International restaurants in Amsterdam
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A
Blauw aan de Wal
Tucked away in a long, often graffiti-covered alley in the middle of the Red Light District, this charming 17th-century herb warehouse (complete with exposed brick and steel weights) is the setting for contemporary French- and Italian-inspired cooking. In summer, grab a table in the garden.
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B
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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C
Odessa
Odessa rocks. Literally. This groovy boat, with indoor and outdoor eating decks and a 1970s-themed ‘plush-porno’ decor, is just the sort of place where Hugh Hefner would hold a debauched pyjama party. As if to emphasise that fact, DJs take over late at night. The menu changes frequently, and although opinions on food and service run the gamut from ‘love it’ to ‘hate it’, there’s no denying it’s a scene.
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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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E
Fifteen
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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Van Kerkwijk
Exceptionally warm service - your waitress may sit down and chat before reciting the menu - and interesting, reasonably priced food make this a personal-feeling spot in a somewhat generic part of the city. Although the creative combos don’t always hit the mark, the ingredients are fresh and deftly prepared. We recommend the calamari, and the pear tart. Bonus: reservations aren’t necessary.
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Restaurant Ps
Run by an unlikely yet vastly experienced pair – an English chef and a Colombian maître d’ – this restaurant in the Western Islands, north of the Jordaan, 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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H
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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Marius
Foodies swoon over pocket-sized Marius. Chef Kees, an alumnus of California’s Chez Panisse, shops daily at local markets, then creates his menu from what he finds. The result might be grilled prawns with fava bean purée, or beef rib with polenta and ratatouille. You can also choose from a few house-speciality standbys, such as bouillabaisse.
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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.
reviewed
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Cobra Cafe-Restaurant
This arty glass cube of a restaurant, which is full of original works by Corneille and Appel, sure is touristy. But when you’re all museumed out and need a salad, a massive club sandwich or a slice of ‘Karel Appel taart’, you’ll hardly notice. The high-tech toilets are almost worth the €0.50 admission.
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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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M
De Kas
Admired by gourmets city-wide, De Kas has an organic attitude to match its chic glass greenhouse setting. It grows most of its own herbs and produce right there, and the result is incredibly pure flavours with innovative combinations. There’s one set menu each day, based on whatever has been freshly harvested.
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Plancius
Next to the Verzetsmuseum 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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Roos en Noor
This chic little takeaway shop has a vast buffet, with prepared items like Chinese-spiced duck and roasted beets, as well as full meals and sweets. It’s a nice place to grab a late lunch or a sunset picnic while exploring the docklands’ architecture. It’s located in the Whale building.
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Burger’s Patio
Despite its name, this is no hamburger joint. Rather, an air of easygoing cool permeates the modern interior, and the namesake patio is a fun hideout. Meats are free-range, pastas are popular, and touches like crudités, aioli and tapenade make the prices seem more reasonable than they already are.
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Stout
Slick, hip couples congregate at this airy, artful cafe to air-kiss, read design magazines, gossip and share imaginative fusion dishes (carrot and coriander soup with spicy tempeh; Thai chicken burger with kimchi) and fruit shakes. In warm weather, sit on the outdoor benches and watch the world go by.
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S
Sluizer
This Amsterdam institution, with a romantic, enclosed terrace, comprises two restaurants: a renowned house of fish at No 45 and a Parisian-style ‘meat’ establishment at No 43, although both menus are offered in either. Bouillabaisse and spare ribs are the respective house specialities.
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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. The ever-changing menu has huge plates of comfort food with ingredients such as mussels and merguez (a type of spicy sausage).
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U
Snel
We mention this restaurant not really for a full meal, but as an excuse to duck into the supremely cool Lloyd Hotel, set in the shell of a 1920s brick confection. The spacious restaurant serves snacks anytime of day, and has a great back garden.
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De Wereldbol
A passionate and personable owner-chef, an ever-changing menu and a sweet view of bobbing boats on the water make this small, dark-wood restaurant a fine place to end a day of sightseeing in the area.
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