Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
trendy and not as noisy. For fewer crowds and more charm, find
something in the Jordaan district. Most hoteliers keep a reliable
eating list for their neighborhood and know which places keep
their travelers happy.
Here are some handy places to consider.
IN CENTRAl AmSTERdAm
For the locations of these eateries, see the “Hotels and Restaurants
in Central Amsterdam” map on page 176.
On and near Spui
Restaurant Kantjil en de Tijger
is a thriving place with a plain
and noisy ambience, full of happy eaters who know a good value.
The food is purely Indonesian; the waiters are happy to explain
your many enticing options. Their three
rijsttafels
(traditional “rice
tables” with about a dozen small courses) range from €20-30 per
person. While they are designed for two people, three people can
make a meal by getting a
rijsttafel
for two and ordering a soup
or light dish for the third person. A good budget alternative to
the full-blown
rijsttafel
is a
nasi rames
—10 small dishes on one
big plate for €13 (daily 16:30-23:00, early-bird €9.50 dinner daily
16:30-18:45, reservations smart, mostly indoor with a little outdoor
seating, Spuistraat 291, tel. 020/620-0994).
Kantjil to Go,
run by Restaurant Kantjil, is a tiny take-out
bar serving up inexpensive but delicious Indonesian fare (€5 for
300 grams, €6.50 for 600 grams, vegetarian specials, daily 12:00-
21:00, storefront at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 342, around the cor-
ner from the sit-down restaurant listed above, tel. 020/620-3074).
Split a large box (they'll happily give you an empty extra box for
your dining pleasure), grab a bench on the charming Spui Square
around the corner, and you've got perhaps the cheapest hot meal in
town.
Near the Mint Tower
Café 't Gasthuys,
one of Amsterdam's many brown cafés (so called
for their smoke-stained walls), has a busy dumbwaiter cranking out
light lunches, sandwiches, and reasonably priced dinners. It offers
a long bar, a fine secluded back room, peaceful canalside seating,
and sometimes slow service (€5-9 lunch plates, €10-14 dinner
plates, daily 12:00-16:30 & 17:30-22:00; Grimburgwal 7—from
the Rondvaart Kooij boat dock, head down Langebrugsteeg, and
it's one block down on the left; tel. 020/624-8230).
Restaurant Kapitein Zeppos,
named for an old-time TV
star, serves International-Dutch food and salads amid dressy
yet unpretentious 1940s ambience. They offer both a restaurant
