I was not only shocked with how much I fell in love with Amsterdam, but was also blown away by the food. Every meal we enjoyed had me proclaiming my love for this place! Prices were so reasonable (granted I come from NYC) and we experienced some of the most inventive, fresh, and true farm to table cuisine I’ve ever had.
As I mentioned in my first post, we landed and were to the hotel just in time for breakfast. After a quick shower, we headed to Greenwoods and posted up for coffee and brunch along the canal. The food was so good this became our go-to for breakfast throughout the trip. The homemade soda bread and butter were to die for! That seems to be a running theme throughout this trip, the bread and butter every where we went was so so good.
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| The “Keizer’s Veggie” and side of homemade soda bread – so much food this lasted me all day! |
My favorite meal of the trip was dinner our first night at Balthazar’s Keuken. They offer 1 set menu per day with a choice of entree between fish or meat. Everyone starts the meal with a mix of shared starters. The house wine was delicious and cheap, the lamb entree had my dining companions (who don’t eat lamb) proclaiming their love for lamb, and the homey setting sealed the deal as the perfect evening. To top it off, it was an amazing value, wine and the 3-course meal cost less than $50 per person.
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| The restaurant is small; most tables have a full view of the open kitchen. |
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| 5 tapas-like appetizers to start the meal |
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| That lamb! Also served with roasted sweet potatoes and the most amazing reduction sauce I’ve ever had. |
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| Dessert was a simple deconstructed take on Bananas Foster |
Our second night we dined at De Kas. A friend had recommended this as “the best meal of his entire life” so I had high hopes. Unfortunately we weren’t able to book the chef’s counter (always my favorite seat in the house) and sat in the heart of the dining room which was absolutely stunning. The restaurant serves one menu per night, focusing on produce grown in their adjacent greenhouse and nearby farm as well as local meats and fresh fish. It was a fun dinner, a bit more pricey (menu is 49.5 Euro + a supplemental cheese course that we opted in to). I also did the wine pairing which offered 4 wines poured throughout the meal for 27 Euro.
Dinner was great, but not my favorite, perhaps it was the high expectations. I would rush back to Balthazar’s Keuken, I think I’d only go back to De Kas if I could book the chef’s counter.
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| Cutest little corn on the cob, and I’m pretty sure these were the only greens we consumed the entire weekend! #carbsforlife |
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| Fish and grilled cabbage – not my favorite |
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| I just can’t resist a cheese plate! |
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| Dessert was the best part of the meal – their take on pecan pie with basil sorbet and raspberry. |
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| A gorgeous setting |
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| After dinner we walked through the adjacent greenhouse, a lovely melon was ready to be picked! |
We ate our third and final meal at Eatmosfera. Reasonably priced and tasty pizza but nothing life-changing. We had a tasty lunch/brunch while shopping at Buffet Van Odette, picked up sandwiches for our bike ride at Cora which was right by our hotel, had drinks at the gorgeous hotel bar at the Hotel Pulitzer, and a great lunch at Breda. And let’s not forget that apple pie……
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