The Pure Markt is an artisanal food market that takes places two or three Sundays a month from 11am to 6pm. There are three different locations in Amsterdam, so you’re going to want to check the agenda to make sure you get there at the right place at the right time.
The long line of market stalls is broken up by a few central areas with beer-garden style tables and benches. A jazz or blues band is usually playing to provide entertainment.
The food stalls are a mix of food and drinks to enjoy at the market, specialty foods to take home like cheeses, cured meats or honey, and also some non-food items like clothes or second hand books.
As you can imagine, we came mostly for the food and drinks – and also the lovely early April sunshine – and were not disappointed. There were wood fire roasted rotisserie chickens, dim sum, French crêpes, Brazilian pão de queijo, deep fried potato chip sticks, vegetarian pita gyros, wood oven pizza, mangalica pork sausages and many other options.
There also are good drink options – bio wines, craft beer and good coffee from a proper coffee maker.
We first strolled down the market to get an idea of what was available, then grabbed a table in the sun, set it up as our market day headquarter and ventured out to try the various foods and drinks. The mangalica pork sausages were a favorite and the biological Verdejo was decent. We also really enjoyed the crêpes with juicy apple chunks and quality latte.
The Pure Markt Amsterdam feels a bit like a huge picnic where you don’t bring your own food. There’s plenty of good food of various cuisines and a relaxed vibe. We’ll be back when the weather is nice!
The last post here on Dutchgrub is about six years old. We had two little foodies and didn’t dine out as much as before, or have time to post about what we discovered. But luckily the little foodies are getting bigger, and more interested in good food.
And while eating out has been limited due to the pandemic, we have done a fair bit of take-away, for which lots of interesting options have popped up.
Christmas 2020 will be no different with most restaurants closed, but there are some great take-away options. The best chefs in Amsterdam have been super creative to let you pick up and prepare an great Christmas dinner in no time. So here are our recommendations for Amsterdam Christmas dinner take-away.
Here are our favorites:
Baut Christmas dinner take-away
Baut is a serial pop-up restaurant and has appeared in some amazing locations. The initial one was on Wibautstraat, at the time the East of Amsterdam was just starting to be trendy. They also spent some time in the former Citroën garage next to the Olympic stadium.
Now they are on Stadionweg in a place that used to house one of the best night shops in Amsterdam. And have put together a great five-course Christmas dinner take away box.
Bistrot Neuf has been on our list of trendiest Amsterdam restaurants for years. Although you won’t be able to benefit from its great location on hip shopping street Haarlemmerstraat, you will still be able to enjoy its solid French cuisine and wines.
For Christmas they have put together a great five course Menu Noël, which let’s you pick and choose for each course.
Options: Five-course Christmas dinner with 3 options for each course.
Style: Traditional French, including fois gras, quail, and an additional cheese platter.
Days: 24 – 27 December. Order by 21 December.
Cost: €55 per person.
Pick-up location: Haarlemmerstraat 9, Amsterdam Center
Choux is a more recent addition to the Amsterdam restaurant scene, with a very modern kitchen that is not afraid to experiment and bring out unusual flavors.
They’ve been doing great take-away menus during the pandemic and have a fairly priced Christmas menu for take-away also.
Options: Three-course Christmas dinner and three-course vegetarian dinner, with additional starter and cheese platter.
Style: Modern European, including deer and lots of winter greens.
Days: 25, 26, 27 December. Order previous day.
Cost: €37,50 per person.
Pick-up location: De Ruijterkade 128, Amsterdam Center.
While the previous options are restaurants that do not usually do take-away, Frank’s Smokehouse is a deli that is always to walk in and get food to go.
As the name suggests, Frank is all about smoked food, having started out with amazing smoked salmon that is now available for sale all across town. Frank added other smoked food, a shop, restaurant, event space and now also a Christmas menu for take-away.
Options: Three-course Christmas dinner and three-course vegetarian dinner, with additional starter and cheese platter.
Style: Traditional smoked dishes, including turkey, ham, stuffing, cranberry sauce, apple crumble.
