Hotel De Goudfazant

Tucked away in a former industrial complex in Noord, roomy restaurant Hotel De Goudfazant was recommended by three (!) of our five featured chefs. Benny Blisto (BAK) says “it’s the perfect place for celebrations with a really relaxed atmosphere and great, affordable food and wine.” Merijn van Berlo (Choux) agrees, adding that they have “really great staff and are good at accommodating larger groups because you never feel like you’re bothering other people.” Brandon Woodruff (Pendergast Smokehouse) fondly recalls his first visit: “It was summer, the garage doors were rolled up, and you could watch ships passing along the IJ with a cool glass of Picpoul de Pinet in hand and a slice of foie terrine. They’ve nailed something beautiful, something simultaneously worldly and Amsterdamse.”

Brouwerij 't IJ

Beer lovers from all over the world make the pilgrimage to the Gooyer Windmill in Oost for its award-winning range of organic beers, so it’s perhaps no surprise that local chefs love it, too. Nadia Frisina (5&33) thinks they’re “doing a great job, maybe because the quality of the water in Amsterdam is very good.” – but, she adds “the beer is better! ” And Benny Blisto says it’s “especially nice when the weather is good because they have a big terrace.”

Rijsel

Situated in a former domestic science school, Eastside eatery Rijsel is renowned for its rotisserie chicken and French-Flemish fare. As “a sucker for poulet noir and côte de bœuf served on watercress,” Woodruff praises the “genuine and warm service, exceptional wine list, and premium ingredients prepared simply and well.” But,  he also mentioned the added note of nostalgia for the time he spent living in Belgium.

Duikelman

“A very good shop for kitchenware” is how Blisto describes this family-run Amsterdam institution for professional kitchen equipment and the best free advice in the city, whether you’re a star chef or amateur cook. With a range of over 15,000 items – from chequered tea towels to the latest Bertazzoni ovens – it’s no surprise that Van Berlo claims that whatever he needs, “99.9% of the time, they’ll have it.”

L`Amuse

This Zuid-side fromagerie and delicatessen, with in-house affinage facilities, stocks over 400 varieties of cheese from around the world. “You can always find something special there - from a village somewhere - that would be almost impossible to discover otherwise,” says Frisina. “Every detail tells a story of family, tradition and the right way to do things, like burrata from a little farm in Puglia, provola ragusana, and Martelli, one of the oldest, most respected pasta makers in Italy.”

Restaurant C

At MasterChef Holland judge Michiel van der Eerde’s modish restaurant, the gimmick’s in the name, with a menu arranged by temperature: from cold tuna tartare with ponzu, spring onion and curry ice cream to grilled pulpo with bell peppers, Ratte potatoes, and chorizo. Agus Hermawan (Ron Gastrobar Indonesia) likes to go to Restaurant C for celebrations because of the unique concept, with “good food, fine service and an attractive decor with a large central kitchen and private upstairs area for group gatherings.”

Text: Karin Engelbrecht for A-Mag Amsterdam Magazine March-April 2017