Van Kerkwijk

Had a fantastic dinner at Café van Kerkwijk. It’s just a few blocks off the main square, which would usually mean very touristy and overpriced, but I think this is where Amsterdammers bring out-​of-​town guests for casual atmosphere, and a great foodie experience.
This is the kind of restaurant which doesn’t have a written menu because they work with only fresh, available that morning in the local markets, seasonal ingredients, so the offerings change from day to day. The waitperson simply pulls up a chair and goes through the menu for that day: usually a choice between about six starters and about the same number of main courses.
My waiter, Maurice was super sweet and super easy on the eyes, which didn’t hurt at all. I started with a Mackerel pâté, which Maurice paired with a lovely French Chardonnay (his choice, and a great one). The main was a Rosemary Lamb in Tomato Sauce, served with an Italian Barbuda wine. The lamb shank was complimented with lovely spring vegetables and peppered with baby arugula. A side salad and side of fries Dutch style (w/​mayonnaise) was included.
Wonderful meal!

The food was great, the staff very friendly, and the price was reasonable. Quite small, only about 10 tables inside. Menu is not written down, so Willamena (?) was our lovely menu tonight. There were 3 meat dishes and two fish dishes as the main course. I had the beef steak with with goat cheese and strawberry coulis. Chris had the veal steak with herb butter. Both were excellent. We shared a pork pâté appetizer which was home made and tasty. Drank 3 small beers between us and the bill was just over 50 euros total. Quite reasonable for the quality of the food. I recommend this place.

Amazing! From starters to the main courses!
Great ambience with wonderful, authentic old country feel.
My cod was flaky and succulent. My hubby liked the beef steak too. Appetizer of blue cheese with a balsamic reduction. And rosemary. So, so good. Tasty liver pâté. Great service.
Restaurant is very small. Wait is worth it.

I love this place for so many different reasons and there is no way I would have found it without the power of Unilocal!It’s nothing to shout about from the outside, just a brick building but inside its a cozy bistro atmosphere with a modern restaurant twist.
This place is quirky in that there is no menu written down. The server just talks you through it, but that means of course you also don’t know the pricing, but I trusted the other Unilocal reviews who had said it was all fairly priced and I was not disappointed.
For 20 euros a head, we each got a glass of Italian red, a sparkling water, chips & Mayo, salad, prawn crackers and a delightful spicy Indonesian chicken dish served on the bone. It was a great, filling and super tasty meal.
The staff are friendly, the menu is different from the norm and the food is epic. This is a hidden gem close to the centre of Dam but hidden away from the usual tourist masses. Check it out!

Waited about half and hour before getting a table here one busy night and it was worth it. The room is cosy and unpretentious. Since the menu is not written down, you are taking a chance on the day’s offerings — and at least on the night I was there, it was delicious. A wonderful blue cheese mousse with vegetables, a cod in a mint /​pea coulis. The food is simple and charming. The staff is quick and friendly. A great place to eat near but away from the chaos of Dam Square.

This was my first time and wow what a meal! I had the lamb shank with carrots and it doesn’t compare to any lamb I’ve had before. Highly recommend and will come back next time I’m in Amsterdam.

Great economical meal near the Dam in a small charming restaurant. The menu is provided verbally upon arrival as it is adjusted frequently.
Started with the tomato soup and bread with pâté. The soup was a delicate herbal broth rich with tomato flavor but not weighed down by any cream like can ruin so many other similar soups. The pâté was a delicious meaty morsel accompanied with some very fresh and tasty bread.
I next had the beefsteak with strawberry sauce. I do find that steak in this region has a tendency to be over cooked and tonight’s portion was thankfully the exception to that observation. It was a decent piece of meat although was not as delicate as I may have preferred. The combination of strawberry sauce and cheese under the meat seemed startling in the description but actually came together in the plate and in the mouth quite well. The other dish at the table, the Indonesian chicken, was also sampled and had a very rich coconut flavor that was a delight to taste together with the perfectly moist fall-​off-​the-​bone chicken.
The fries that accompanied the mains were of the local Flemish style and were quite tasty with the included mayonnaise. The salad was a basic house salad that was nonetheless reasonably fresh.

