakfast places in town. Let me just start by listing the one I was at last Monday, the tiny breakfast joint Lef.

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restaurant of the week: levant

The eastern coastline of the Mediterranean Sea is called Levant, ‘..where the sun rises’. It is also the name of a Levantian restaurant in Amsterdam. Half of the clientele looked Turkish / Syrian / Levantian, which I took as a sign of 'good local cuisine'. 

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izakaya amsterdam

Izakaya is Japanese for an (after work) drinking establishment where (bar) food is served to accompany the drinks. I love bar food: bitterballen, bruscetta and dim sum - yum, yum and yum! At Izakaya they serve Japanese fusion food suitable to be enjoyed at the bar. 

what I love about Izakaya Amsterdam

I love food and drinks, style and service. That’s what Izakaya offers at a high standard. The place is beautifully designed (modern) and features an impressive wine collection. The music and the vibe are upbeat and funky. More Lang Kwai Fong (HK) than De Pijp. 

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l'ozio - italian lunch, dinner, wine, movie and art

what i love about the restaurant

L’Ozio is run by Italiani that enjoy sharing their rich heritage with the Amsterdammers. This translates into an Italian trattoria with Contemporary Art exhibitions, movie showings and the sharing of recipes. 

Italian trattoria

A trattoria is a bar-restaurant where simple ‘home’ foods are served. L’Ozio actually has a true ‘mama di casa’, at least that how I’ve labeled the lady chef.  

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restaurant of the week: meatballs

Niche shops have been around for ages (ie hotel chocolat, tea bar, and the kaaskamer), yet now the first true niche restaurant in Amsterdam has opened its doors: meatballs.

Now you may guess what they serve...

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Amsterdam's first raw food restaurant

My two vegetarian friends invited me to join them on a ‘raw food night’ at Alchemist Garden. It was a cold November evening and I really longed for ‘warm, comfort food’, which is quite the opposite of (unheated) raw food. So, after eating half a plate of Boboti and biked to the Alchemist on the Overtoom. 

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best wine list in amsterdam: bussia

As a hugely Italian-biased wine drinker, I am nominating Restaurant Bussia as the Amsterdam restaurant with the best wine list. 

Named after an area of the Barolo region, Bussia has all the best wines from Italy, from Sagrantino di Montefalco to a few selection of top Barolos. We tried a white wine Erbaluce, a rare grape from Piemonte.

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restaurant of the week: Rijsel

Set in a what looks like former factory canteen, you find a dining hall with in the back an open kitchen. This is the setting of Restaurant Rijsel, located in a side street of the Amstel, near Amstel station. Yes, you need a bike or a taxi to get here… and it’s worth the ride/drive!

To quote my dining partner 'the food was outstanding, the service even better'. I couldn't agree more with him.

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best lunch restaurants in de '9 streets' amsterdam

Having a brunch with friends in the weekend is a popular activity and many head to the 9 little streets. Lunchrooms that royally decorate their sandwiches, serve with a smile, or are special in any other way are listed below.

Also consider a high tea in Amsterdam.

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best lunch restaurants in the jordaan amsterdam

The Jordaan is lunch walhalla, with the center of the walhalla being the 9 little streets. That area will be covered in a next post. 

My real favourite lunch restaurants are Bistrot Neuf and De Belhamel. Small World Cafe simply rocks! And Greenwoods is too cute.

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best lunch restaurants in de pijp amsterdam

Find yourself hungry in De Pijp area at noon? Longing for a club sanwich, noodles with chicken or a freshly made soup?

Here are my favourite lunch places in the Albert Cuyp area. 

By the way, many are 'eetcafe's', meaning a bar where next to drinks, food is served. Food quality won't be mindblowing, but you don't always need truffle pesto and a Chianti for lunch, do you? 

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best indonesian restaurants in amsterdam

With an Indonesian mama not a day went by without rice on the table during my childhood. Without a doubt, the best Indonesian food is found in my mothers kitchen. 

In Amsterdam the best Indonesian food is found in the toko’s: take-away shops.

As for restaurants I say order a RIJSTTAFEL at...

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