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Coffee cups in Nook, De Pijp
Image from Tom Flanagan

New in Town (March 2024)

With spring in sight, there’s suddenly a little more reason to get out and explore. Amsterdam continues to have a number of new restaurants, cafés and bars opening, but where to begin is another story. An Argentinian-run café, Caribbean-Mexican fusion and an intimate wine bar make up our picks of the spots you need to try.

Tom Flanagan
Digital Editor at iamsterdam.com covering culture online and print for the City Guide Magazine.
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Coffee, wine and wood at Nook

You might be wondering whether Amsterdam needs another coffee spot, but when has good ever really been about a need? Whatever the answer, Nook is a welcome addition to De Pijp’s flourishing café and coffee scene, as much for its gorgeous and minimal interior as its (very) good coffee. Bordering Sarphatipark, before it was Nook, this worn-wood space was an Argentinian wine shop, and fate would have that Argentina would remain in its blood. 

“The idea behind Nook is that we wanted to honour the beautiful space, make it a living room”, says Kevin Halporn, one of the two owners of Nook and Argentinian. “My [business] partner Fabricio and I wanted to do something with food. We knew the owner of the shop and we loved the space with its wood and high ceilings – so when it became available, we knew we had to have it.”

Part coffee shop, part wine shop, Nook is split across three levels – it takes its name from the word ‘nook’, a cosy spot (in Kevin’s words “like in Harry Potter!”) –  with the communal seating and workspace on the top floor, the barista and coffee machines on the ground floor and the wine shop down the stairs selling Argentinian wine. While the coffee is the big pull, there’s something almost meditative about the space – maybe it’s the floor-to-ceiling windows or the serene, unblemished decor – which makes it hard to leave. Or it could just be the canastitas on offer, bite-sized Argentinian pastries fresh out of the oven, and chewy cookies that the resident barista says are some of the best in the city. We’ll leave that up to you, but make this a stop on your weekend walk. 

Nook | Sarphatipark 24H, De Pijp

Caribbean-Mexican fusion at CancÚn

Oost’s Indische Buurt has seen a wave of restaurants come and go in recent years that have tried to cater to a neighbourhood that wants community and care above all. It’s a harder ask than you might think but according to CancÚn’s head chef and creator, Ray Searle, that’s exactly what his latest venture – a fusion of Caribbean and Mexican food – looks to do. 

“It’s all about sharing and coming together,” says the Guyanan chef. “My brother is my confidant, who also has a restaurant, and we want to create a home away from home here.” It’s about making everyone feel welcome, something he hopes comes through in the food and service. That’s not always an easy thing to translate, but throughout a visit there, his brother, daughter, and partner all stopped by to say hello. It makes for an atmosphere that Oost sometimes misses – a venue that feels communal but equally a spot you can drop by for a cocktail and food. 

And the food (and drink) bears much note: highlights include the oxtail tacos (“I want this to be my calling card” says Ray) and the ‘Maya Prawns’ with chipotle mezcal butter, while the spicy margarita is a reliable go-to that packs an extra kick. As it turns out, CancÚn also doubles as a salsa club, with a full programme of salsa classes and club nights, for the latin-inclined among us. “We’re located in a spot where you have the rich on one side and the working class on the other. We’re here to bring those groups a little closer together."

CancÚn | Veelaan 15, Oost

Dumpling nights at OTEMBA-gyoza

You don’t need to look far to find a decent ramen joint in Amsterdam these days. But when it comes to dumplings – those delicious little packages that are a mainstay of pan-Asian cuisine – well, that takes a little more looking. That at least, was Myrthe Slok’s feeling, who, after launching ramen shop OTEMBA with her brothers Bastiaan and Martijn, realised there was a certain dish people kept coming back for.

“We started a ramen place a few years ago and noticed how much people loved our gyozas,” says Myrthe. “And we realised there was no place for gyoza in a more cosy, contemporary space.” Enter OTEMBA-gyoza, perched on the upper end of De Pijp’s popular Van Woustraat, an offshoot of their original concept that’s dedicated entirely to gyozas while also serving cocktails and mixed drinks (try the whisky-infused oolong tea).