Without a doubt the best place to have a diner in the middle of the city center of Amsterdam. I would not easily recommend the city center as a destination to go out for diner. But this place actually is one of my favorite places to dine.
The charming this about this place is that it does not have a menu. All the dishes are brought to you orally by a very friendly waiter or waitress. You do have to pay attention when the 5 starters and 6 main course are described, although they are very patient to record or explain all the meals. And my advice is: go with your first feeling :-)
The food is really really really good and always fresh and from the season. Good veggie dishes, good meat, nice combinations and everything in balance.
Van Kerkwijk is located in an old city center building, full of character, with the tables closely close to each other and the toilets squeezed in the cellar. Before the big new shopping block was build Van Kerkwijk could be spotted from the Rokin. Now it became a hidden gem again, only to find for people who search for good special authentic places (through Unilocal ;-)
A menu without prices might be scary and out of comfort zone for some people. For me, it actually helps me to choose what I really want and feel like eating. And do not worry, the prices are super ok! Last time we dined and had a starter, main course, drinks and coffee as a dessert, we paid € 60,-for the two of us.
Ooh, and Van Kerkwijk takes no reservations. Just come and enjoy!

This place was amazing! The staff were incredibly kind and accommodating to our lack of reservation. My only complain was the price but all in all, life does go on!
The mussels were absolutely amazing and I followed that with a fish dish that also had sauerkraut and prosciutto… It was absolutely delicious and I hope to return next time I find myself in Amsterdam!

I consider myself lucky, that I found this restaurant years ago– before it has become the busy place it always is now.
The food is excellent. The service kind and fun. The attention to detail in simple but wonderful food is rare and special.
The staple dishes have been here for years, and the daily additions are always fun to explore.
Top notch wonders.

Maybe I’ve become too picky. I had really, REALLY high hopes for this place based on all the fab ratings. Yes, the waitstaff were great — super friendly, attentive, impressive with their ability to recite the whole menu off the top of their heads and accommodating. Yes, the concept is great: a constantly changing menu with fresh, seasonal ingredients.
Unfortunately food-​wise they did not hit a home run for me: my boyfriend tried the strawberry goat cheese steak that has been reviewed a few times on here. Yes, it was a creative attempt. But yes, it tasted like dessert with the goat cheese overwhelming everything. I had the coconut chicken which was okay but we made it the next night at home and it was ten times better. For a starter we had the fish mousse which came with about seven and a half small crackers, which sadly was more than enough for the small portion. The bottle of wine we ordered was only okay-​ish. The best of the lot was the pear tart which in fact was a pumpkin cake thing with a few small slices of pear on it… but very tasty!
Price-​wise it wasn’t as cheap as the others claimed — our bill was over 90 euros for the two of us.
I wanted to fall in love here but it just didn’t happen. But nonetheless here are four stars for the solid waitstaff and okayish food.

Nice place to check out when it’s cold outside! Small, cozy with a good selection of beer, wine, and alcohol. Had the bacon wrapped dates with blue cheese and port sauce with a dark Christmas beer! Really good!

This cozy place is pretty close to perfect. In reality, I would probably only give it 4.5 stars because the meal was so long– I think it’s a small kitchen in a busy joint so it takes forever to get your orders. But, it makes for a nice evening so you can’t really complain too much.
The staff will promptly greet you when you walk in and direct you to the bar where you’ll wait until a table opens. The bartender will right away ask what you want to drink, even if it’s crowded. We waited about 30 minutes in the busy bar area, but it was worth it.
We shared a couple apps and had our own entrees. We each loved our meals– Indonesian chicken for me (coconut milk sauce) and beef stew for my husband.
After 5 glasses of wine, 2 apps and 2 entrees we only spent about 60 something euros. And everything was so delicious and the atmosphere so nice. This is a must try in Amsterdam!

Petit tour à Amsterdam avec une poignée de collègues et après recommandations du pote du pote du pote, nous arrivons chez Van Kerkwijk, en plein centre d’Amsterdam (le quartier qui sent l’attrape-touriste, là…) Et là, révélation, c’est une vraie bonne adresse.
L’endroit est super chouette, le petit resto un peu trop petit, plein à craquer, avec des bougies partout (et un chat!) (je le jure!).
Le serveur nous assure que si on attend un peu, il nous trouvera une table rapidement, donc nous commençons par l’apéro debout au bar (avec le chat).
Quand nous avons ensuite une table, le serveur nous explique les plats disponibles ce soir-​là (car il n’y a pas de menu). Chacun trouve quelque chose à son goût — moi j’opte pour quelque chose qui me semble bien bizarre: un steak de boeuf, sauce aux fraises. Vous auriez pris ça aussi, j’en suis sûre!
S’en suivirent maintes exclamations, tout était bien évidemment délicieux, le vin aussi. Que demande le peuple?
La note était un peu la surprise du chef, puisque pas de menu = pas de prix affichés, mais au final, pas de mauvaise surprise.
(Enfin, comptez environ 20 – 30 € pour un plat, si ça peut vous donner une fourchette.)

