AMSTERDAM
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BREDA
BREDA, Singel, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Our favourite restaurant in Amsterdam, Breda offers a selection of set menus at both lunch and dinner. You really just need to decide how hungry you are and they will do the rest, although for your first visit we definitely recommend going for the “All We’ve Got” menu at dinner. The food is reliably excellent, with a huge mix of styles ranging from BBQ to Japanese coming together in a coherent vision of deliciousness. It’s high-end cooking but the place is totally relaxed, with friendly service and great wines too. You could come for a midweek lunch on your own or with a group of 10 for your birthday and Breda will always deliver the goods.
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MARIS PIPER
Maris Piper Brasserie, Frans Halsstraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Maris Piper is the newest restaurant from the Breda group and it’s another absolute winner. It’s a classic bistro in concept, and the interiors are sort of a cross between Bob Bob Ricard and The Wolseley – lots of green banquets, brass, gold, and art deco flourishes. It may be named after a potato variety but there’s nothing innocuous about the place; oh no, they mean business here with a menu of hearty dishes that pack a lot of flavour. Start with the smoked eel on brioche and a couple of oysters then move on to the beef tartare topped with caviar (one of the best we’ve had anywhere). The Dutch pork belly with Savoy cabbage and the monkfish with lardo are our picks from the mains. Maris Piper is also home to Chef’s Table, a 12 seat kitchen counter mini restaurant that serves a tasting menu each night. Make sure to book in advance for this one.
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RESTAURANT WATERGANG
Restaurant Watergang, Weteringstraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Watergang is one of Amsterdam’s newest restaurants and we absolutely love it. First off, the place is totally charming; set in the bottom of an old house, it has the feel of a supperclub at your mate’s house rather than a restaurant. It’s a tiny room with just a few tables and has a creaky old ladder that leads up to another mezzanine table, and then the kitchen up top. It’s another tasting menu where you don’t know what the dishes are in advance, but for 46 euros it has to be one of the best value menus anywhere (the 35 euros extra for matching wines is a steal too).
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RON GASTROBAR
Ron Gastrobar, Sophialaan, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Ron Blaauw operates many restaurants across Amsterdam and Ron Gastrobar is his flagship, which offers a menu of modern small plates in a bistro-style setting. Kick things off with local Dutch oysters before tucking in to smoked salmon with soy tapioca, salmon, and wasabi and the signature BBQ spare ribs. Take guidance from the expert sommelier too who has some truly unusual wines on the list.
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BAK
BAK restaurant, Van Diemenstraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Way out in the industrial west of Amsterdam you’ll find restaurant BAK, which started as a roving pop-up before going permanent in 2013. Set in an old warehouse, BAK is a beautiful spot, with sloped timber beam ceilings and windows overlooking the water and harbour below. It’s another set menu place (yes Amsterdam likes this set up, though BAK can claim to be one of the first to kickstart this in the city), with all produce coming from local farmers and fisherman. Dinner is Wednesday to Sunday and lunch is weekends only. This one should be high on your ‘Dam hitlist.
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RIJKS
Rijks, Museumstraat, Amsterdam, Reino dos Países Baixos
The new restaurant at the RIJKS museum won a deserved Michelin star in 2016 but it’s still both affordable and relaxed, set in a beautiful light-filled room adjacent to the Rijksmuseum. From the €37.50 lunch menu, you can try stunning dishes such as puffed beetroot with dashi butter and tempura langoustine tail with curry cream.
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DE KAS
De Kas, Kamerlingh Onneslaan, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Gert Jan Hageman set up De Kas in an old greenhouse building in the east of Amsterdam in 2001. It’s a beautiful setting surrounded by gardens from which he and his team grow up to 90% of the ingredients that make up the daily-changing menu, which unsurprisingly is largely vegetable focused. Don’t forget to ask for a tour of the gardens before or after eating, it’s a truly special spot.
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FOODHALLEN
Foodhallen, Bellamyplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands
This is an indoor market in the De Hallen cultural centre. Foodhallen is the place to go for the city’s best street-food vendors, serving everything from dim sum and fish to wood-fired pizzas and tacos.
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PUCCINI BOMBONI
Puccini Bomboni, Singel, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Puccini Bomboni is the best chocolate shop in Amsterdam and is actually one of our favourites anywhere in the world. It sells incredible handmade chocolates, biscuits, spreads, and more. They don’t come cheap but are well worth a splurge. Look out for unusual flavours such as rhubarb, tea and tamarind. They also do a range of sugar-free chocs.
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IZAKAYA
IZAKAYA Asian Kitchen & Bar, Albert Cuypstraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Whereas the name refers to the ‘pubs’ that can be found all over japan serving cold beer, sake, and cheap eats, Izakaya at the Sir Albert Hotel is a rather different affair. Around 6pm every evening the whole place roars into life as very fancy cars start pulling up outside the hotel and expensive handbags are thrown down on tables – by 6:30 the place has the feeling of part restaurant / part club. It all makes sense when you know that the chef, Hariprasad Shetty, previously worked at London’s Nobu, an education that shines through here in the exquisite Japanese dishes on offer. Among the many highlights are fresh sushi; sashimi swimming in citrusy yuzu dressing; scallop with clarified butter and yuzu mayo (a revelation); and sweetcorn fritters which have the unmistakable flavour of popcorn but taste infinitely better with added crunch from the tempura batter.
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GUTS
Guts & Glory, Utrechtsestraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Belonging to the Breda Restaurant group, one of the best restaurant operators in Amsterdam, Restaurant Guts serves a tasting menu that’s offered in either 5 or 7 courses. It serves seasonal dishes, like carrots and asparagus alongside delicious BBQ meats – we had a huge hunk of lamb that slid off the bone – and punchy raw fish dishes. Each dish is perfectly presented, cooked and there’s a cracking natural wine list on offer too.
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GEBR HARTERING
Gebr. Hartering, Peperstraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands
When the weather’s nice, Gebr Hartering is one of the most picturesque dinner settings in Amsterdam – tables are laid out on a little bridge by the restaurant overlooking the water. It’s worth going for this alone but luckily the food is also bang on, and the inside of the main restaurant is very nice too. There’s both a la carte and set menu options, with dishes raning from fresh oysters to big ribs of beef and Dutch cheeses.
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THE HOXTON, AMSTERDAM
Herengracht 255, 1016 BJ Amsterdam, Netherlands
This is the first Hoxton outside of London and they’ve done an amazing job of converting what was once the home of the mayor way back in the 17th century into a beautiful 111 room hotel…the whole place is looking seriously swish. With rates starting at 89 Euros which includes free Wifi, water and a breakfast bag drop filled with local snacks, The Hoxton, Amsterdam is well worth checking out – you’d be a DAM fool not too.
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GENERATOR, AMSTERDAM
Mauritskade 57, 1092 AD Amsterdam, Netherlands
The hostel is everything you would expect from a Generator – cool, vibrant and affordable. Located in the trendiest part of the city (obvs), Generator overlooks Oosterpark and fits right into the up-and-coming East neighbourhood. Rooms start at €15 per night and go up depending on how many people you want to sleep with. If you want to experience Amsterdam without spending mega bucks then Generator is your answer.
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