dutchgrub

City trips can be tiring. You want to explore all the sites and end up walking around town more than planned. And you will frequently find yourself surrounded by many other tourists who are after the same attractions.

A great option to get some rest is to have lunch at one of the more upscale restaurants in the center of Amsterdam. Lunch at these places is much less formal and expensive than dinner, but still let’s you take in the atmosphere and sample the food.

Two great options for an Amsterdam lunch in style are the Dylan Hotel, home of one Michelin star Vinkeles, and De Belhamel, which has a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

De Belhamel is situated stunningly on Brouwersgracht right where Herengracht ends. From the dining room or the terrace you have an unobstructed view of the length of Herengracht. The lunch menu features fancy sandwiches, a ciabatta with vitello tonato for example, various salads and pasta. We quite enjoyed the spaghetti with pancetta and rucola. While the food and service are ambitious, the vibe is quite informal as the space is small and the personnel friendly.

The Dylan Hotel is another oasis of tranquility where you can enjoy lunch in a classy environment. Right next to the Michelin star kitchen of restaurant Vinkeles, you sit down in style in the lounge. The tables are set beautifully and the service is very attentive. The menu is a nice mix of simpler and haute cuisine dishes. There are a club sandwich with fries and a hamburger with cheddar cheese, but also dried fruit bread with melted tallegio or Gillardeau oysters. Our favorite was a sourdough bread with cream cheese and iberico ham.

Hopefully having lunch in style will help you recharge and enjoy the buzz of the city the rest of the day!

www.belhamel.nl
Brouwersgracht 60
1013 GX Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20 6221095
Public Transport: Tram 1, 2, 5, 13 or 17 to Martelaarsgracht
Cuisine: French
Neighbourhood: Canals
Vibe: Elegant
Price: €15 to €25 per person (lunch)

www.dylanamsterdam.com
Keizersgracht 384
1016 GB Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20 5302010
Public Transport: Tram 1, 2, or 5 to Spui
Cuisine: French
Neighbourhood: Canals
Vibe: Elegant
Price: €15 to €25 per person (lunch)

It used to be that in Amsterdam you could have food delivered to your home or have good food – but not both. The only delivery options were greasy pizzas, bland Asian food or other snack bar style fast food.

That’s changed now, in a rather innovative way, thanks to Bringo, an “advanced delivery service”. Bringo is a logistics company, specializing in providing delivery for shops and restaurants.

Several of dutchgrub’s favorite restaurants have already contracted Bringo to do deliveries for them. For example you can now have great Mexican food from Tomatillo or the excellent BurgerBar burgers delivered right to your doorstep.

The orders are usually placed through the thuisbezorgd.nl or justeat.nl food order portals. Check the Bringo site for available restaurants and ordering details.

Our lists of the Best Amsterdam Restaurants or the Best Brunch or Best Pizza are very popular. And while we’ve been wanting to post a list of cool restaurants for a while we’ve been reluctant as this blog is about the best food and not the most exciting design or hippest crowd.

Luckily there are a number of restaurants that have it all. They stand out for being trendy – drawing the in crowd and looking stylish. But they also serve great food. And they have made the first version of dutchgrub’s Trendiest Amsterdam Restaurants list. Be sure to check it out and read about Bistrot Neuf, De Kas and Hotel De Goudfazant.

The other day we were asked for a recommendation for New Year’s Eve on Twitter. A special yet cozy place in the city. This immediately made me think of Kaap Kop, which unfortunately is closed for NYE, but is definitely one of those rare places that are located right in the city and still manage to have a very calm and remote feel to them.

The concept of Kaap Kot is to temporarily occupy a space that the city planners have designated for future development. This has given Kaap Kot access to vast locations with amazing views and peacefulness as the surrounding areas are mostly unoccupied. It has also led the owners to use a simple but cool metal building structure that can be quickly disassembled and reassembled in a different location.

After a few years on IJdijk, south of the IJ, just west of A10 exit S114, Kaap Kot is currently located on Korte Ouderkerkerdijk. The location is amazing, sitting on the banks of the Amstel, by what rowers know as the grote bocht – or great bend – a very wide part of the river, opposite the Amstel train station and Rembrandt tower. You get a great view of the business center while sitting quietly surrounded by docks and a rowing club.

