Lavinia

Amazing new spot for Breakfast and Lunch ! Came here for their beautifully decorated açai bowls and amazing interior. My friend was late so I spent my time waiting reading one of the many cook books laying around the café — great inspiration for lunch later on ! I could have easily spent all day here, drinking their fresh juices and coffees or eating their homemade salads and baked goods — if only I didn’t have chores to do at home ! Will definitely be back again soon to try their banana pancakes :)
Orange/​Apple/​Ginger & Paprika juice
Açai Bowl
Soy Latte
=€ 15,35

If you have allergies, vegan or gluten intolerant, this is a great place as their menu really caters to those needs. Otherwise, it is an ok café with decent food, great ambiance and very slow service.
Food: ³⁄₅
I had the vegan spelt pizza — it was more like a flat bread with crispy bottom and I thought it was very tasty. The ingredients were fresh, though it was on the small side (even for me). Guy C. had the skinny crab burger and it was very disappointing and on the bland side. It is skinny because there is no bread.
The juices here are very tasty and fresh, and they had an appealing selection of baked goods so perhaps drop by for a snack and not a meal.
Service: ²⁄₅
The place was packed around 1pm on a Saturday, and there were 3 waitstaff standing around not really doing anything. We sat down and were never given a menu despite trying to get their attention and having sat there for over 15 minutes. In the end, I got up and grabbed a menu from another table. Quite literally 2 mins later, someone came by to take our order.
In a separate incident, there were 2 people sitting at a 4 person table and there was a long line of people coming in and trying to grab a seat. At no point in time did the staff kindly ask these 2 people if they could clear out those 2 seats for someone else. In the end, one of the people coming in approached the two people and asked.
I know that Dutch service is typically pretty poor, and this certainly wasn’t there worst service I’ve received but seriously? Even with my lowered expectations, it felt as if the staff just weren’t interested. Need a menu? Get it yourself. Not enough seating? Eat somewhere else.
Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅
If you could eat atmosphere this would be the place. Signs you are in a hip, cool place:
–exposed brick
–industrial piping on the ceiling
–eclectic mix of artsy books, organic jams, hand-​crafted pottery: all for sale
Value: ²⁄₅
It was a terrible value considering the portion size and the terrible service. I’m not sure if I would ever come back unless I was with a vegan.

I’m glad this brunch place is here, right next to the children’s theater De Toverknol, because it’s nice to grab food right away after seeing a show. They are kid tolerant, not kid friendly — they don’t offer crayons and toys or anything but they don’t glare at you if your two year old runs around a little. It’s also nice that they offer healthy food on their limited menu, because it’s hard to go too wrong here.
On the down side, the portions are super small and the prices are high. We’re talking € 11,50 for 3 silver dollar sized pancakes and a glass of apple juice. My 2 year old didn’t want to eat any of it, probably because the pancakes lacked the requisite powdered sugar. There was barely a drizzle of syrup on them either. It’s like they are trying to protect you from sugar too. I wish they at least had french fries on the menu, since you can always count on your kid eating those, but that was probably also too unhealthy to be included.
All in all this café is ok. If I didn’t happen to be visiting the theater I probably wouldn’t come here again though.

Good restaurant, great decoration and tasty pizzetas. A bit overpriced but if you are looking for a breakfast that is a bit different, this is the place to be. Don’t miss the good juices (beetroot ginger) or green (pineapple spirulin and spinach). A bit overpriced but still really enjoyable.

Really cute café with great healthy options in Amsterdam.
I got the Acai bowl and my friend got the gluten free banana pancakes and both were really great. Hadn’t had an acai bowl in a while so I was extremely pleased.
Their almond chai was not my favorite though.

I had a salmon, wasabi mayo, ginger and wakame pizzetta. It was amazing. Also amazing atmosphere

Super cute and welcoming café, serving light lunch of salads and pizzettas.
Practical stuff: Show up at 11:45 to get in for lunch. Make sure to order food right away or you will be sitting there with you drink for quite a while.
The food: I tried two spelt crust pizzettas — the salmon and the lamb. I loved the light, thin, crispy crust that was browned on the edges. These are not like Italian pizzas — they don’t have tomato sauce and cheese.
The salmon one was like salmon sushi on a thin crust. The pickled ginger was laid on a bit thickly, so I just picked off some of it.
The lamb was spot-​on. The flavors melded nicely and were set off perfectly with a spot of sauce and sprinkle of arugula.