Super, what a surprise just behind the Dam Square.
We arrived early for dinner (5 pm) and it was relatively quiet. As we weren’t in a hurry to leave we took our time and left around 7 pm — the place was packed and waiting people at the bar.
It is not a big restaurant.
And no menu card, but the waiter comes and sit at you table to explain the 6 starters and 6 main courses (and no worries, he’ll repeat them till you know what you decide ;))
I had a great mousse of mackerel with toast — really tasteful! and as main course I had plaice (?, scholfilet) with sauce made of white martini and fennel. That turned out to be a great combination.
As dessert we shared a cheese cake with a chocolate crumb crust… mmmmm… :D
Definitely a place to come back to

As biased as it may sound, I had the best restaurant experience in 24 years of my life. And no I’m not a bot giving fake review. First of all, at least top 3 meal, pleasurable experience I’ve had ever at a restaurant with really reasonable price (appetizer around 5euro, main 13−20euro)
When I cameover at around 5PM, the restaurant was almost empty so it gave me a second thought but hell I’m a Unilocaler and I trust my reviews… which turned out to be one of my best choices made in Europe. The service staff is super friendly and likable (might be too friendly for some people). They do NOT have a menu and go with whatever ingredient they have. The server goes through the menu verbally starting with appetizer then meal.
I ordered the bell pepper soup out of curiosity, and oh my! I think one of handful moment where literally «Wow“ed genuinely after eating something. So much flavorful perfection, me and my companion were mesmerized. Other mackerel & something appetizer my friend ordered was really good. Just like a tuna salad and chip. My main was duck breast and his was some tender beef. Nicely plated and cooked just well enough for my liking. Little bit crunchy on the outer layer and slightly pink in the innerside.
Plus, the Dutch beer i have Texels is going to have a lasting impression as one of my favorite beer. Hope I can find them in the US.
Thank you so much for this experience. Made me immediately want to stay longer in Amsterdam: D Best of luck to the business!

Amazing place! The food is great. They have a very short menu which is only provided to you verbally by the servers. The level of service along with the taste of each dish is incredible. On top of this the price is amazingly inexpensive. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone coming to Amsterdam!!!

Cute spot, off the beaten path (and it doesn’t help that it was tucked away behind a lot of construction when I went) and a good casual alternative for lunch.
The waitress came by to rattle off the lunch specials — there are no menus (I didn’t even know the name of this place until I walked out and looked for a sign!) so our group spent a good amount of time recalling what she just told us because there were a LOT. I’m talking 4 different salads, 3 different sandwiches, a quiche… and then the waitress came back again to tell us about two other dishes she forgot!
I went with the quiche (+ side salad) which was a hearty portion and prepared in a very unique way with lentils and quinoa baked into the quiche — yum! The rest of the table’s orders varied from sandwiches (clearly winners) to salads (just so-​so).
I wish I had some sense of the prices (it was a business lunch, so someone else picked up the tab) — again, something else that is amiss without menus! But I would definitely return to this restaurant again given some of the other reviews commenting on value.
No nonsense, but still very attentive (by Dutch restaurant standards, ha) wait staff. Funny anecdote: they had only one table that could accommodate our large group (of 6) so upon us walking in, the waitress just kicks two people out who were killing time at the large space and seats us there — you can only get away with this if you’re Dutch!

We we were staying in Dam sq and my dad had heard about how wonderful this place was and was very close by. I think the reviews speak for itself. One of the best meals I have ever eaten. Incredible.
There was a wait to get in, but not a problem, we sat at one of the tables outside and had drinks while we waited. When we were brought inside to our table the waitress came over and sat down and and told us the menu verbally, starters, wines, and mains. To be honest as they dont tell you prices you are not really sure what to expect, just hope for the best that youre not going to be absolutely rinsed. We had two starters. the bacon wrapped figs and Roquefort and a charcuterie plate, both fantastic. The warm figs with bacon just about melted in your mouth. For mains my mom had fish, I had a steak and my dad had the house specialty steak which is a steak with strawberry sauce and goat cheese. Not wanting to be adventurous I gave it a miss but really wish hadn’t. It was such an odd combination to hear but went together perfectly. Both steaks were cooked to perfection as well. It was our first night and my dad had drawn up this big list of restaurants and bars in Amsterdam and both waitresses at different times sat down and told us what was worth going to and what to miss. Everything about the evening was impeccable from food to service… now remember I was talking about the bill? Came to just about 100 euro for 6 beers, bottle of wine, 2 starters and 3 mains. We were floored and expecting at least double. I will never not come here when I am in Amsterdam. BRAVO!
PS be careful when you go down the stairs to the toilet, they are steep!

