373 replies to this topic

[DCMark]

Can someone please point me to a nice place to have raw oysters in Amsterdam?

[eternal]

Had a good few days in Amsterdam. I used the Google map created in this thread but I have to say, there is almost too much stuff in there. I had a hard time figuring out where to go. In the end, we ended up at Stadscafe van Kerkwijk BV a couple times and enjoyed it each time. A little further down NES street were a few more Italian restaurants that including a very modern one with a giant open space and a wall of wine and good prices. Sorry. Can't remember the name. We ate at Cafe Josephine but it was pretty mediocre. All in all, I thought the food was good

[olive boy]

Hi Mark, you can get good oysters at the following.
Restaurant Envy ,Prinsengracht.
Restaurant Nevy, Behind central station going west from the city, these two restaurants are part of the same group and can be a bit pricey,
The Sofitel behind the Nes has opened a seafood bar could also be worth a look.
Vis an de Schelde by the Rai, is a seafood restaurant that does an impressive Plateau Fruit De Mer.((excuse the spelling please)
Another option could be Caulils Delicatessen on the Haarlemerstraat, they do oysters to take away but you can also have a half dozen or more upstairs in the tasting room,they also have good lobster.
Next Sunday is the last Puur Markt of the year,this is a food market held on the last sunday of each month in Park Frankendael in Watergrafsmeer(close to rest. De Kas) there is a guy shucking oysters to order and they are very good.
Finally I find Fa Tel on the Niuwe Markt one of the best Fishmongers in town and they will get you any oyster you need if you dont mind opening them yourself.

Happy Eating
Brian

[foamy]

Service left a lot to be desired- very slow - and when we received our bill it was overstated by around 35EUR ... we let them know and they tried to adjust it, still over by 15EUR.. after 3 tries they finally got the bill correct.

all that being said, i would still go back for a good benedict, but now that I know what i'm up against i'll be better prepared ... maybe bring my own horseradish and pickled vegetables?

you have got to be kidding me ... poor service and gouging should not receive a return visit. too much of this in A'dam.

this is not a good business model to support you are only encouraging them. i will stay far away when i go in November.

when going to Europe it is a round the world trip for me since i am 12 time zones removed. i expect good service for my time and money: it is a trade. if they don't seem to want my business very much i will sometimes cancel and find other accommodations, i suggest you do the same.

i have heard some explanations of the reasons for the poor attentiveness of the "service staff" in Holland: something about self-respect and dignity i think. maybe Chufi could weigh in and enlighten travelers on this Dutch custom. having said this, i have found many kind and dear helpful folks in Amsterdam.

[markemorse]

I mean this in the most positive and helpful way possible: you can expect good service for your time and money all you want in Amsterdam, but you'll have a much much much better time here if you don't. Like a lot of Europe, maybe more maybe less, there's very little real understanding of or empathy for what I would call the American concept of customer service here (I'm not assuming you are, but I'm American).

And as a visitor, the sooner that kind of ideal gets jettisoned the more likely one is to appreciate the positive things about dining out here. FWIW.

P.S. I'm agreeing that, in principle, gouging sucks and should not receive a return visit.

Edited by markemorse, 27 September 2010 - 04:56 PM.

[foamy]

And as a visitor, the sooner that kind of ideal gets jettisoned the more likely one is to appreciate the positive things about dining out here. FWIW

yeah, one needs to show respect and understanding.

for my food experience I'm looking for items that will fuel and delight me. i want to see all the art and architecture and have enough energy to survive.

[markemorse]

Sorry to contribute to the dilution of this thread, but: does anyone have any Indonesian recs for Den Haag?

[eternal]

Maybe your understanding of what service should be based on your culture isn't really appropriate for another culture. Service in the the US is a completely different beast than it is in Europe, and Holland especially. DInners in Holland are all night affairs - even simple ones last 2+ hours commonly. I think if you go into a restaurant there and expect to be checked up on every 5 minutes then you're going to be disappointed frequently. It just isn't a common practice - it might have to do with the idea that they actually pay their servers a living wage so there just aren't as many of them. Or it might just be different. If somebody is rude to you, then surely you shouldn't return. But I would recommend trying to adapt a bit to the culture than expecting everything to be like it is back home.

[Chufi]

Re: service: To me it always seems that in the Netherlands, service isn't really a part of the business model of a restaurant (with the exception of the really high end / Michelin starred places). So what you're dealing with when you're in a bar or restaurant is basically NOT the business philosophy of the owners who want their staff to perform a certain way. What you're also not dealing with is staff that depends on your tips for their income. So what you ARE dealing with is an individual.

And as we all know, with those, anything can happen.

On the other hand: I kind of like that individuality.

If you expect American-style service here, then yes, you will be very much disappointed. But, I have been eating and drinking out in Amsterdam for more than 20 years now and I can honestly say that I can count my experiences of really bad service on the fingers of one hand. But then of course, what I consider 'okay' service might be considered terribly bad service by an American visitor...

And another thing: since you are not expected to leave the 15% tip to help the waiter survive, you can really use the tip to express your feelings about the service.

[chic geek]

you have got to be kidding me ... poor service and gouging should not receive a return visit. too much of this in A'dam.

this is not a good business model to support you are only encouraging them. i will stay far away when i go in November.

when going to Europe it is a round the world trip for me since i am 12 time zones removed. i expect good service for my time and money: it is a trade. if they don't seem to want my business very much i will sometimes cancel and find other accommodations, i suggest you do the same.

Just to clear the air, since it was my experience… I think you misinterpreted what I said.

I do not believe I was being ‘gouged’ … the overstatement on the bill was so ridiculous for a table of 2 that it was definitely an error -- nobody in their right mind would have paid it -- I really don’t believe it was intentional.

Regarding the service, it was slower & more frazzled than I’ve grown to expect in most Amsterdam cafes and restaurants. But for a full restaurant, there were only 2 servers, so I can understand it to some degree, as staffing appeared to be too light for the crowd.

When you live here and crave Eggs Benedict, unfortunately there just aren’t a lot of choices… so it’s about weighing the options: have someone make you eggs benedict and maybe wait a while for it, make it at home, or have something else... besides, the benedict was good - it deserves a second chance.

So no, I’m not kidding – I would go back.

[DCMark]

Thank you Brian.

They also have them Saturday at the Noordermarkt on Saturday. Tragically, there are no glassed of white wine or Champagne available, like in Brussels.

[reuvens]

I am planning a trip with my sweet lady to the amsterdam area in mid. august...we will drive from duesseldorf to amsterdam and hope to pick up a good snack on our way to amsterdam. stay 2 nights in a'dam and maybe another sleepover at the sea.

I tried to find a few foodie spots on the internet...http://amsterdam.unlike.net, but i need some insider info. CHUFI...hit me ! Hahahaha

DeKas in Frankendael Park is a must go for me.
I normaly have breakfast @ DeBakkerswinkel.

So i am still looking for some innovative, organic produce using chef who offers us food for a reasonable price.

[Blues_Cookin]

Will be in Groningen next week - anyone have a suggestion for dinner?

Edited by Blues_Cookin, 04 February 2012 - 05:05 PM.

[Blues_Cookin]

Just to report back - was there a couple days and the answer my own question is (at this point) nowhere in particular. Great little town, but they must do a lot of cooking at home, which of course is wonderful