So here are some suggestions for those who are looking for a great Sunday dinner in Amsterdam:

Restaurant As

Restaurant As is located in a former church in the south of Amsterdam. The decor is modern minimalist with raw concrete walls. The cuisine organic Mediterranean available as a three, four or five course prix-fixe menu.

www.restaurantas.nl
Prinses Irenestraat 19
1077 WT Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20-6440100
Open daily except Monday
Public transport: Tram 5 to Prinses Irenestraat or metro to Amsterdam Zuid

Restaurant Blauw

Restaurant Blauw is a modern Indonesian just off the far end of Vondelpark. Rijsttafels (rice tables) and other traditional Indonesian dishes are served in a modern decor with lots of glass on multiple levels.

amsterdam.restaurantblauw.nl
Amstelveenseweg 158-160
1075 XN Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20-6755000
Open daily
Public transport: Tram 2 to Amstelveenseweg or tram 1 to Overtoomsesluis

Restaurant Fyra

Restaurant Fyra serves French food in a sou-terrain of three typically narrow Dutch houses joined into one large dining room. Dishes are available à la carte or as a prix-fixe menu.

www.restaurantfyra.nl
Noorderstraat 19-23
1017 TR Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20-4283632
Open daily except Tuesday
Public transport: Tram 4, 7, 10, 16, 24 or 25 to Weteringsschans

Hotel de Goudfazant

Hotel de Goudfazant is a hip yet friendly restaurant on the other side of the IJ in northern Amsterdam. The look is industrial and modern, the cuisine very traditionally French, the dishes affordable.

www.hoteldegoudfazant.nl
Aambeeldstraat 10 H
1021 KB Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20-6365170
Open daily except Monday
Public transport: Bus 32 or 33 from Central Station to Johan van Hasseltweg

The one sad exception is Marius, one of dutchgrub’s Best Amsterdam Restaurants. Marius closed doors in late May for renovations and to take some time off to find new inspiration. As you can see on the photos, there’s not much visible progress. The inside merely looks abandoned with no sign of work done. And the sign on the door still says that Marius will re-open in September, likely at a new location, but that the necessary permissions were slow to acquire.

Marius is great and we hope they’ll be back soon with a great new restaurant!

Both Burgermeester and the Burger Bar focus on quality meat, fresh ingredients and burgers made fresh on the spot. Where Burgermeester excels at a menu of inventive burgers, the Burger Bar lets you pick and choose your own burger. You can pick from three types of bread, a number of extras such as cheese, onions or mushrooms, as well as twelve sauces. Trying to fully cater to everybody’s preferences, you can even choose the type of meat! There’s the standard Irish beef, the superb black Angus and a 100% Kobe Wagyu option.

It’s rare to see quality food and take-away in the touristy areas around the Dam and Rembrantplein and the Burger Bar is a great option when you’re around there looking for a quick lunch or snack. I thoroughly enjoyed my black Angus burger with cheese and mushrooms on an Italian roll! I’ll try the Wagyu burger next time.

Burger Bar Amsterdam
www.burger-bar.nl

Reguliersbreestraat 9
1017 CL Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20-3305968
Open daily: 11:00 – 03:00, Friday, Saturday: 11:00 – 04:00
Public transport: Tram 4, 9, 14, 16, 24, 25 to Muntplein.

Kolksteeg 2
1012 PT Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20-6249049
Open daily: 11:00 – 03:00
Public transport: Any tram, bus or train to Central Station

Hotel de Goudfazant is not easy to find. Having crossed the IJ, you will have to navigate through a slightly decrepit industrial area, follow smallish signs to a large parking area with a number of sheds and garages. The shed that houses de Goudfazant has very much been left in its original state with wide shutters that can be opened, heavy duty lifts and industrial heaters all visible, and walls and steel beams uncovered. The space is huge, several meters high, the restaurant a large open space, and additional areas accessible behind. The restaurant furniture is minimalist modern, long tables, plastic chairs and an enormous chandelier suspended from the ceiling.

The cuisine at De Goudfazant is distinctly French and the menu a reasonably priced three course prix fixe at € 30,50. Starters include charcuterie, terrine, oysters and the like. We quite enjoyed the poussin for main, which was served with a great rhubarb compote. Other options include sweetbread, hanger steak, catfish and a vegetarian strudel. And for dessert there’s cheese, ice cream, pecan pie or coffee with bonbons. The style is very traditional French with few surprises and well executed.