My wife and I came here for breakfast and were absolutely delighted with healthy and yummy food, great atmosphere and very friendly staff. The orange juice with paprika, apple, ginger and lemon was delicious and refreshing. My wife had the green tea with coconut milk which she loved. We both had the breakfast sandwich which was very healthy and delicious. I could not recommend this place highly enough.

Lavinia got the nicest staff possibly. I enjoy the drinks, soup and granola here. Prices are a bit high. Nevertheless always a great experience.

It took a second trip here to finally get in, but it was well worth it. From the moment I walked in the door I knew it would be great. You can smell all the ingredients being used back in the kitchen and it’s immediately obvious you’ll be eating something delicious and healthy.
The restaurant itself is very cozy and welcoming. I could easily see myself just relaxing and spending a few hours here reading.
I found it a bit odd that they close so early, which is why we had to come back a second time. I feel like they could easily stay busy if they were open later. I would love to pop in here in the early evening.

The food was decent, but the service was very slow. They refused cards at first but then later accepted them and even with cash did not have enough change for us to pay easily. Cool atmosphere but the lack of attention and difficulties in paying were very frustrating for a relaxing lunch.

Absolutely freaking ah-​mazing place. Our food was so fresh. There was a party in my mouth. Super lovely staff too. Styling is way cool. Definitely worth a visit and only a short 5 minute walk from the centre of town. We’ll be back for breakfast tomorrow! :)

Great find! This café is tucked in a little side street. I found it by accident and I couldn’t be happier. The yoghurt oatmeal and fresh fruit was amazing for breakfast.

Eating at this restaurant was the moment I realized I wholeheartedly loved Amsterdam. I was exploring the city on my own with this destination in mind but only had my tourist map and an address. Walking through the Bloemenmarket, past hundreds of canal houses, and finally onto Kerkstraat, I backtracked and found this lovely gem.
The food: Open faced sandwiches. I wish more places did open faced sandwiches! You could pay extra for the second slice of bread. It did not come with any sides so take it as a light lunch. You eat the sandwich with a fork and knife. All the ingredients were very well handled and selected. Everything had great flavor.
The atmosphere: Eclectic and fun. There is care in what is placed in this location but lacks a central theme that would make it seem contrived. The air buzzed with the sound of Dutch as friends met to catch up.
I could not give this place five stars because it wasn’t as good as it gets, it is definitely a wonderful place to have lunch and I am certainly a fan.
The sun was shining, I had a window seat and a table I could write in my notebook on while eating my meal. It was a perfect afternoon. I know this experience is very specific, but I will forever thank Lavinia’s for the hour of peace.
Notes: Had an English menu, servers spoke English (I hate not knowing Dutch!). Order at the counter. They do take away.

This place is a gem! Had to order just from the available salads that day. Arrived at 3:30 thinking I could order off the menu but the 4pm close time is strictly enforced.
All organic and gluten-​free options… incredibly wonderful and can’t wait to return

i wish i could say better things about Lavinia. I really like the place and the soups are some of the best soups I’ve ever had. but the service just needs some serious improvements.
even so, great cosy place to go.

A amazing cozy and friendly place to enjoy organic and veggie food. Definitely one of the great place to have a brunch in Amsterdam
+ :
If you are looking for a nice place to have a healthy breakfast or lunch, search no more Lavinia is the place.
This is above all a unique atmosphere: large wooden table, warm deco and surrounding that makes you want to take your time and relax, delicious smell of freshly baked cake… all the ingredients to almost make you feel at home.
Pallet-​wise their selection of salads is full of colors and taste using all kinds of great vegetables and home baked delicacies: we had a beatroot salad, chickpeas marinated in great sauce and a fine quiche. Their yogurt and granola combination is exquisite and is a perfect match with their red fruits salad. When all food was presented in front of me I had a feeling it was a setting for a cookbook shooting :)
Coffee is great as well. They only had espresso and short drinks… but we asked for a larger strong Americano and they tailored it for us with a big smile.
— :
Just one small downside, the pastry we tried was no up to the rest of the brunch :(Maybe was the wrong pick… just try to avoid their cheesecake.
Definitely one of the greatest brunches I have tried in Amsterdam.

