9 x Amsterdam Weekend Tips

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During these first 2 months of 2019 a couple of tasty new additions to Amsterdam opened and some of my all time favorite restaurants launched a fresh new menu. I discovered delicious brunch spots, that are perfect for a sunday recovery after all the fun of saturday night. An Espresso Martini or 2 will make you feel a whooole lot better. These are my 9 Amsterdam Weekend Tips!

1. NOMADS
This cosy, new restaurant in the East of Amsterdam opened less than a year ago! The owners love to travel all over the world and the menu changes twice a year to a new worldly cuisine. We enjoyed the flavors of Jordan, like soft hummus & Muhammara. 2 other favorites of the evening are the eggplant with labne and pomegranate. This dish tastes like a delicious dessert! The stuffed zuchini with anise cake is another recommendation. Order a glass of the Lebanese red wine and you will never want to leave…
Oranje-Vrijstaatkade 55

2. Jacobsz
It is no secret that this is one of my all time favorite restaurants in Amsterdam. The food is good, the music is excellent and you can sit NEXT to each other at some tables. There is a new menu… And yes, I love it ALL! My personal favorites are the trout with basil, mineola & miso and the dessert of pure chocolate with popcorn ice cream… Yummm! At Jacobsz they serve unique, natural wines. I am a big fan but because the flavors are not mainstream, I would recommend trying the wine, before they pour the full glass.
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Jacobsz / Amsterdam Weekend Tips

3. Carstens
Carstens is the new restaurant at the Park Plaza Victoria Amsterdam and opened on February 6 2019. The restaurant is a collaboration between former Librije *** chef Maik Kuijpers and the hotel. Most of the dishes are prepared with Dutch ingredients and products. They even have Dutch wine on the menu! The concept is ‘farm to table/ city’. We start our lunch with bread by Maarten the baker with garden weeds butter and enjoy the most delicious Ceasar Salad, with crispy kale and almonds, that I have ever had. My absolute favorite dish though is the thinly sliced yellow beetroot with goat cheese and lemongrass. Chef Rick van der Meij knows what he’s doing.
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Dessert at Carstens

4. NENI
A former Citroën garage is transformed into a huge & beautiful restaurant where you can enjoy the flavors of the Middle East. The Molcho family opened their first NENI restaurant in Vienna and owner Haya Molcho, born in Tel Aviv, has created a couple of cookbooks with her family recipes. Try the popcorn falafel, the Lebanese wine and the divine Knafeh with yoghurt ice cream. Knafeh is an Arab dessert made with string pastry and melted, unsalted cheese. You can wake me up at night for this…
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The divine Knafeh at NENI / Amsterdam Weekend Tips

5. Café Chantilly
Treat yourself and try the Red Velvet Pancakes at this place… Not a sweet tooth? No problem, there is a healthy Açaibowl on the menu too and delicious salmon pancakes with cream cheese and a poached egg. Feel like chanelling your inner Ariël? Order the Mermaid: purple chocolate milk with whipped cream, candy and speckles. Great place for a sunday (hangover) brunch!
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The Red Velvet Pancakes at Café Chantilly / Amsterdam Weekend Tips

6. nNea
There’s pizza and there’s PIZZA! At the recently opened nNea, you can have your pizza the way the Napolese like it. Co-owner Vincenzo Onnembo was one of the 10 finalists at the Pizza Unesco Contest 2017. The top of the world! His love for dough and baking is contagious. The pizzas at nNea are crispy, fluffy and light. Prepared with only the best products. The pizzas are not sliced here but cut with scissors to keep them light! Try the Cabo Noord with cod. Really good! Click HERE for the full menu.
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7. Fenicie
The Leidse Square has a brand new addition. Lebanese restaurant Fenicie is a great spot for lunch, dinner and cocktails. I loved the mazzas: small dishes to share, like hummus, labne and warak enab: grape leaves stuffed with rice and minced beef. But make sure you have some appetite left for dessert, because there is Knafeh on the menu, aka heaven on a plate, served with pistachio and ice cream!
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The interior at Fenicie / Amsterdam Weekend Tips

8. VanderVeen
At this cosy all day hotspot you can treat yourself to a lobster roll, soft shell crab or the famous Reuben on Rye. On the menu you find a lot of other bistro classics. I love the interior! Check out the stunning sink in the bathroom downstairs including all my Aesop favorites. Try the Fish Platter with boquerones and soft shell crab. The Superfoodguru cold pressed juices will keep you healthy and the cocktail menu is on point! Did I hear someone say Espresso Martini? Yaaaass pleaaase:-) The person who made the playlist for the restaurant deserves a high five.
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The Fish Platter at VanderVeen / Amsterdam Weekend Tips

9. The Meets
This popular plantbased restaurant opened a brand new venue in the East of Amsterdam. On the menu you find 80% vegetarian dishes, but meatlovers have some options too! The homemade dishes are free of refined sugars and prepared with local & seasonal produce.
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