While the setting is ultra hip, Hotel De Goudfazant did strike us as a friendly place. Service was casual but attentive and nice. The guests were mixed including couples, families and some larger groups. The vibe is very busy and the noise level quite high due to the high, bare ceilings and large, packed dining room. We had to wait for a few minutes even though we had a reservation but quite enjoyed hanging out at the bar and checking out the cool space.

We’ll definitely be back to enjoy the eclectic mix of steel beams and goose terrine!

www.hoteldegoudfazant.nl
Aambeeldstraat 10 H
1021 KB Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20 6365170
Public transport: Bus 32 or 33 from Central Station to Johan van Hasseltweg

And indeed it looks like most of Amsterdam, including my favorite food destinations are headed to the beach.

• Balthazar’s Keuken is closed until 17 August
• De Witte Uyl will be on vacation from 25 July to 18 August
• Marius is closed for renovations – not sure when it will reopen

The fourth restaurant on the list, De Kas, has been slacking as of late. It’s still a brilliant setting, but food has been less than great, and to be on the list, you have to have it all.

So time for some alternatives. And luckily there are three restaurants that are similar in style and that I have enjoyed very much on several occasions. In general, they are more intimate in style and more innovative in cuisine than the Michelin star restaurants in Amsterdam. And they have great food and friendly, knowledgeable service.

• Blauw aan de Wal: fixed price menu, fusion cuisine, in the middle of the red light district, great service with character.
• Hotel de Goudfazant: not a hotel at all, but a very hip industrial restaurant, French menu, in Amsterdam Noord reachable only by ferry.
• Fyra: slightly more formal but very friendly, with a Dutch / French / International menu.

Sorry about being brief. I am considering to add these restaurants to the list of Best Amsterdam Restaurants and will then have a longer writeup. In the meantime, please ask or provide feedback in the comments if you have been there or intend to go.

Aside from closed restaurants and bike repair shops, the summer has been great. Hope the sun stays around for a bit more!

With more nice days expected to follow, I decided to update my list of Best Amsterdam Terraces and added long-time favorite Café Onder de Ooievaar as well as the new crowd pleaser Bar Brandstof. So check out Amsterdam’s best spots for a cool brew, hope for more good weather and join us for a cool brew: Best Amsterdam Terraces

Recently, Restaurant Blauw on Amstelveenseweg, has become my go to place for Indonesian and they do serve a good rijsttafel in a clean, modern setting.

Blauw is located off the beaten path, on Amstelveenseweg, just off the far end of Vondelpark. Alongside other newcomers like Sophia, Umoja or Sucre it caters to a slightly hip crowd. It opened a few years ago as a branch of the popular Blauw in Utrecht. The interior is modern, dominated by black and red colors, and nicely split across three levels to make it feel smaller.

While the ambiance is modern, the menu is traditional Indonesian. Next to the rijsttafel, Blauw serves Saté Ayam (chicken satay), Gado Gado (veggies with peanut sauce), Daging Rendang (slow cooked beef) and other Indonesian classics. Prices are not cheap – the rijsttafel for example is € 29,50 and wines start at € 20,= per bottle. Service, as unfortunately in many places in Amsterdam, can be on or off.

Restaurant Blauw – www.restaurantblauw.nl
Amstelveenseweg 158-160
1075 XN AMSTERDAM
Tel.: +31 (0)20 6755000
Public transport: Tram 2 / bus 15 to Amstelveenseweg or tram 1 to Overtoomsesluis

Taste of Amsterdam – 24 to 27 June 2010

Taste of Amsterdam is part of a world-wide series of food events that celebrate fine dining in major cities. The formula is to provide visitors with an opportunity to sample small portions of the signature dishes of prestigious local restaurants. Michelin star decorated Ron Blaauw and Aan de Poel will participate amongst a group of 18 restaurants. Guests will need to buy € 15 tickets to attend the events and can then taste samples from different chefs for somewhere around € 4 to 9.

www.tasteofamsterdam.com
When: 24-27 June, 12:00 to 17:00 or 18:00 to 23:00
Where: Amstelpark on Europaboulevard near RAI exhibition center.
Public transport: Take tram or metro to RAI.

