THE NETHERLANDS - Best of Europe 2014 - page 1352

West Amsterdam
Near the Anne Frank House and in the Jordaan District
NearlyalloftheseplacesarewithinafewscenicblocksoftheAnneFrankHouse,providing
handy lunches and atmospheric dinners in Amsterdam's most charming neighborhood. For
locations, see the map on here .
Restaurant de Luwte is romantic, located on a picturesque street overlooking a canal.
It has lots of candles, a muted but fresh modern interior, spacious seating, a few cool
outdoor canalside tables, and French Mediterranean cuisine (€20 main dishes, €30 three-
coursefixed-pricedinners,bigsaladsfor€18,daily18:00-22:00,Leliegracht26-28,tel.020/
625-8548, manager Maarten).
De Bolhoed has serious vegetarian and vegan food in a colorful setting that Buddha
would dig, with a clientele that appears to dig Buddha (big splittable portions, €15 dinners,
lightlunches,daily12:00-22:00,dinnerstartsat17:00,Prinsengracht60,tel.[phone]).
Café Restaurant de Reiger must offer the best cooking of any eetcafé in the Jordaan.
Famous for its fresh ingredients and delightful bistro ambience, it's part of the classic
Jordaan scene. In addition to an English menu, ask for a translation of the daily specials
(€18-20)onthe chalkboard. They're proudoftheir fresh fish and French-Dutch cuisine. The
café, which is crowded late and on weekends, takes no reservations, but you're welcome
to have a drink (€3 house wine and fun little bar munchies menu) at the bar while you
wait (Tue-Sun 17:00-24:00, closed Mon, veggie options, Nieuwe Leliestraat 34, tel. 020/
624-7426).
Café 't Smalle is extremely charming, with three zones where you can enjoy a light
lunch or a drink: canalside, inside around the bar, and up some steep stairs in a quaint little
back room. The café is open late, and simple meals (salads, soup, and fresh sandwiches) are
served 11:00-17:30 (plenty of fine €3-4 Belgian beers on tap, interesting wines by the glass,
at Egelantiersgracht 12—where it hits Prinsengracht, tel. [phone]).
Thai Fusion, despite the name, serves straight-up top-quality Thai food in a sleekly
modern, black-and-white room wedged neatly in the middle of the Nine Little Streets action
(€15-20 main courses, €25-30 two-course meals, daily 16:30-22:30, good veggie options,
Berenstraat 8, tel. [phone]).
ToscanaItalianRestaurant istheJordaan'sfavorite place forgood,inexpensive Italian
cuisine,servedinawoody,Dutch-beer-hallsetting(€6-9pizzaandpastas,€16maincourses,
Sun-Wed 16:00-23:30, Thu-Sat 12:00-23:30, fast service, Haarlemmerstraat 130, tel. 020/
622-0353).
Winkel, the North Jordaan's cornerside hangout, serves appetizing Euro-Dutch meals at
its plentiful outside tables and easygoing interior. It really gets hopping on Monday morn-
ings, when the Noordermarkt flea market is underway, but Amsterdammers come from