Good Thai! and other Amsterdam, Netherlands Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Song Kwae Thais Restaurant

This is a small Thai Restaurant close to the Nieuwmarkt.
Most of the times it is packed and I don't know if they take reservations.

It looks very plain, but the food is quite good. The portions are not huge, but big enough and the prices are quite reasonable as well.

Favorite Dish: The springrolls are good and I like the beef with Cashew.

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Theme: Other
Comparison: less expensive than average
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 020 6242568
Address: Kloveniersburgwal 14a, 1012 CT Amsterdam
Directions: It's right next to the Niewmarkt square.
Website: http://www.songkwae.nl/

Restaurant Name: Pata Negra

The first thing you notice when you arrive at this restaurant are the coloured walls full of carved message (of the "I was here" kind), the very loud music and the waiters that run around all the time.

It is a Spanish restaurant, run by Spaniards in what I guess is the authentic Spanish way - chaotic, but efficient. The place is called "Pata Negra" after a very famous kind of smoked ham, which is also served here.

This is mainly a tapas restaurant, so you should probably just go for two or three different kinds of tapas (snacks). I particularly enjoyed the chorizo sausage and the tortillas were also good. My Spanish friends tell me the quality of the food is similar to the one you can get back in Spain.

It is not cheap, you can expect to pay around 20 Eur per person and the loud music and hectic pace of the waiters might not be of everyone's taste, but it is a good way to get a taste of Spain in Amstedam

Favorite Dish: - Chorizo sausage
- Tortilla
- Pata negra
- Cheese platter

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Theme: Other
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$21-30  » Currency Converter
Phone: +31 20 4226250
Address: Utrechtsestraat 124, 1017 VT Amsterdam

Restaurant Name: Gauchos

If you are looking for good meat, an Argentine restaurant will always be a good bet. We were wandering around in Amsterdam one day and felt like having a nice steak, so we decided to try this one as there were 3 argentine restaurants on the street and this one had the most people (the prices were the same in all 3).

It has a very modern and, in my opinion, stylish decor, which is a nice chance from the typical wooden benches covered in cow-skin you always get at the Argentine restaurant (nothing wrong with that, in any case). We were told to wait to be seated by a somewhat unfriendly waiter. We then got a table in the middle of the room, which I was not too happy about, but was not in a mood to insist, so we took it anyway.

We then proceeded to order a steak each (Bife de Chorizo and Bife Ancho) and they were both great. According to the menu, the meat is aged and turned only once when it is cooked, giving it its great taste.

Now the complains. One thing that I absolutely hate is when you have to pay extra for fries or salad, but this is the case here. The meat is already quite expensive and you have to pay for the chips too... on top of that, they are the deep-frozen kind and they taste awful (think McDonald's fries). It really does not go well with the meat. There was also another kind of chips (with the peel), but I can't remember the name. I would try those instead.
If you want sauce (I don't recommend it), it is also extra.

I was not happy at all with the service, the waiters were always rushing and were not friendly at all.

At the end, I paid with credit card and the waiter brought me the machine to read the cards, entered the amount and asked me if I "wanted to leav anything for the staff", so you should (if you want to of course) enter the amount of the tip at this time. Not very nice!

Although the meat was good, I would probably not go there again, mainly because of the service, which is not adequate for the price you pay.


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Theme: Steakhouse
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$41 and up  » Currency Converter
Phone: (020) 623 96 32
Address: Damstraat 5, Dam, Amsterdam
Directions: It's on the Damstraat, on the street behind the statue (next to Krasnapolsky hotel)
Website: http://www.gauchos.nl/

Restaurant Name: Rainarai

There is a whole story behind this place, I'll keep it short: The owner, a man from Algeria first visited Amsterdam in 1990, decided to come back and live here in 1993 and on Queen's day 2004, he saw this abandoned building and decided to buy it and turn it into a restaurant.
7 is his lucky number, he was born on 7/7, the restaurant has 7 windows and was opened on the 7th October 2004. Even the logo of the restaurant is a series of 7. There is more on the website.

Don't think of this as an ordinary restaurant. It is very small and there is only place for 2-3 tables, so call well ahead if you want to eat there (you can also order out). The food is prepared in the morning and then it is heated up. Normally, this would put me off, but believe me, everything was EXCELLENT! I had the tuna fish which was great and it is served wih a "potato pie" that leaves you crying for more.
My friends had the lamb and other fish (seabass and another which I can't remember) and were all very satisfied.

Regarding the drinks, there is only wine, sparkling water or an australian Ginger and Lemon juice (which at 4.25 Eur a small bottle is a bit expensive, in my opinion).

The only thing to be careful about is the bill. We asked for it and he just came up and said the amount, which was a bit high, in my opinion. About 30 Eur per person, for just one course and wine. I would have asked for a detailed bill, but we were a bit late.

There are a lot of grocery products on the shelfs (beans, rice, olive oil, etc). Don't forget to taste the olives that are outside in a nice clay vase.

Favorite Dish: Everything was really good and this is definetly your ordinary restaurant. If you are in for something different, this is it.

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Theme: African
Comparison: more expensive than average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 020 624 97 91
Address: Prinsengracht 252, 1016 HG Amsterdam
Directions: On the corner of Prinsengracht and Lauriergracht
Website: http://www.rainarai.nl/

Restaurant Name: Brasserie Harkema

I had read about this restaurant in a book about "stylish" restaurants in Amsterdam and had wanted try it for some time. Recently I had the chance and was quite impressed.

The restaurant itself is quite hidden on a street parallel to the Rokin canal and looks quite plain from the outside although the unusual shape of the window has a modern look to it. Inside, however, is a very stylish (in my opinion) restaurant with a whole wall of wine bottles and a very essential, simple decor overall.

Everything we had was exquisite. To start, you are given some very nice bread and instead of the regular herb butter, you get a saucer of quite good olive oil to dip it in.
Our starters were a very nice carpaccio and a Wagyu salami. We followed that with a grilled tuna with wasabi-mayonese and an Enrecote steak with bearnaise sauce (which I had not eaten in many years).
They even have their own bottles of filtered tap water. Read the menu for a full explanation :)

Service was very good, all waiters/waitresses were very polite and helpful. At the end we even had a tour of the restaurant including the rooms in the back for private parties.

Amazingly, it was not very expensive, at 53Eur for 2 (no dessert) it was very reasonable.

Overall it was one of the most enjoyable dining experiences I have ever had (although the company also helped :))

Favorite Dish: Everything

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Theme: Other
Comparison: about average
Prices: US$31-40  » Currency Converter
Phone: 020 4282222
Address: Nes 67, 1012 KD Amsterdam
Directions: It is located behind the comedy factory, on the Nes, which is parallel to the Rokin canal, walking distance from the Dam square.
Website: www.brasserieharkema.nl