We eat! And despite recent reports from the hospitality industry, we plan on continuing to do so.
While the GLP 1 crisis may or may not be coming for the restaurant industry, here at Aa our appetites remain largely unaffected. In fact, we have been doing our bit for the local economy with admirable commitment. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, coffee, drinks, something sweet after, perhaps something salty after the something sweet. It’s important to support your community.
And because finding the best food in Amsterdam requires serious investigative work, we have once again gathered around the proverbial table to discuss what has been making us particularly happy lately. Some things we tried once and immediately started plotting our return for. Others have become such regular fixtures in our lives that the staff may or may not know our order.
Anyway, enough about us. We eat! You eat! Amsterdam eats! And long may it continue.
Here are our current favourites. Bon appétit, eet smakelijk and all of that.
Taco de Chile Relleno at Coba
A Mexican kiss! Coba’s newest lovechild has landed on the menu and she is coming in just right. Cheese crust, shrimp picadillo, carli pepper and chiltepin mayo, with a heat that develops gradually and, quite frankly, fatally. You will be needing another one, that’s for sure.
Liver Pâté Toast at Calisto
Believe it or not, pâté brings up some serious childhood memories for us. Couple it with seasonal figs, crispy brioche and Marsala and you’ve got yourself a winner. Rich, sweet, crispy and very difficult not to finish.
Pho at Pho King
It’s soup szn and nothing makes us happier than a big beautiful bowl of Pho at the end of the day. Thinly sliced beef, deeply flavourful broth and rice noodles for days. The Aa order? Number 2 with sliced beef and a Vietnamese coffee on the side.
Martini at CUE
Filthy, tangy and umami forward. Quite simply, one of the best martinis in the city. It’s sexy, grown up and just so perfectly dirty.
Flat White at Elevate
It’s the small pleasures, and right now this is one of ours. Elevate serves a mean cup of coffee. With a rotating selection of carefully sourced roasts and blends, the idea here is to slow down and actually taste your coffee rather than simply use caffeine as a means to fuel your next anxiety attack.
Vegetable Fritter at Omahe
Our love for Stacks Diner is no secret by now. Their entrecôte with homemade chimichurri has been our must-order — until they welcomed their latest meaty addition into the family: a perfectly succulent ribeye steak, complemented by rosemary and crunchy hand-cut fries. Pair it with the pickle plate and a Caesar salad, and consider your order — and your iron levels — officially sorted.
Café Gourmand at Rijsel
The best things come to those who wait, and at Rijsel, that means waiting for dessert. This café gourmand has everything it needs to live up to its name: a perfectly crisp espresso and an A-level dessert selection, executed with a precision only the best French pâtissiers can aim for.
Koji Vegetable Charcuterie at Nai
This newly opened sake bar is home to an ample collection and the friendliest, most knowledgeable staff. But what really stood out during our visit was the bar snack game, a highly overlooked topic in our dear city’s food scene. This vegetarian charcuterie takes the top spot.
Breakfast at Gebroeders Niemeijer
Fall brings busy schedules, and with them, a craving for the little indulgences that make a day feel special. Breakfast at Gebroeders Niemeijer is exactly that.