After reading through several shining reviews, especially from the Dutchess of gezellig cafes Kim V., I felt like I was going to walk in and be surrounded by a coziness factor equivalent to a box filled with fluffy little kittens (sans allergies). I work very close to this place and a quick stroll down Spiegelgracht and I’m on Kerkstraat… the church street where you can find anything from bike parts, leather spandex underwear and cute café’s like Lavinia.
True to everyone’s word, this place is THE definition of hello kitty kawaii cute. Old wooden tables, mismatch chairs, knick-​knacks on the wall like you’d find in granny’s country home. If I had to rate this place on gezelligheid, incorporating the factor of the amazing aroma of home baked pastries being made in the back and freshly brewed coffee, you’ve got yourself a 5-​star café!
However, as a wise Unilocalper once taught me in my duckling infancy era of Unilocal,«you cannot eat atmosphere». The selection of veggie dishes was ok but I ended up picking the only three that looked good (great for the indecisive). I tried to get the soup as one of my three like I read in other reviews, but now it is not possible. The red pepper coconut soup sounded great so I got that in addition to orange juice.
The soup was a yummy version of a thai soup filled with bean sprouts and my three selections, including quinoa salad, aubergines with hummus and quail eggs with potatoes, were all equally yummy, but not outstanding. The bill came to 16 EUR and while I’m not the penny pincher, it all seemed a little much for a small lunch. While paying the bill, I also saw 4.50 for a slice of appeltaartje or a slice of banana bread… Trust me, I would sell my liver (albeit not so functional because of alcohol consumption) to pay for amazing food, but I didn’t feel like I got my money’s worth today.
Long review short, if I’m in the veggie mood, I will come here and skip the soup, and enjoy the cute atmosphere while munching on healthy food, but it won’t be a priority stop.

I went here for brunch and just loved it. Great vibe, great food and great juices. The food is fresh — inspired by ottolenghi and the river café — and consists of surprising combinations that work. I tried all the slow juices on the menu (red, green and orange; traffic light!) and all of them were good. The simple avocado apple and curry oil sandwich bursted with flavour. The salads were lovely too. And they know how to make coffee — an important quality test that too many establishments still fail.
We finished our brunch with apple pie (lovely too — this review is getting boring) and a vegan cheesecake (which I hated but my boyfriend loved).
Two minor points:
— the menu is written in super small print. Not easy to read — even with my reading glasses on (oops).
— staff is not as efficient as I would like, but then again they make up for that in friendliness!
I had the best brunch in ages and therefore
rate Lavinia at a well deserve 5 stars! I do so hope this place stays as it is now.

LOTS OF VEGAN FOOD!
When I saw the photos of Lavinia on Unilocal I knew I had to go there really soon. I also heard that they had a lot of vegetarian dishes so that was another good reason for me to go there.
Lavinia is located in the Kerkstraat. This is a cute and quiet street where you would not expect a place like this.
Lavinia has great vibe. There are brick walls, a big table, smaller tables, couches and seats at the window. Very nice. When we went there it was not very busy and there were plenty of seats. There are nice decorations everywhere, and this place is even like a concept store since some furniture is also for sale and there is food and other stuff stalled out through the place that is also for sale.
A thing you’ll notice quite quickly is that Lavinia is about healthy food. This is really an upcoming trend. They have a lot of superfoods, even raw pastries/​snacks en raw hot chocolate. Very healthy. Also about 70% of their stuff is vegetarian and there are enough vegan options as well. There are also some fish/​meat options.
We had a great lunch deal; 3 vegetarian dishes from the buffet for only 8,50. In the buffet there were about 10 choices, like soups, salads and bread with dips. If you wanted a dish that included fish/​meat it would be 1,50 extra per dish.
I choose a fig/​goats cheese salad which was delish, a lovely pumpkin salad and an amazing lentil soup. It was perfect! With this I drank their ‘Oranje juice’ which was a freshly juiced drink with carrot, ginger, pineapple and more in it. It tasted great and wasn’t expensive. (often these drinks cost a lot at other places!)
I just love everything about this place. Even though I know i’ve said this a lot lately about differant places, Lavinia is really special. It is just perfect in every way; price, looks, health and taste. My ultimate new favourite. Go there as quickly as possible.