February 12, 2008
Amsterdam city tips part II, food edition!
See the first part here.
De Bakkerswinkel. Though the name suggests it’s only a shop, it’s also a lunchroom/tearoom. There are three different locations in Amsterdam, I prefer the one in the Warmoesstraat. They serve lovely scones, great pies and cakes, but also salty stuff like sandwiches and soup. If you’re really hungry or you simply have a lot of time, try one of the high tea’s (starting at €12,95). It’s very busy every day (even during the week), so reserve a table or otherwise come 20 minutes early. Very friendly staff.
Divan. Elandsgracht 14. My favourite Turkish restaurant. It’s kind of old-style/quaint, reasonably priced. Very friendly staff, they really go out of their way to be to be helpful (for instance with large groups or if you have special requests). I usually prefer to have a number of small starters rather than one main course (though these are great too).
Lunchroom De Korte Prins. Haarlemmerdijk 8. Sandwiches, bagels, muffins, coffee, juices, shakes, etc. Good price, nice casual atmosphere.
Three restaurants in the Voetboogstraat. Eetcafe ‘t Pakhuis and the adjacent Carels are very similar (actually run by the same owner I think). They serve bar-style food, starting at 7,95 (that’s the peppersteak, I always get that here…). Also cheese-fondue (around €11,-). Very fast service, it’s almost always full, especially during the weekend. The third one is De Schutter (it’s up the stairs behind the curtain). This one is the tiniest bit more fancy, but also cheap. Mostly students here.
Restaurant Papatya. Buiten Brouwersstraat 19. Turkish restaurant, run by a husband and wife. Very nice food, it’s a small place so reservations are wise. The service is informal and friendly, chatting is obligatory.
Singel 404. The name equals the address. Cafe/lunchroom. They have a wide variety of the most amazing and huge sandwiches, served on thick slices of fresh bread though not expensive at all (for what you get). Usually particularly crowded during lunchtime, you may have to wait 10 mins. at the bar (in which case the staff is extremely helpful and will make sure you get the table you are waiting for and noone cuts in line…).
Warung Spang Makandra. Gerard Doustraat 39. Surinamese/Indonesian restaurant in de Pijp to have a quick lunch or dinner. It’s cheap and fast, and they serve large portions. I like to have the Soto soup (chicken soup served with rice and a boiled egg) and Bakabana (deep fried banana served with spicy peanut sauce). Find more info (also reviews) here.
Het Blauwe Theehuis. This is the ‘hotspot’-cafe for nice weather, located in the Vondelpark. Large terrace (self-service) surrounded by trees and the water. You’ll find mostly yuppies with kids and twenty-somethings here, but also the occasional bohemian.
Kop van Jut. Leidsekruisstraat 24. Nice little restaurant with fairly cheap Dutch dishes (meat, fish, veg), mostly with a side of their lovely home-made fries and some salad or vegetables. Because of the size of the place, don’t be surprised if you leave smelling somewhat of frying fat.
Café Toussaint. Bosboom Toussaintstraat 26. Child-friendly café in Oud-West for a saturday afternoon lunch. Their prices start at €1,50 (for a ‘boterham met pindakaas, hagelslag of chocopasta’). Typical Oud-West crowd, which means thirty-something semi-yuppies with their expensive baby strollers.
For more information on restaurants and cafés, organized by location and style/cuisine and accompanied by price indication and reviews, see www.iens.nl.
