Amsterdam (Rough Guide) - Martin Dunford [119]
Hemelse Modder Oude Waal 9 020/624 3203. Sleek, large restaurant serving a tasty menu of Dutch and vaguely European food in an informal atmosphere. Service is very attentive and – despite the trendy environment – not at all precious, and the food is excellent and reasonably priced. Deservedly popular. Main courses for €19.50, and three-course menus for €29.50. Daily except Mon 6–11pm.
Keuken Van 1870 Spuistraat 4 020/620 4018. This large, light restaurant has been serving hearty Dutch food to cheapskates for years and continues – justifiably – to thrive. Its three-course €7.50 menu is one of the city’s best bargains. Mon–Sat 5–10pm.
De Roode Leeuw Damrak 93 020/555 0666. Fusty old Dutch restaurant that’s good for both a quick bite at lunchtimes at the front – pea soup, herrings, uitsmijters – or a full evening meal in the more formal main restaurant just behind. A good place if you want to sample a traditional Dutch feed. Main courses go for €15–20. Daily 7–10am & noon–10pm.
De Silveren Spiegel Kattengat 4 020/624 6589. There’s been a restaurant in this location since 1614, and “The Silver Mirror” is one of the best in the city, with a delicately balanced menu of Dutch cuisine. The proprietor lives on the coast and brings in the fish himself. Spectacular food, with a cellar of 350 wines. Four-course dinner for two at a table set with silver is a cool €100, though you can get a main course for €30. Mon–Sat 5.30–10.30pm.
Skek Zeedijk 4 020/427 0551, www.skek.nl. A no-nonsense cultural eetcafé run by students. Cheap mains like Moroccan fish stew or fried tortilla are accompanied by seasonal vegetables. Check the website for their frequent live music and exhibitions. Free wi-fi access and student discounts. Daily noon–10pm.
Supper Club Jonge Roelensteeg 21 020/344 6400. A five-course set menu is served at 8pm to customers lounging on mattresses listening to a DJ on a raised stage. The fusion food is of a very high standard, though some may find the whole concept pretentious or downright disconcerting – it’s not the most comfortable way to eat dinner. Diners have free entry to the members-only club downstairs. It’s expensive, since there’s no à la carte and you have to have the set dinner at €65 a pop (€70 at weekends); booking essential. You can also try Supperclub Cruise, which leaves from pier 4 behind Centraal Station on Friday and Saturday nights (020/344 6403). Daily 7.30pm–1am.
Van Beeren Koningsstraat 54 020/622 2329. This eetcafé serves a satisfying mixture of Dutch staples and modern European dishes in relaxed surroundings. The food is good, and the setting cosy – and it remains a moderately priced choice. Daily 5.30–10.15pm.
Van Kerkwijk Nes 41 020/620 3316. It looks like a bar but is more of a restaurant these days, serving steaks, fish and so on, from an ever-changing menu that isn’t written down, but heroically memorized by the attentive waiting staff. Good food, and cheap too – mains from €12.50. Daily noon–10pm.
D’ Vijff Vlieghen Spuistraat 294 020/530 4060, www.thefiveflies.com. One of the city’s best restaurants, “The Five Flies” occupies immaculate ground-floor premises kitted out in a smart version of traditional Dutch style, from the tile- and wood-panelled walls to the beamed ceiling and antique embossed leather hangings. Intimate and very cosy, its enterprising menu features imaginative renditions of traditional dishes, with herring and suckling pig being two favourites. Superb service. Main courses €28–32. Daily 6–10pm.
In de Waag Nieuwmarkt 020/422 7772. Comfortable café-restaurant housed in a historic building bang in the centre of the Nieuwmarkt. The building has been well converted, there’s outside seating, and the food is reasonable, if not great. Sandwiches, burgers and salads are served at lunchtime, with more substantial dishes in the evening – or there’s a menu of tapas, oysters and various other nibbles if all you want is a snack with a drink. Daily 10am–midnight.
Eating and drinking | Restaurants | The Old