So far it is my favourite restaurant in Amsterdam. It reminds me a bistrot: cozy environment, tasteful food and good service. No music, at least at lunch time, and no tap water. The ambience is nice so we did not miss the music but we missed the tap water.
There are no menu (just like home) and no price informed.
For starters, we had bread and pork paté — around € 6. For main course: french fries, salad and the steak with goat cheese and strawberry sauce (great flavour match) — around € 20. The meatloaf was also very good — around € 12 (side: salad, fries and bread). The desserts were also yummy — around € 4. We had a wonderful meal.

Une de ces adresses que l’on aimerait garder pour soi !
Nichée dans une petite rue en plein centre d’Amsterdam, l’accueil est chaleureux et l’unique serveuse (propriétaire?) est adorable.
Il n’y a pas de menu papier et on vous liste les plats oralement. C’est tout de suite plus convivial mais on a pris un risqué en omettant de demander le prix…
Sur recommandation de la serveuse, nous avons pris le pavé de boeuf avec son fromage de chèvre et sauce à la fraise. Un bonheur gustatif !
Le mélange sucré/​salé est très bien réussi, la viande est tendre, tout est savoureux.
Les frites sont délicieuses, bien croustillantes et faites maison. La mayonnaise (faite maison aussi!) est juste wow, on a limite envie de la finir seule et la salade qui accompagnait le plat était très fraîche.
Tout cela pour 19 euros, c’est un très bon rapport qualité-​prix !
J’ai pris une part de tarte aux pommes en partant et même si elle a finit écrasée, elle était très très bonne. Une typique «apple pie» fait maison avec la touché de cannelle qu’il faut. On y retourne quand ?!

Very friendly service and great food (5 stars)
We went to the Lobby for dinner, and it was full so the server suggested going up the street to this place.
Getting a table was quick, but others had a long wait, so we were lucky.
We got some beer, and more beer — see photos.
We got some starters and steaks, and they came with fries.
Everything was delicious, and the customer service was friendly and attentive.
We got lucky that another restaurant recommended this place, and thoroughly enjoyed our evening.
I would definitely come back the next time I get back to Amsterdam.

Super nette Atmosphäre, tolle Bedienung und köstliches Essen! Können wir nur empfehlen! Werden sicher wieder dort essen

Aufgrund der guten Unilocal Bewertung haben wir uns kurzfristig für dieses Restaurant entschieden — und es keine Sekunde bereut. Nach einer sehr herzlichen Begrüßung durch das Personal wurden uns die Speisen mündlich mitgeteilt. Wir entschieden uns für Spinatsuppe und Fischtatar als Vorspeise, Steak mit Ziegenkäse auf Erdbeersauce bzw. Huhn in Curry-​Kokosmilchsauce als Hauptspeisen, holländischen Apfelkuchen als Nachspeise. Alles sehr empfehlenswert — genauso wie der Hauswein (Sauvignon Blanc). Um halb 5 Nachmittag war das Lokal bereits randvoll — und sobald jemand aufgestanden ist, warteten an der Bar schon die nächsten Gäste. Wir bekamen in diesem sehr gemütlichen Restaurant sicherlich das leckerste Essen während unseres 4-​tägigen Amsterdam-​Aufenthaltes!

Waren heute zu fünft zum Mittagessen hier. Ein sehr kleines und gemütliches Restaurant mit wechselnder Karte, tollem und freundlichem Service und hervorragenden Essen! Eine ganz klare Empfehlung mit passendem Preis-​Leistungsverhältnis.
Wir hatten das Angussteak auf Ziegenkäse mit Erdbeersosse und das Hähnchen mit Currykokossosse. Beides hat exzellent geschmeckt! Wir werden hier gerne wieder einkehren.

Ambiance correcte mais nourriture très bonne. La salade au fromage de chèvre est délicieuse.