Café Americain in De Weteringschans

One of the classic examples of bad management and bad service ruining the perfect place. This cafe has the best location, history and great name attached to it but such a bad attitude of staff towards service.

Had a nice meal here on the terrace before the performance at De Lamar. A bit noisy due to traffic, but that is to be expected in the heart of Amsterdam. Lots of English-speaking staff, but nice and good. The food was good; the stew was a bit much for an old man, but very tender and tasty. The starter and dessert were also good. It is a pity that the coffee had not been brought after 20 minutes. We went to the performance without coffee. The restaurant inside is beautiful.

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We really wanted to have breakfast with 6 people, but at 11:00 that is no longer possible. We waited 45 minutes, got coffee, and didn't see anyone again. So we had lunch elsewhere instead.

The service in general very good and less and an aged American or Canadian waiter who lashed at me for typing to ask something as a guest awful scary feeling👎🏻

waiters are kind but drinks so bad dont worth

A light lunch for a group of 6. Nice setting on the square although the trams can be a little bit noise on the corner. Tasty food and good staff service with drinks served quickly.

Very nice restaurant. Indoor space is very cool. The service started out great but really went down hill. We waited for an hour for our food and the waitress never came back to check on us or offer another round of drinks. She disappeared. We flagged her down to check on our meal and order another round. Our meal arrived but the round drinks did not. Really very disappointed.

Went for cocktails and nibbles. Staff were really helpful.

Just for a coffee! Very nice place

Food and drinks very good and the decor was great.... friendly staff

Housed in a gorgeous building with a long, fascinating and occasionally dark history, the Café Americain is comfortably assured in serving a classic menu to visitors to Amsterdam's museum quarter. When we visited it was none too busy, so we got to enjoy our lunch in a relaxed atmosphere, served by friendly but not pushy staff, who were very knowledgeable about the menu. The steak tartare was nothing to write home about, but the bitterballen were fantastic, with a very zingy mustard to accompany. We both opted for the boeuf bourguignon, which was tasty and filling (we definitely didn't need the extra potatoes and bacon, though it was lovely), and the creme brulee dessert was also nice. The attention to detail is what really makes a visit to the Café Americain though, from the standards of service to the chocolate and biscuits served with the hot drinks. A very enjoyable experience, that was everything we hoped for from such a historic restaurant.

This is a place just to enjoy the atmosphere of the space over a cup of coffee. Food is mediocre, not worthwhile to be there for food. Too few floor staff to act in timely manner.

A disaster. I made a reservation on their website for 10:00 PM (which the website made possible). Then I dropped by at 7:30 to confirm that I would come a bit earlier (9:45). I actually arrived for dinner at 9:50 but they turned me down (“the kitchen is closing”). They did so in quite a gross way, putting the blame on me. This is adding insult to injury! What a poor image of Amsterdam this business is giving.

This was not good. The service is uninspired and unprofessional. The simple hamburger was simply not tasty. It seemed as if it was already prepared before we arrived. A shame. The place seems to rely more on the name than on quality and hospitality.

This is what you get for the Amsterdam breakfast platter…. Feels like a regular hotel breakfast…

I love this place. It’s always peaceful, with a beautiful interior full of history and character, and the staff are polite. It’s the perfect spot to spend time with loved ones, or enjoy reading or working around the ‘leestafel’ (the traditional reading table). Knowing that writers and artists used to gather there makes the atmosphere feel even more special. The whole place feels calm, cozy, and timeless. My only wish is that they would expand the dessert options served with coffee a bit more 😋

Had a delicious cocktail. Nice, cozy atmosphere. Friendly service.

The food was delicious and the service was friendly and attentive. Upon request, we were given a table by the window. And there was a personal card on the table with our reservation.

A bit overrated. Nice servers, but they never checked after I’d been served my meal, I had a burger and it was definitely overcooked and dry. Nice view..

Jazzy atmosphere, perfect meal service.

