Showing 1-20 of 20 results
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Blauw Aan De Wal
Originally a 17th-century herb warehouse, this white-washed, exposed brick multilevel space still features old steel weights and measures, plus friendly, knowledgeable service and contemporary French- and Italian-inspired cooking. Order the chocolate brownie for its molten centre. In summer, grab a table in the romantic garden.
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Burger's Patio
Despite its name, this is no hamburger joint. Rather, an air of easy-going cool permeates the modern interior, and the namesake patio is a fun hideout. Meats are free-range, pastas are popular, and touches like crudités, aïoli and tapenade make the prices seem more reasonable than they already are.
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Cobra Café-Restaurant
This arty glass cube of a restaurant, full of original works by Corneille and Appel, sure is touristy. But when you're all museumed out and need a salad, massive club sandwich or slice of 'Karel Appel taart', you'll hardly notice. The hi-tech toilets are almost worth the €1.50 .
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De Bolhoed
The 'Charlie Brown's pumpkin patch goes to India' interior is a nice setting to tuck into enormous, organic Mexican-, Asian- and Italian-inspired dishes; in warm weather, there's a verdant little canalside terrace. Leave room for the banana cream pie. Veggies swear by it - reserve.
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De Kas
Admired by gourmets city-wide, De Kas has an organic attitude to match its chic glass greenhouse setting - try to go during a thunderstorm! It grows most of its own herbs and produce right there (if it's not busy you might be offered a tour), and the result is incredibly pure flavours with innovative combinations. Romantic and tony.
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Fifteen
'Naked chef' Jamie Oliver has brought to Amsterdam a concept he began in London: take 15 young people from underprivileged backgrounds and train them for a year in the restaurant biz. Results: noble intention, sometimes spotty execution. The setting, however, is beyond question: Fifteen faces the IJ, and the busy, open-kitchen space is city-cool, with graffitied walls and exposed wood beams.
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Gare De L'est
Gare de l'Est has both the smallest menu in Amsterdam and also the largest. They say that because four chefs (from traditions including North African, Mediterranean and Asian) take turns nightly in the kitchen, and what their course menus lack in length they make up for in variety over the course of a year. Portuguese tiles and glowing Middle Eastern lamps adorn the interior, and courtyard seating exudes good vibes.
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Golden Temple
Golden Temple's quietly upscale setting means that you don't have to feel like you're back in school just because you're eating vegetarian food. Its international menu of Indian thali Middle Eastern and Mexican platters is good and inexpensive. Leave room for the totally wicked banana-cream pie.
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Koffiehuis Van Den Volksbond
This laid-back place began life as a charitable coffee house for dockers, and it still has a fashionably grungy vibe - wood floors, a giant red-rose mural and tall candles on the tables. The ever-changing menu has huge plates of comfort food with ingredients like mussels and merguez (a type of spicy sausage) , or try the risotto. The Belgian chocolate terrine has fans all over town.
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Local
This eel's nest of contempo-cool, with long, tall tables stretching its entire length, ensures that you will never eat alone. Go with friends, and it's an instant party. In keeping with the 'long and thin' theme, main dishes are grilled on skewers: there's an international selection from yakitori to beef stroganoff, all served with potatoes, salad and appropriate sauces.
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Pacific Parc
Among the many venues in the newly refurbished Westergasfabriek, Pacific Parc is the most established and, arguably, the most interesting. Lunch time is typically sandwiches, pastas and salads, although dinner can get pretty adventurous with selections like ceviche and stuffed lamb shanks. Late at night expect to see DJs and guest performers.
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Plancius
Next to the Resistance Museum and opposite the Artis Zoo, this dramatically stylish space (bright red bar at the back) is where TV execs head to cut deals over big serves of upmarket comfort food. Lunch is typically sandwiches, salads and pastas. The menu changes quarterly, and there are friendly, good-looking waiters.
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Puyck
This place near Sarphatipark offers neither games nor pretension, just imaginative, sophisticated cooking appropriate for a nice night out. Think baby lobster with lettuce, duck breast in Chinese five-spices, or a white wine-poached pear, all served with flair. If it has the Thai curry sorbet, you're in luck.
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Restaurant Ps
Run by an unlikely yet vastly experienced pair - an English chef and a Columbian maître' d - this new restaurant in the Western Islands, north of the Jordaan, already has an army of devoted fans. Expect reasonable prices, an excellent wine menu and attentive service, plus an artsy interior with mosaics of Venetian glass. The set meals change weekly and feature seasonal ingredients.
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Sluizer
This old-line institution - with its romantic, enclosed garden terrace - historically comprises two restaurants: a Parisian-style 'meat' restaurant (No 43) and a fish restaurant (No 45), though both menus are available in both restaurants. Spare ribs are the speciality of the former and bouillabaisse the speciality of the latter.
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Small World Catering
This Australian-run company is known for quality. Small cases house gorgeous prepared vegetables and meat dishes, and you can get a variety of quiches and sandwiches including fresh tuna, tapenade and artichoke hearts.
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Supperclub
If you're looking for a scene, you've found one. Enter the theatrical, all-white room, snuggle on the enormous mattresses and snack on victuals as DJs spin house music. Shows are provocative and entertaining - if it's lamb night, live sheep may be led through to the kitchen. If it's hospital night, look out.
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Szmulewicz
Szmulewicz's décor is at once slick and breezy (trompe l'oeil marble walls, sculpted lighting), a diversity reflected in its menu of reliable, ever-changing international cooking: pastas, tapas, Greek dishes, beef fillets, and vegetarian specialities. In summer, buskers play outside on this quiet block off Rembrandtplein.
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Van Den Berg's Broodjesbar
Tiny, friendly, clean, family-run and utterly without pretension, you can linger over the newspaper and commune with local office people. Our favourite sandwich is the gehakt : thin slices of a giant meatball served warm and eaten with killer-hot mustard.
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Village Bagels
The people who gave Amsterdam bagel-chic are going like gangbusters. You may feel like a New Yorker as you dive into a bagel with salmon, chive cream cheese and capers, especially if you grab the newspaper. But you'll remember where you are at the Stromarkt branch, which has a canalside terrace.
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