Days: Order before 22 December. Delivery until 24 December. Can be kept a few days.
Marleenkookt, or Marleen cooks, is a family friendly and sustainable food delivery service with fair prices, delivery by cargo bikes and all food in porcelain dishes.
The dishes are always great for dinner on a school night. And for Christmas Marleen has put together a special luxury dinner.
Options: Four-course Christmas dinner with various options: Fish and meat, fish only, meat only, vegetarian, kids.
Style: Traditional including deer, mushroom stew, mackerel and ravioli.
Days: Order before 20 December. Delivery on 24 December. Can be kept 1 or 2 days.
Scheepskameel is another more recently opened restaurant in Amsterdam and one of the cornerstones of the constantly improving food scene. Their Christmas dinner is one of the fanciest.
Options: Five-course Christmas or vegetarian dinner.
Style: Modern European, including lobster and veal.
Two Chefs is a craft brewery that also runs a restaurant and bar. They brew great IPAs and other specialty beers, and run a high-end restaurant, Bar Alt, with great food and beer pairings.
During the holiday season, they have branched out into turkey dinners that pick up or have delivered.
Options: Four-course Christmas dinner with various options: Fish and meat, fish only, meat only, vegetarian, kids.
Style: Roasted turkey, with gravy, cranberry sauce, potatoes and veggies.
Days: 24, 25, 26 December. Order before 12pm same day.
Cost: €160 for four persons.
Delivery or pick up at Stadionplein 103, Amsterdam Zuid.
The number of Michelin stars in Amsterdam keeps growing. The number has now gone up six years in a row. And rather fast recently, from 11 stars in 2012, to 15 last year and a total of 20 this year!
The biggest contribution to the total this year came from Librije’s Zusje – which as its name suggest is the sister restaurant of three star Librije, located outside of Amsterdam. Bord’Eau, after entering the list last year, climbed to two stars, while Ron Gastrobar gladly sacrificed one of its stars to change to a more informal style.
Then there were three restaurants that received their first star, Bridges, also affiliated with Ron Blaauw, Sinne, one of the few cozier Michelin restaurants not based in a hotel, and Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant Sazanka.
When we started the list in 2012, good brunches were much harder to find, and we were thankful for Lovefood to open doors, first as a pop-up and later as a daily brunch. Well, Lovefood has come and gone, but today there are quite a few good brunch options.
We are delighted to have added Kiwi-run Bakers & Roasters as well as Aussies Little Collins to our list. With Dutch brunch and lunch favorites Gartine and Brits Greenwood’s still going strong – both original list members – the list is just as international as Amsterdam itself.
Craving for many varieties of eggs and great coffee? Check out our Best Amsterdam Brunch List and head over to one of our favorites!
Restaurant Fier – as in French for proud rather than Dutch for four – is uncomplicated dining Belgian style.
The menu is simple. There are six choices on the menu, all tried and true comfort food favorites: Burger, chicken, hangar steak, pot roast and a daily fish and vegan special. Each is accompanied by a choice of different style of French fries, veggies or salad, and four sauces.
Most of the food is cooked in the Big Green Egg – an ever more popular combined grill, oven and smoker. It turned out lovely smokey chicken, juicy burger with lots of truffle sauce, and succulent rare, almost blue hangar steak.
The opening hours are convenient. Every day from 10am to 10pm for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks at the bar until late.
The service is quick and friendly, the tap water put on your table right away without having to ask for it, the wine list short but adequate, with all wines available per bottle or by the glass, and the beer options vast.
The decor is simple with bare brick walls, a semi-open kitchen, a long bar and also ample seating outside.
And prices are quite affordable at € 16,- for any of the main courses.
We dined quite comfortably and without any complications!
www.fieramsterdam.nl/
De Clercqstraat 79
1053 AG Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20 22 17 449
Open every day from 10am to 10pm
Public transport: Tram 3, 12, 13, or 14 to De Clercqstraat
Cuisine: Belgian
Neighborhood: Oud West
Vibe: Uncomplicated
Price: €30 to €40 per person