Had high tea, can be brief about this... not worth the money. Very meager selection and unfortunately English-speaking staff. Look elsewhere.

Lunch at Café Americain was a great experience: attentive service, very beautiful Art Deco interior and a warm atmosphere. Highly recommended.

A spacious place to spend time with friends and enjoy food

The waiter ordered the wrong cocktail, resulting in an overcharge of 8 to 14 euros for 2 people.

Plenty of stars for the decor and setting with the Art Deco windows and Tiffany lamps. Unfortunately we didn't have a good dining experience. Something must have been going on in the kitchen. We waited and waited for the food, as did other visitors, and when it arrived, it looked as though it had been standing around waiting to be delivered. I assume they had staffing problems. Hopefully it's not always like this!

A lovely and beautiful restaurant with quality food for families and friends.

Delicious food, fast service and excellent atmosphere.

Disappointing. The only thing that was really amazing was the location, the decor, and the view of Leidseplein. The service is uninterested and clumsy. Or just untrained. The food was meh... okay, but could be better. My hamburger was nothing special, anyway..

Beautiful bar, pricey but very relaxed

Beautiful location, delicious food and friendly service, top-notch!

I've been coming to Americain for 40 years. The service and waitstaff are getting worse and worse. We arrived yesterday afternoon. First the sign: wait to be seated... after waiting for minutes, we found a seat ourselves. It was very quiet there. Found a seat by the window. Greet a waiter... who looked completely bewildered. After 10 minutes, we got a menu... after another 20 minutes... no sign of life from the waitstaff. I said: get out of here. At the Schouwberg next to Americain, we had a wonderful time and were served well and quickly. End of Americain..😩😩

An American-style café that primarily serves French cuisine! The execution is excellent; you almost feel like you're back home! As for the service, it's impeccable. And the setting is simply stunning.

Attentive staff, delicious food, wonderful view from the window and interior. Everything is thought out to the smallest detail, beautiful presentation. I was there once for dinner, very tasty. We went for breakfast - the same. And what coffee! Delicious! I recommend!

Attended a wedding reception here today and it was fantastic. The food was amazing and the service was top-notch throughout the event. It is easily the best spot in Amsterdam for people-watching—nothing beats sitting by the windows and watching the trams glide through Leidseplein. Highly recommend for a special event or just a coffee!

Excellent place to eat and enjoy the view. Their eggs benedict where fresh, and fluffy. Their pancakes though small, went well with the eggs. Coffee was fresh and the staff was polite

We've been enjoying tea and dinner at the American for years. The service is very professional and friendly. It really feels like a night out when you're at the American. The architecture is beautiful; you see something new every time. Reservations are recommended.

The manager greeted us with a completely disinterested welcome. We weren't allowed to sit at half the tables because he was setting them for dinner (at 2 p.m.). When he then ignored us and started a very defensive conversation with our equally disgruntled neighbors, and another staff member shouted, "I still have a salmon sandwich left," I lost all faith in the management's professionalism and the freshness of the food. We left.

Beautiful place. The service was spectacular overall, especially from Tudor, who was very kind and attentive. The food was also incredible. The dishes were high quality, beautifully presented, and generously portioned.

Amazing food but terrible service waiters really slow and serving you.

Tourist trap. We had a reservation, table was not prepared and dirty. After 70 mins they kicked us out as the table was reserved “for the next”. Unfriendly waitress. Food bad, cheap toast. Coffee alright. Juice came 30 mins late.

We went last Sunday afternoon. Poor service. The family got their drinks after 30 minutes. I had to ask twice where my beer was. We ordered food, which took an hour. When we paid, they casually added one lunch too many to the bill. There's still a lot of room for improvement there. In short, poor service, and I definitely won't be going there again.