Kaap kot is great for summer lunches out on their terrace, but also for winter dinners when it provides refuge and coziness. The decor is simple and the menu Mediterranean. For lunch Kaap Kot serves fancy sandwiches, salads, soup and some pasta dishes. For dinner there are also some simple fish and meat dishes with salad and french fries.

www.kaapkot.nl
Korte Ouderkerkerdijk 30
1096 AC Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20 463 71 58
Public Transport: Metro to Spaklerweg
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Neighbourhood: Watergraafsmeer
Vibe: Water
Price: €25 to €40 per person

Right upon entering, bistrot neuf grabs you with a charming mix of buzz and bottles. There is a very present energy as you enter from busy Haarlemmerstraat, passing by the open kitchen located by the entrance, squeezing past other guests and personnel in the densely furnished dining room. At the same time, there’s a great sense of old fashioned love for food and wine as you find yourself surrounded by endless racks of wine bottles, bare brick walls in earthy colors and the specials of the day written on the blackboard.

bistrot neuf is all about wine: the restaurant works together closely with wine store Chabrol next door, has a substantial list of close to 100 different wines, of which more than 80 are available by the glass, and makes a specific wine suggestion for each dish on the menu. We decided on sharing a bottle and found the waiter very knowledgeable about all wines and comfortable at making non-standard suggestions. We ended up with a surprisingly multi-faceted Côtes du Rhône that required frequent refills.

In true French brasserie spirit, bistrot neuf works with a fixed price choice menu, which is a great deal at € 29,- for a starter, main and dessert. And the menu is classic French too with starters like onion soup and snails Bourgogne style, mains like Boeuf Bourguignon and Cassoulet, and all time favorites Crème brûlée and Mousse au chocolat for dessert. We loved the homemade pâté with cornichons, which was coarse and fresh. The mussels for main were also great, making us slurp up every last bit. The duck was cooked just right but lacking flavor.

Service was a little on and off. Our table wasn’t ready when we got there, but it was quickly arranged. We got great advice for the wine, but had to wait quite a while to get menus. Overall staff seemed competent and friendly but also somewhat hurried and at their limit to keep everything running smoothly.

bistrot neuf has quickly become one of the places to be. It has established itself as one of Amsterdam’s hot spots in less than half a year and getting a reservation has already gotten harder. So go there soon and enjoy the wine and liveliness.

www.bistrotneuf.nl
Haarlemmerstraat 9
1013 EH Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20 400 32 10
Open every day 12pm to 11pm
Public Transport: Tram 1, 2, 5, 13, or 17 to Martelaarsgracht
Cuisine: French
Neighbourhood: Jordaan
Vibe: Busy
Price: €35 to €55 per person

A slightly modified version of this article also appeared in the November edition of Amsterdam Magazine – Beyond Windmills, Wooden Shoes and Weed.

Update: Restaurant Altmann closed doors at the end of November 2010.

Altmann Restaurant and Bar is old school, classy service in cool, dark leathery decor. The 19th century building, accentuated by a round tower overlooking the Amstel river, is representative. And so is the service, welcoming you outside the door, taking your coat and offering you a cocktail at the bar by the entrance.

The inside at Altmann is split into several areas, a bar and lounge by the entrance, the main dining room by the windows towards the Amstel and a slightly elevated area towards the back. The color scheme is stylish black and white illuminated by a very warm, indirect light from many small lamps and candles. Altmann is one of the few places in Amsterdam where you won’t be overdressed. The decor, waiters clad in perfect black and elegant guests make for the perfect surroundings to go out in style.

Like the decor, the menu is trendy, luring fancy diners with a mix of French and Asian cuisine with the occasional Dutch treat. Sashimi with hangop, a traditional Dutch clotted yogurt with lime, giant prawn risotto with Thai tom yam sauce, or beef tenderloin with kimchi and bitterballen, Dutch meat croquettes, oriental style, caught our eyes. We liked  the inventive menu and fresh ingredients, but could have done with more flavor. Several dishes were on the bland side and especially lacking spiciness. You can dine à la carte, opt for the set four course chef’s menu, or go all out with a seven course tasting menu.

The service was immaculate. Well dressed, present and with attention to detail. We usually prefer more character and humor but could appreciate the precision and orderliness. Staff is clearly well trained and was happy to inquire with the chef or owner to satisfy these foodies’ inquisitive nature. Credit card payments, online reservation and all other amenities required for a successful formal dinner are available.

Altmann Restaurant and Bar won’t disappoint those looking for quiet, stylish dinner put together with care from select ingredients.

www.altmann.nl
Amsteldijk 25
1074 HS Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20 6627777
Open: Restaurant closed since late November 2010.
Public Transport: Tram 3, 4, or 25 to Ceintuurbaan / van Woustraat
Cuisine: Fusion
Neighbourhood: De Pijp
Vibe: Trendy
Price: €60 to €100 per person

A slightly modified version of this article also appeared in the October edition of Amsterdam Magazine – Beyond Windmills, Wooden Shoes and Weed.