The name is taken from the Japanese word otemba, which is alleged to derive from the Dutch ontembaar – both to mean wild, challenging and free. Washed in a deep red, adorned with neon lights and soundtracked by hip-hop and lofi beats, there’s a little slice of Tokyo’s Shinjuku district in the space and a sense of why they chose their name. The menu focuses on three main ways to eat gyoza - with house sauce on the side, “soaked” in sauce and with ramen broth – while specials come every month, from the Hokkaido langoustine and tomato gyoza to the crowd favourite black pepper gyoza. They’re open from lunch (serving housemade bento boxes) until dinner, but evenings and weekends are the big draw. “We’ve been to Paris and London and seen the dumpling scene there,” says Myrthe. “Now it’s time to bring it to Amsterdam.”

OTEMBA-gyoza | Van Woustraat 15, De Pijp

Soft lights and natural wines at Bar Babar

What makes a truly great wine bar? Some might argue it’s wine, but head to any cave a vin (wine cave) in Paris and you’ll know that there’s a certain je ne sais quoi that extends beyond simply the bottles. Ruben Charbon, the man behind Bar Babar – the wine bar on the Utrechtsestraat and already one of the street’s most popular outposts – knows this well.  

“The inspiration for [Babar] was a French wine bar,” explains the 34-year-old. “Somewhere a little more romantic; a place that’s sophisticated, where you want to actually spend time with your friends that’s cosy and relaxed”. That much Babar is, and possibly more. Steeped in deep, inviting maroons and reds, there’s romance in everything from the colours to the candlesticks – made by Ruben’s mum – and Francophone posters that adorn the walls. 

The wine’s not bad too. In fact, it’s great. A selection mostly made up of French, German, Italian and Austrian wines, they’re mostly of the biodynamic and natural type, meaning there’s room to experiment if that’s where the night takes you. There are small plates like sourdough bread, marinated olives and confit de canard, all of which are sourced locally from producers nearby or even on the same street. “I’m not a sommelier,” says Ruben. “I just like the vibe of wine bars. It was something missing in the area. And based on the numbers of guests coming in, people seem to feel the same.”

Bar Babar | Utrechtsestraat 135, City Centre

Turkish (breakfast) delights at Belly Pepper

While the Aussies and New Zealanders have long dominated breakfast fare in Amsterdam, Turkish breakfasts – which have a legendary reputation back in Turkey – are fast on the rise. Belly Pepper is one of those eateries, a celebration of the breadth of Turkish food and the community that often lies at the heart of it. And breakfast, of course. 

Created by Esra Çalapkulu and Esra Acar Koc (they go by Esra & Esra), both of whom worked in the food scene prior to creating Belly Pepper, their goal was simple: bring the best of Turkish food to the capital and make it memorable. “At Belly Pepper, we want all our guests to savour the diversity and richness of Turkish cuisine,” explains the duo. “Our menu showcases both traditional Turkish recipes, including those passed down from grandmothers, and innovative creations that may surprise even those familiar with Turkish cuisine beyond kebabs and doners.”

Some of the best dishes include the likes of Çılbır (poached eggs with minced meat and chilli butter) or baked spinach and feta borek. Or choose to go large in a classic way with the sharing breakfast for two people (€50), which includes fried eggs, halloumi-sucuk, white cheese, simit bread, marinated tomato salads, honey cream, and dips like muhammara and cumin labneh. There are also home-made pastries and cakes (carrot cake and kadayif-topped cheesecake and a lunch/dinner menu that showcases heartier flavours (dishes like braised lamb, lentil and pomegranate salad, meatballs in broth) until around 19:00, but go early and make this an all-day affair. 

Belly Pepper | De Clercqstraat 128, Oud-West

Tom Flanagan
Digital Editor at iamsterdam.com covering culture online and print for the City Guide Magazine.
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