We enjoyed the coffee and ordered a toast with pate, which was good. The atmosphere isn’t quite like the modern specialty coffee spots you see today. It feels more like a place to sit back, take your time, and go with older company, perhaps more suited for lunch or dinner than a quick coffee stop. The building itself is beautiful and worth visiting, especially since it’s located in a very touristic and lovely area of Amsterdam

A café that's part of the Clayton Hotel, good food and a very nice setting.

Serious Food Safety Deficiency at Café Americain What shocked us most during our visit to Café Americain wasn't the mediocre service or the disappointing quality of the food, but a fundamental problem with food safety and hygiene. While we were in the restaurant around 3:30 PM, the staff began setting up the entire dining area for the evening service. They placed butter on the tables, completely uncovered, in the middle of a hot room with staff and guests constantly passing by. Reservation cards were placed on the tables with times that weren't scheduled for hours. One reservation was even listed for 6:30 PM. This means that this butter had been sitting on the table for at least two and a half hours before the guests in question arrived. This isn't just a matter of taste or preference; it directly affects professional food safety. Butter oxidizes with prolonged exposure to oxygen, light, and heat, leading to rancidity and loss of quality. In professional hospitality settings, especially in a hotel restaurant of this caliber, butter should be kept covered and only brought to the table shortly before use. Serving bread with butter that has been left uncovered for hours is simply unacceptable. This is all the more concerning, especially because Café Americain is part of the Clayton Hotel Amsterdam American and has a classic reputation. Our experience began awkwardly upon arrival. We arrived around 3:30 PM for drinks and waited politely at the entrance, as indicated on the sign. The waiter clearly saw us, walked past several times, but offered no acknowledgement whatsoever. No greeting, no eye contact, no sign that we had been seen. Only after he had finished his other duties were we told we could choose our own table, as long as it wasn't already set with table linens. This felt distant and disinterested, and is completely at odds with what you might expect from a restaurant with this name and history. We ordered an Irish coffee with apple pie and whipped cream. The Irish coffee was served without the customary glass of water, while other guests did receive it. This points to inconsistency in service. The whipped cream turned out to be thin, squirty cream, both on the apple pie and in the Irish coffee. This is culinary substandard. A classic Irish coffee should be served with fluffy, freshly whipped cream that floats on top of the coffee. Squirty cream from a can is not only tasteless but also detracts from a classic that should be perfectly executed here. When reception, product quality, and especially food safety all fall short, unfortunately, little remains of the experience that Café Americain should offer. Moreover, this situation is clearly documented with photos, times, and reservation information. This does not align with the standard of Café Americain, and certainly not with the Clayton Hotel Amsterdam American. For a restaurant with this reputation and history, care, attention, and respect for basic principles should be self-evident.

Disappointingly mediocre food for such a beautiful location in the city.

I absolutely do not recommend this place. The service is terrible; they took ages to serve us, and we only ordered two fresh mint teas. Then it took forever to bring them, the mint was stale, and the tea wasn't good. The table next to us complained to the manager about the food. The place is beautiful, but it's not worth the price.

Had to wait a very long time for the drinks menu and later for the food I ordered. The waitress handled this last minute very well!

Perfect for breakfast. Either a continental buffet or à la carte.

A lovely location on Leidseplein in Amsterdam. Easily accessible, you arrive at a beautiful Art Deco building inside. They have a nice bar, and the tables are nicely decorated. The bench we sat on was still covered in food scraps, but that's beside the point. First of all, the service was "okay." After reading the reviews, I don't mind people not speaking Dutch, and I find those comments quite annoying. Our waiter occasionally tried to say a few Dutch words. However, the service itself, engaging with guests, or making small talk was simply not an option. The staff's attitude seemed somewhat disinterested and distant. (This doesn't apply to all the staff.) The food is beautifully presented, but for the price, the portions are very small. I also had steak tartare, which tasted more like minced meat than finely chopped steak. The wine was also good, but expensive for the quality. Dessert, however, was nothing special, unfortunately.

