De Kas and De Witte Uyl in New Eco Guide Amsterdam

eco guide amsterdamEva Brobbel and Tamara Wiersma will publish an Eco Guide for Amsterdam in April (in Dutch). The Ecogids will help consumers make conscious choices for ecologically responsible products and shops. Next to clothes and cosmetics, restaurants are an important part of the guide.

I was glad to see that two of dutchgrub’s best Amsterdam restaurants are listed in the guide as ecologically friendly: De Kas and De Witte Uyl. Both restaurants are committed to local produce and have a seasonal menu.

White Truffle Special at De Witte Uyl

Fresh white truffles still are a rare find in Amsterdam, both in shops and restaurants. About a year ago I found some at Feduzzi and loved their intense smell and aroma.

I just got word from De Witte Uyl, one of dutchgrub’s best Amsterdam restaurants, that they have three specials with fresh white truffles on their menu. So I thought I’d pass it on to you to encourage you to head over to De Pijp for some grilled scallops with white truffle, carpaccio of venison with freshly grated white truffle, or an oven dish of spinach and egg served with freshly grated truffle.

All sounds great to me, especially if finished off with De Witte Uyl’s trademark chocolate bord!

white truffle

Valentine’s Day in Amsterdam

valentine's day cookiesI think Amsterdam is a great destination for Valentine’s Day with its pretty canals, little bridges and picturesque old houses. Not surprisingly, the tourist industry is doing its best to promote the event pitching visits to the flower market, horse carriage rides, dinner cruises on the canals and diamond factory visits. And also not surprisingly, these are rather fake than romantic.

Since I got several questions and also a comment about my Valentine’s day recommendations for Amsterdam, I decided to post a few more genuine and naturally food oriented suggestions for some romance in the Dam.

As always, my list of best Amsterdam restaurants is a great starting point. While De Kas is big and classy and Balthazar’s Keuken buzzing and packed, both De Witte Uyl and Marius are small, personal and intimate and hence good options for a great and romantic Valentine’s day dinner. Marius has a cute enclosed patio in the back. You might want to get a table there. And De Witte Uyl might be able to put together a special menu with inspiring champagne and wine suggestions.

A classier but nonetheless heavenly option would be restaurant Ciel Bleu, decorated with two Michelin stars and located on the 23rd floor of the Okura hotel. The vibe is a typically French and formal Michelin star experience, but the evening view of the city’s lights from high above is amazing. If you want the altitude but not the restaurant bill, you may want to consider a glass of champagne in the adjacent Twenty Third Bar.

Another possibility that meets all the criteria for Valentine’s is Koevoet. It’s located in a typical old Dutch house and very cozy. It’s small and intimate. And it’s Italian. What more can you ask for? Well, most importantly the food is very good! And since I wanted to include at least one restaurant located on a boat, I will suggest De Odessa. De Odessa is docked east of central station opposite of Java island. It’s slightly bigger than the other suggestions, but seated in the body of the ship, just above the water, you will enjoy a nice view of the IJ and the boats passing behind central station.

Since February 14th happens to be a Sunday, Lovefood Amsterdam must be on my list. Lovefood is a weekly brunch that serves the ultimate comfort food on Sunday from 11am until 3pm in Cafe Bax, Ten Katestraat. There are plenty of varieties of eggs on the menu, culminating in THE BEAST, the “ultimate breakfast taking inspiration from the Irish Ulster Fry and the English Full Monty”.

Finally, head over to Puccini Bomboni on Singel and get your sweetheart a large bag of Amsterdam’s loveliest chocolates!

Valentine's Day in Amsterdam

valentine's day cookiesI think Amsterdam is a great destination for Valentine’s Day with its pretty canals, little bridges and picturesque old houses. Not surprisingly, the tourist industry is doing its best to promote the event pitching visits to the flower market, horse carriage rides, dinner cruises on the canals and diamond factory visits. And also not surprisingly, these are rather fake than romantic.

Since I got several questions and also a comment about my Valentine’s day recommendations for Amsterdam, I decided to post a few more genuine and naturally food oriented suggestions for some romance in the Dam.

As always, my list of best Amsterdam restaurants is a great starting point. While De Kas is big and classy and Balthazar’s Keuken buzzing and packed, both De Witte Uyl and Marius are small, personal and intimate and hence good options for a great and romantic Valentine’s day dinner. Marius has a cute enclosed patio in the back. You might want to get a table there. And De Witte Uyl might be able to put together a special menu with inspiring champagne and wine suggestions.

A classier but nonetheless heavenly option would be restaurant Ciel Bleu, decorated with two Michelin stars and located on the 23rd floor of the Okura hotel. The vibe is a typically French and formal Michelin star experience, but the evening view of the city’s lights from high above is amazing. If you want the altitude but not the restaurant bill, you may want to consider a glass of champagne in the adjacent Twenty Third Bar.

Another possibility that meets all the criteria for Valentine’s is Koevoet. It’s located in a typical old Dutch house and very cozy. It’s small and intimate. And it’s Italian. What more can you ask for? Well, most importantly the food is very good! And since I wanted to include at least one restaurant located on a boat, I will suggest De Odessa. De Odessa is docked east of central station opposite of Java island. It’s slightly bigger than the other suggestions, but seated in the body of the ship, just above the water, you will enjoy a nice view of the IJ and the boats passing behind central station.

Since February 14th happens to be a Sunday, Lovefood Amsterdam must be on my list. Lovefood is a weekly brunch that serves the ultimate comfort food on Sunday from 11am until 3pm in Cafe Bax, Ten Katestraat. There are plenty of varieties of eggs on the menu, culminating in THE BEAST, the “ultimate breakfast taking inspiration from the Irish Ulster Fry and the English Full Monty”.

Finally, head over to Puccini Bomboni on Singel and get your sweetheart a large bag of Amsterdam’s loveliest chocolates!

Vegetarian Christmas Menu at De Witte Uyl

de witte uyl amsterdamRestaurant De Witte Uyl Amsterdam is one of dutchgrub’s favorite restaurants in Amsterdam and has a yearly Christmas special.

De Witte Uyl is one of the more popular restaurants in town for vegetarians. They always have several vegetarian options on their menu and recently started catering more and more to vegetarian guests.

This year, owners Annemieke and Han decided to try something new and are offering a fully vegetarian Christmas menu next to the regular one. Like the regular menu, the vegetarian one has 6 courses. There is a carpaccio of beets, wok fried Jerusalem artichoke, chestnut tarte tatin, mushroom ravioli and a goat cheese soufflé. For dessert there will be yuzu ice cream with meringue, although you might want to persuade them to trade that for the amazing chocolate board.

The menu is available December 25 and 26 for € 75,=. I usually stay away from wine arrangements, but given the excellent wine list and great pairing skills of Annemieke you might want to consider spending an additional € 39,= for the surprise arrangement. The evening starts with an apéritif at 18:45.

For reservations, get in touch by email at [email protected].

De Witte Uyl Fall / Winter Menu

De Witte Uyl, one of dutchgrub’s best Amsterdam restaurants, has switched to their fall / winter menu. The people who run De Witte Uyl are very eco friendly – they cook with organic meat and vegetables and pour organic wine and beer. Even the ice cream is made without any artificial aroma, color, flavoring or preservatives.

I especially like how they do the seasonal menu very well. On the fall / winter menu, there is sausage, smoked salmon, venison and pheasant. And lots of winter vegetables such as cabbage, salsify, Jerusalem artichoke and beetroot as sides.

That definitely helps when it’s dark, wet and cold!