Month: March 2010

Restaurant Diga Amsterdam

I had cycled past restaurant Diga many times but never actually been there. Partially that’s due to its location in somewhat of a no man’s land half way between Amstelstation and Rijnstraat in what used to be an enormous Chinese restaurant. And partially it’s because Diga mostly marketed its cocktail bar when they opened about three years ago.

So I was glad to try it out when Annemieke from De Witte Uyl, one of my favorite Amsterdam restaurants, suggested it. She had left a comment on a post about truffles at De Witte Uyl, we started talking by email and eventually met for for a great lunch at Diga last week.

Diga’s name and slogan suggest an Italian menu although the menu was mostly French. Diga serves a weekly changing 2 or 3 course surprise menu. Last week’s menu was a very nice swordfish carpaccio, followed by thinly sliced beef loin with pea risotto and glazed onions. I especially liked the swordfish which was tender with great texture from having been salt dried. The home baked bread was a nice touch and the house wine, a chardonnay and sauvignon blanc blend, was pleasant, too.

Diga’s dining room is large and spacious and the interior design and decoration formal and elegant. Service is quite present and attentive.

I think Diga is a perfect place for a business lunch or dinner, much better than the ever so popular Dauphine further down the road.

restaurant diga amsterdam

www.restaurantdiga.nl
Amsteldijk 137
1079 LE Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 4044360
Lunch Monday to Friday 12:00 to 14:30
Dinner Monday to Saturday 18:00 to 1:00

First Pure Markt of 2010

Pure Markt is a true artisanal food market that takes place in Park Frankendael in Amsterdam every last Sunday of the month. Every month of the summer, that is, as Pure Markt has been in hibernation since November. Coming Sunday, 28 March 2010, will see the first edition of 2010.

In 2009 I had fun at Pure Markt several times, picking up English style sausages, Dutch home-grown grapes and Canadian chocolate coated cranberries amongst other things. It’s a fun thing to do, so go check it out on Sunday if you have the time!

pure markt amsterdam

puremarkt.nl
Park Frankendael, Amsterdam
Public transport: Tram 9 to Hogeweg, bus 65 to Pieter Zeemanlaan
Every last Sunday of the month
Dates: 28 March, 25 April, 30 May, 27 June, 29 August, 26 September, 31 October, 19 December

Marqt Opening Third Store

Today, concept supermarket Marqt is opening its third store, on Utrechtsestraat in Amsterdam.

Marqt is catering to foodies by turning around the traditional supermarket model of low prices, long expiration dates and overall convenience on its head, and instead focusing on local products and partnership with producers. Since its inception, I have been on the fence about Marqt. It’s certainly much better than the Albert Heijn stores everybody loves to hate. But it also falls short on its promise by being more expensive that expected, having a limited selection of products and inconsistent quality.

One thing that Marqt does very well is the interior design of its shops! They pick great locations and turn them into a modern Mediterranean market halls with beautifully tiled walls and irregularly arranged food stalls. The location on Utrechtsestraat sounds great too – an old, monumental building, close to the center but just off the beaten path.

They just released this promo video showing re-design of the building!

www.marqt.com
Utrechtsestraat 17
1017VH Amsterdam
Open daily 9:00 to 21:00
Public transport: Tram 9, 14 to Rembrandtplein; metro 51, 53, 54 to Waterlooplein

Best Amsterdam Brunch

My lists of best Amsterdam restaurants, pizza, terraces or authentic Dutch food are very popular and I want to keep extending them. Since I recently got a few questions from readers about recommendations for brunch, I added the best Amsterdam brunch list!

While Amsterdam is not a typical breakfast or brunch town, there are some great options and Gartine, Greenwood’s and Lovefood made my list. Enjoy!

amsterdam brunch

Beer Fraud in Amsterdam

empty beer glassMore and more frequently reports about beer fraud (Dutch) are coming in. Supposedly, bar owners buy cheap no name beer and sell it under the name of brands like Heineken or Brand. As the story goes, the pubs will buy kegs of cheap beer and hook them up to the taps of contracted brand beers.

While this is certainly hard to verify, it seems plausible. The large beer brands in the Netherlands have been raising prices frequently and aggressively, with the average cost of a 50 liter keg rising from € 90 to € 100 in just the last year. And where pub owners used to be able to pass the raises on to consumers or reduce the size of a regular beer, this has become increasingly more difficult.

Expectantly, cheaper beers like horecabier are entering the market aggressively claiming that generally Dutch pilsner beers are very much alike in flavor and therefore hard to distinguish by drinkers.

I do wonder about that hangover the morning after the last night out at the bars…

Okura Cooking Workshop Open For Business

okura amsterdamThe Okura hotel with its two Michelin star restaurants Ciel Bleu and Yamazato started offering culinary workshops back in November 2009. The sessions take place several times a month on topics covering French cuisine as well as sushi and have been very popular often selling out weeks in advance.

Okura has now added sessions that cater to businesses wanting to invite their business partners for a special culinary experience with the possibility to actively participate. Okura can accommodate groups from 20 to 100 people and charges between € 25 and € 50 per person depending on duration and selection.