best amsterdam restaurants Archives - Page 4 of 5

Praise for Amsterdam Restaurants

The end of the year is award time, also in food circles. The “Lekker Top 500 Restaurants” of the Netherlands magazine hit the shelves earlier this week and the “Bib Gourmand Benelux (Dutch)” will be available as of tomorrow.

Lekker ranks Dutch restaurants from 1 to 500, declaring a winner and a top 10. Amsterdam is home to eleven of the top 100, including Michelin stars Aan de Poel, Ciel Bleu, La Rive, Ron Blaauw and Yamazato. Up and coming Le Restaurant in Latin Quarter De Pijp is at number 99.

The Bib Gourmand Benelux, Michelin’s price for value list and breeding ground for future Michelin stars, lists 93 restaurants in the Netherlands of which 10 in Amsterdam.

No Amsterdam restaurant made both lists, with obviously the Michelin stars not eligible for the Bib Gourmand list. Also none of dutchgrub’s Best Amsterdam Restaurants made either list. They tend to be smaller and more personal with a less traditionally French menu that mixes different cuisines.

On November 23rd the Michelin stars for the Netherlands will be announced to round off the award period.

Best Authentic Dutch Restaurants in Amsterdam

My lists of “Best Amsterdam Restaurants”, “Best Amsterdam Pizza” and “Best Amsterdam Terraces” are very popular. And since people often ask me for recommendations of typical local cuisine, I put together a list of “Best Authentic Dutch Restaurants” in Amsterdam.

I was a little torn about this list since, frankly, I am unimpressed about Dutch cuisine and there are better, non local food options in Amsterdam. But of course there is good authentic Dutch food in Amsterdam and I want to help you find the best pancakes, rijsttafel or French fries.

The list is broad, ranging from French fries on the street to high-end dining and from regional farmer’s fare from North Holland to exotic rijsttafels from Indonesia. Please check out dutchgrub’s “Best Authentic Dutch Restaurants” in Amsterdam and tell us about your Dutch food experiences in the comments!

Photos of Restaurant de Kas

The other day I went to Pure Markt in Park Frankendael, also home to top Amsterdam restaurant de Kas.

There was a spectacular light that day from a bright sun behind huge stacks of clouds. And since de Kas is one of my favorite restaurants, I thought I would share two photos of de Kas I took that day.

Restaurant de Kas Amsterdam - Chimney, Greenhouse and Garden

Restaurant de Kas Amsterdam - Dining Room from Outside

No Restaurant Week at De Witte Uyl

Apparently I am not the only one who thinks the restaurant week formula in Amsterdam is flawed. While there is undoubtedly a huge buzz around restaurant week, the actual experience of trying to make a reservation and the poor value for money at many restaurants that participate is less than desirable.

Not surprisingly, I see more and more restaurants that invent their own formula, trying to benefit from the buzz while offering a much better experience and value. Restaurant de Odessa is offering a special price menu all summer long. And De Witte Uyl, one of dutchgrub’s top Amsterdam restaurants, is offering a free Kir made from crème de fruits the owners brought back from a recent vacation in Bourgogne. I hope it will lure some of the few Amsterdammers not participating in restaurant week to enjoy the excellent menu at De Witte Uyl.

De Kas Featured in 10 Most Creative Restaurants

Restaurant De Kas is one of dutchgrub’s four best restaurants in Amsterdam. Apart from the locally produced ingredients, we especially love the fantastic setting in a former greenhouse.

Last week design blog toxel published its list of the 10 most unusual and creative restaurants in the world. De Kas is featured on the list alongside a dark restaurant in London and an underwater restaurant in the Maldives. You have to love the pictures!

New Summer Menu and Terrace Open at De Witte Uyl

De Witte Uyl is one of dutchgrub’s top four Amsterdam restaurants because of its unusual, seasonal menu. Perfectly timed for the start of summer and the unusually sunny weather, De Witte Uyl has just announced their summer menu and opened its terrace!

As always there are some inventive dishes on the menu that combine summery ingredients from the Dutch, French and Asian cuisine. Smoked Chinook salmon from Frank’s Smoke house is an old favorite that has made it back onto the menu. It’s served with cantaloupe, watercress and mint and has always stood out for the quality of the salmon. It really has nothing in common with the tasteless whitish bits of farmed salmon served all too frequently in Amsterdam. The crème of fresh corn with home smoked mozzarella and a wonton and served with chickpeas, coriander, cumin, lemongrass and ginger sounds perfect for a warm summer day on the terrace. As does the tartar of white tuna with shiso, avocado, watercress and a poached egg.

The terrace was opened two or three years ago. It’s basically tables and chairs arranged on the sidewalk, but quite nice as the Frans Halsstraat is quiet and charming. And quite in style, hostess Annemieke has some great summer white wines on her unbeatable wine list!