IMAGE: AWL IMAGES


CITY BREAK AMSTERDAM


The cosmopolitan Dutch capital is a culinary big-hitter, dishing up everything from Indonesian to Israeli cuisine.


The common thread? A defiantly down-to-earth approach WORDS: NI C KY EVANS


A global city with an outward-looking attitude, Amsterdam has never had trouble attracting people. Since the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century, it’s been renowned as somewhere alive with culture and entrepreneurial possibility. Today, food can also be counted among its attractions, with the gastronomic landscape holding its own alongside those of capitals many times its size. In the past decade, the arrival of industry


big-hitters has upped Amsterdam’s restaurant game dramatically. At &moshik, Israeli-born chef Moshik Roth has earned two Michelin stars by using emotion to inspire his food. Each course of his flavour-bending tasting menu comes with a story from his life: one dish was a response to a meeting with artist Damien Hirst in New York, while another, a cloud-like creation comprising different preparations of milk, was inspired by his newborn child. Meanwhile, smart hotels such as The


Pulitzer Amsterdam and W Amsterdam are home to destination restaurants that have diners queuing out the door. Last year, award-winning bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana (aka Mr Lyan) chose Amsterdam for his first non-UK venture, Super Lyan. An all-day, neon-pink affair that’s both futuristic and retro, it serves


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playful cocktails alongside snacks that are as tasty as they are photogenic. Like any cosmopolitan city, Amsterdam’s


restaurant and bar scene combines the latest trends with old-school stalwarts. Cool coffee joints, experimental ice cream parlours and modish cafes specialising in ‘freakshakes’ and vegan junk food cosy up alongside ‘brown bars’, Indonesian restaurants and hostelries with creaking beams and rib-sticking Dutch dishes. If there’s one thing these diverse dining


spots have in common, it’s their informality — ‘doe maar normaal’ (down to earth) and ‘gezelligheid’ (the feeling of being at home) are two of the guiding principles of Dutch life. Locals don’t tend to dress up for dinner, they value atmosphere and company above all else, and they’re allergic to anywhere that takes itself too seriously — so even high-end establishments have a democratic vibe. In keeping with their low-key lifestyle, the


Dutch like nothing more than a borrel (an informal get-together with drinks and snacks). After work, Amsterdammers crowd onto canalside terraces and into micro-breweries for a beer accompanied by simple dishes: cured meat, bitterballen (croquettes with a creamy, meaty filling) and, of course, cheese. Join them, and you’ll soon be feeling gezelligheid.


NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/FOOD-TRAVEL


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