Over het IJ Festival – 1 to 11 July 2010

The Over Het IJ Festival is a theater festival on NDSM wharf in Amsterdam North, across the water behind Central Station. There is an extensive program with a focus on performances by younger talent. There also are nice food options for in between, including caterers “One for the Road” or the pancake boat. You may also enjoy a trip to neighboring Noorderlicht Cafe, spectacularly housed in a cool glass hangar and sporting a hip vibe.

www.overhetij.nl
When: 1-11 July, exact program to be decided
Where: NDSM wharf on Neveritaweg 15 across the water from Central Station
Public transport: Take the free NSDM ferry behind Central Station.

De Parade – 6 to 22 August 2010

De Parade is another theater festival with a strong food focus. The atmosphere is very much cabaret and circus, with all performances held in large tents around the main area of restaurants, bars and ticket sales. It’s a traveling festival that starts in Rotterdam mid June, moves on to The Hague and Utrecht and ends in Amsterdam from 6 to 22 August. Expect comedy, song and dance and other quirky shows such as the popular silent disco. And enjoy food and drinks from the Tacobar, wood oven pizzeria Fuoco e Desiderio or organic eatery La Rana. Tickets are € 7, excluding food, drinks and performances.

www.deparade.nl
When: 6-22 August, 15:00 to 24:00
Where: Martin Luther Kingpark on Amsteldijk between the Berlagebrug and Utrechtsbrug.
Public transport: Take tram 25 to President Kennedylaan.

Tomatillo is located on Overtoom, has a small dining room but mostly does take away. The menu has all the staples like burritos, fajitas and tacos. Most are available with different kinds of meat including steak, chicken and pork. There are also some vegetarian options such as a vegetarian tostada. Service is friendly and you can call in ahead and have your food ready for pick up. They don’t do deliveries.

The first time I tried Tomatillo I went for a fajita with pork, always one of my favorites. It was very good with plenty of pork, lettuce, beans all rolled up in a tasty soft tortilla. The burrito, filled with rice and meat is also very good. I liked the tacos that I tried on another occasion less as the tortilla was hard and had no flavor.

What’s most remarkable, as unlikely as it may sound to many readers, is that Tomatillo is one of the few places in Amsterdam that serves proper corn chips. Simple chips with a sauce, rather than greasy Doritos with some sort of cheese or paprika coating.

I’ve been back several times as Tomatillo has become my go to place for Mexican take out!

Tomatillo – www.tomatillo.nl
Overtoom 261
1054 HW Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20 6833086

Who is The Man? For a start you have to love the branding! The name, a web site in black reminiscent of Chicago in the 20s, an image of a man with a big chef’s knife carried like a gun ready to be pulled and lots of stories of a certain Mario the butcher are very intriguing. And there is substance, too, gained through 15 years experience as a chef at places like ‘t Jagershuis in Ouderkerk, Vermeer in Amsterdam or Zafferano’s in London. Having started his own business, The Man is now available as a caterer for breakfast, lunch, dinner, party or other occasions.

And every Sunday The Man cuts the meat at Bar Brandstof, a new bar on Marnixstraat that is trying hard to serve good food without being a restaurant. On Sundays, The Man serves a set three-course menu for € 22,50. The menu consists of a mixed starters platter, a main and dessert. And The Man promises to please vegetarians by preparing a customized menu with the same dedication.

We went a few weeks ago and had a great time. Bar Brandstof manages to be cool in a friendly, laid back way. Dinner in the back of the bar was comfortable while the bar was brimming with life. And the mixed starters platter fit the set-up perfectly, several small tapas style snacks, served on a black rugged slate board, ideal with a cool brew. The snacks were a mix of different cuisines including Spanish serrano ham, Japanese tuna and wasabi, and Idonesian Pangsit.

For the main course we had tenderloin, which was nice and tender and presented with a fine red wine sauce seemed a lot more sophisticated than the carnivorous talk of knifes and butchers had made me expect. The Man then made a personal appearance to serve the dessert, a chocolate cake with rum and ginger. While serving sweets and chocolate again seemed to rather contradict the meat cutter image, the tattoos and skulls on the menu reassured us that we had come to the right place.

All in all a great dinner and the perfect way to have some good fun and food when the weekend winds down.

The Man Who Cuts The Meat – www.themanwhocutsthemeat.com
At Bar Brandstof
Marnixstraat 341
1016 TD Amsterdam
Tel: +31-6-54343555