Really liked this place was not a single thing I did not like . Pumpkin soup very tasty tagliatelle pasta dish very tasty .nice wine and dessert we had creme brulie and lemon meringue. Great service also. Booked ahead of going, online.

I came into this restaurant for breakfast. It looked a bit fancy to me but there were plenty of people inside. It was almost at the end of the breakfast rush. A family from the hotel I was staying came in for breakfast as well. I ordered a simple breakfast with eggs over easy and some tea. The tea arrived right away but the eggs took a while. I don't know if the waitress forgot about my food but when I got my plate, the eggs were over fried, the toast was slightly burnt (I usually like my bread overly toasted) and it went over my liking. The tea was the best part of my meal. After I got my food the waitress disappeared. I had to look for her at the end of my meal to get my check. After paying I quickly left the restaurant. I was not impressed with the meal or the service but the tea was great.

The staff seemed completely untrained, and the food quality was mediocre. We had high tea for three people. The petit fours tasted factory-made, the scones were too hard. The clotted cream was actually crème fraîche, which had a completely different flavor. We had four different waiters at our table, none of whom knew what they were doing. There was no menu, so we didn't know what we were getting. We weren't told what the soup or high tea platter was. It was difficult to get a hold of the waiter. The waiter brought three pots of tea—one in one hand, two in the other—then poured a splash of scalding hot tea on my girlfriend's leg. The waiter didn't even react. Why don't they use trays? Very clumsy and unprofessional. The price is too high. There are nicer and better high teas in the city with good service.

Great place. So beautiful! Everything exudes class. Friendly staff. Beautiful details, even in the restrooms. Pricey though, and the beer selection is limited.

Pleasant, quiet, stylish place to stay for a while.

Beautiful, historic Art Deco interior! The staff is completely uninterested in the guests. None of the staff speaks Dutch, not even a simple greeting like "good evening" is enough. The bitterballen (8 for €12.50) are quickly placed on our table, but without a cocktail stick or napkin. The drinks take a very long time to arrive, and the bitterballen are long gone by the time we finally manage to persuade a waitress to look for our drinks. Disappointing, but the interior is beautiful!

Top location for a real getaway!

What an amazing experience! We had made a reservation for 2, my wife uses a wheelchair in her daily life so we asked for a more spacious seating. By arrival we were helped towards a nice table with enough space for the wheelchair, it was a great decision of them to place us there. The service and the food are amazing, you can even ask to slightly modify the courses you want to your preferences. All by all it is a place that we recommend! The place, the staff, the servive and the food are amazing! Spot on!

It's not nice at all 🙅 don't go, it's a very disgusting place

The food and drinks were great! Great service

Excellent place in a very old building where you can have a drink, lunch or diner. Nice and quiet place. I do recommend this place.

We had breakfast in this café and really enjoyed it. They served English tea and toast with fish — everything was fresh and very tasty. The atmosphere was cozy, the service was friendly, and the food came very fast. We had a great experience and would happily come back.

After living 10 years in Amsterdam we finally gathered enough courage to have lunch at Café Americain. From the outside it looks expensive, daunting and posh. Once inside it feels better and our waiter was very friendly and accommodating. It has a very nice atmosphere and we were seated next to a window. The menu is very traditional so do not expect unusual dishes. Can recommend the Croquettes de Veau. Tasted like home-made croquettes. We had Steak Tartare and Beuf Bourguignon. All was served warm and quickly. The Beuf was almost too warm to eat. Good place to have a traditional cafe lunch in a classic cafe setting while looking at other guest and daily life passing by outside. Almost dream yourself back to a bygone era.

Incredibly nice coffee, for a nice fall day. Sitting outside in the sun enjoying a nice fall day. Unfortunately they don't have outside service, so you have to go inside to order, then they will come out.

Amazing atmosphere; a bit pricey, but caters to high(er)-end customers. Good service, nice staff.

Impressive Art Nouveau cafe, We had delicious soup, and excellent artichoke salad Coffee took a while to arrive Very nice.

