The Amsterdam Tap Water Ripoff

Most dutchgrub readers, like many Amsterdam visitors, are used to being welcomed by fresh and cool water on the table of a restaurant. Complimentary, of course, and a great gesture to make the guest feel welcome and given a chance to settle in and refresh. This was never the case in Amsterdam where you would have to ask the waiter for tap water.

While this seemed merely a nuisance and easily explained by cultural differences, things seem to have gotten out of hand recently. On numerous occasions restaurants have employed dubious tactics to make extra money by selling beautifully designed and ridiculously overpriced bottles of water.

The methods vary. Some restaurants outright refuse serving tap water, which often results in rather comical situations where the waiter tries to explain that the restaurant does not have tap water. Eh, excuse me?!? More often waiters directly ask the guests whether they would like some water. They obviously fail to mention that this will be charged and take advantage of the situation by overwhelming visitors the minute they sit down. While these kind of scare tactics are still rare, there are many cases of tap water being charged for, grossly overpriced bottled water, or tap water filled into what looks like a bottle of commercial water.

It’s time to do something about this! The Dutch consumer protection organization got the ball rolling by publishing research (Dutch) that shows that some restaurants charge up to € 3,75 for a glass of water. And the first Facebook group of 10.000 fans of tap water in Dutch restaurants has formed.


tap water amsterdam restaurant

Blauw aan de Wal – Great Food, Amsterdam Style

The red light district is certainly one of the main attractions of Amsterdam. It would appear just as certain that it’s the neighborhood to avoid when looking for great food. And that’s the charm of Blauw aan de Wal – amazingly good food and friendly service in the least likely yet most characteristic part of Amsterdam.

Blauw aan de Wal is indeed located right in the heart of the most sinful part of the city. And you will be surprised just how pretty and quaint it is when you finally find Blauw, just across the canal from Casa Rosso and through a graffiti plastered alleyway. The building is centuries old, located behind a tranquil courtyard that makes a great terrace in the summer, and split into a more rugged lower part with bare brick walls and a more modern upstairs dominated by a modern, white chic.

blauw aan de wal amsterdam - red light districtblauw aan de wal amsterdam - upstairs dining room

What we liked best of a great evening was the fantastic service: Highly attentive, extremely knowledgeable, with a good dose of humor and the attitude of a passionate foodie. The tone was set perfectly right from the start when we were asked whether “we had had a chance to inform them about our presence in advance” and were promptly offered an aperitif wine with the “freshness of a glass of Schweppes”. The staff, including owner Bert, magnificently anticipated our every need, be it taking orders, refilling our wine glasses or answering random questions of curious foodies. They knew everything about every dish and wine, took the time to explain all details, and were not afraid to make unusual suggestions. And best of all, the staff seemed to have as great time as the guests!

The formula at Blauw aan de Wal is a three-course choice menu for € 55,=. There’s usually a choice of three starters, two mains and two desserts. The cuisine is an interesting mix of Mediterranean and Asian with a touch of Dutch. The wine list is dominated by French and German wines, including some unusual grapes and smaller, organic vineyards.

blauw aan de wal amsterdam - three course menublauw aan de wal amsterdam - vitello tonato

We absolutely loved our food, starting off with what Bert described as Blauw’s own interpretation of Vitello Tonnato – veal rolled up with sashimi grade tuna and just a bit of tarragon flavored mayonnaise. The mackerel tartar was great, too.

For mains we went with lamb in an herb crust with sweetbread that was very well executed. The lamb was tender and intense. The crust provided freshness and texture. And the sweetbread a prefect, succulent balance. The other main, halibut, was also very good. Blauw aan de Wal tries to provide options, but might not be an easy choice for vegetarians and pescetarians.

The dessert choices were flan with candied fruit and chocolate mousse with amarena cherries. The coffee was good and the free of charge sip of sweet red dessert wine was a nice touch.

blauw aan de wal amsterdam - lamb and sweetbreadblauw aan de wal amsterdam - flan with candied fruit

Overall, dinner was excellent. The location is a unique blend of Amsterdam’s insidious and picturesque sides. The food is very well executed and interesting while maintaining a welcome simplicity. And most notably, the service is stellar, which unfortunately is still unusual in Amsterdam.

The only downside of Blauw aan de Wal is a web site that has been “under construction” for quite a while. It would be nice to know the menu in advance and be able to make reservations on line. But for, don’t be deterred, and just give them a call and they’ll certainly be happy to help.

Blauw aan de Wal
Oudezijds Achterburgwal 99
1012 DD Amsterdam
Tel: +31-20-3302257
Open Tuesday – Saturday 18:00 to 23:30
Trams 4, 9, 16, 24 and 25 to Dam. Or walk from Central Station.

Pure Markt Amsterdam 25 April 2010

I have written about Pure Markt Amsterdam, an artisanal farmer’s market several times, covering the fresh produce and the family style atmosphere.

So today I will leave with just a little reminder that the next Pure Markt is coming up on 25 April, as usual the last Sunday of the month.

pure markt amsterdam - flyer

puremarkt.nl
Park Frankendael, Amsterdam
Public transport: Tram 9 to Hogeweg, bus 65 to Pieter Zeemanlaan
Every last Sunday of the month
Dates: 28 March, 25 April, 30 May, 27 June, 29 August, 26 September, 31 October, 19 December

Amsterdam's First Underground Farmers Market

Farmers markets are a reaction to supermarkets selling more and more processed food, imported from far away and packaged for convenience. The markets started small, became popular when people wanted local, organically produced food and since then have grown significantly in size and popularity. Amsterdam currently has several major markets (Dutch) including the Noordermarkt, which takes place every Saturday morning around the Noorderkerk and is one of the biggest and most popular.

So what happens when the farmers markets become more commercial and small producers struggle to generate enough business to pay the stall fees? The farmers go underground! On 16 May Talkin’ Food (Dutch) will organize the first Dutch underground farmers market where micro-producers sell home-made jams, cheeses, sausages and more in a semi private setting. Details to be announced soon.

home grown and home made plum jam

Amsterdam’s First Underground Farmers Market

Farmers markets are a reaction to supermarkets selling more and more processed food, imported from far away and packaged for convenience. The markets started small, became popular when people wanted local, organically produced food and since then have grown significantly in size and popularity. Amsterdam currently has several major markets (Dutch) including the Noordermarkt, which takes place every Saturday morning around the Noorderkerk and is one of the biggest and most popular.

So what happens when the farmers markets become more commercial and small producers struggle to generate enough business to pay the stall fees? The farmers go underground! On 16 May Talkin’ Food (Dutch) will organize the first Dutch underground farmers market where micro-producers sell home-made jams, cheeses, sausages and more in a semi private setting. Details to be announced soon.

home grown and home made plum jam

11 Michelin Stars at Okura Amsterdam

The Okura hotel Amsterdam keeps innovating around its Michelin star restaurants Ciel Bleu and Yamazato. First there was the cool “Dine Around The Okura” concept where foodies could enjoy a dinner split between the two top restaurants. Then the Okura introduced an ambitious lineup of high quality cooking workshops in a newly opened kitchen.

The latest initiative is a unique six course dinner by three German guest chefs combining for a total of eight Michelin stars! The extravaganza will set you back € 249,= plus € 160,= for wine pairings and promises to be a once in a lifetime experience including free limo service. Reservations can be made online.