The place is beautiful, but the food isn't very good... If you're French, skip the pastries (or profiteroles) as they're not good. The drinks (matcha latte and chai latte) weren't very good either.

It was our last night in Amsterdam and we decided to get a bite for dinner at Cafe American, which was close to our hotel near Leidseplein Square. It was a very nice dinner and we were able to get in with no reservations. The service and atmosphere were great, and the food was delicious. We started with the burrata, which was tasty with the orange dressing and pumpkin seeds. Next we had the butternut soup, which was very savory with herbs, an unexpected delight. We finished off with main course of beef bourguignon, which the server highly recommended for a beef dish, and glad we got it. Prices were reasonable for an upscale dining experience at Cafe American, and the ambiance was impeccable as always. Do not miss this restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Food portion decreased, price went up. Was here 2 months ago in August and had bitterballen, at that time you received 8 pieces (see photo). Went again today and received 6 for 12.5eur!!! Are you joking??? 10000% never coming back, way to lose customers. Also wasn’t allowed to sit at the window because we didn’t order from the lunch menu. Absurd.

I booked a table for seven people. When my friends arrived, they were told I was already there - even though we were just pulling up. Turns out, our table had been given to someone else, even though it was reserved, which was pretty frustrating. Still, they did manage to seat us in the end. The coffee was excellent, and the hot chocolate was even better. I really appreciated the service and how attentive the staff were with the child, but it was a bit disappointing that our bill included two kombuchas instead of the one we actually ordered. The interior is beautiful, though it gets quite dark inside in the evening. The food, however, was a letdown. The boeuf bourguignon was very dry, the patties in the kid’s burger didn’t taste good, and the regular burger wasn’t great either. Overall, it’s a nice spot for coffee, but probably better to eat somewhere else.

Unfriendly and inattentive staff. Private phones in the workplace shouldn't be allowed in a café like this. A smile will bring you more customers. Make sure your order is delivered at the same time; this was really poor. Service and customer service training is desperately needed here. It's a shame, because the location is beautiful!

A beautiful place! Tiffany lamps, stained glass windows, and art deco decor—it's a real feast for the eyes! 🤩 The service is top-notch, with very courteous staff, and a special mention for the head waiter. 👍 Great brasserie dishes.

I waited over an hour for a burger. There were 10 tables occupied and at least 12 waiters in the dining room, just hanging around. The nearly empty place doesn't justify such a long wait. Finally, the bill arrived without a €1 discount! That's how not to behave when dealing with the public.

Cool interiors in the Art Nouveau style, definitely worth a visit for Art Nouveau lovers

Waited 30 minutes to order. The waiter was rude and told us to leave. It is the worst service I have ever seen. He did not even apologize for keeping us waiting for 30 minutes to order. Do not go there its a joke of an establishment.

What a warm welcome we received yesterday at Café Americain! From the moment we walked in, we felt right at home. The atmosphere was relaxed, the staff attentive and friendly. A special compliment to our waiter, Tomasso – what a professional! His hospitality, attentiveness, and genuine interest made our afternoon truly special. You don't see this kind of service very often; many could learn a thing or two from this. We had a wonderful afternoon with a truly warm welcome – we will definitely be back!

The beautiful art deco ambiance is thankfully still there. Otherwise, well. We came after dinner at Taste of Culture (where they're so fast and efficient that the dish is practically in front of you just as you're thinking about it) for dessert and a digestif. The service was friendly, but apart from the manager, there was no one there who had worked there for more than a few weeks, and that was clear. The manager was mainly busy working hard for a table of "high-value" guests instead of managing his newly hired colleagues. The result: a 20-minute wait for a drink, cold crème brûlée, and pity for the staff who weren't properly trained.

We went for a coffee in a weekday morning. Pretty calm, fine atmosphere.

The atmosphere is very nice, we went there for coffee and the latte was really good, more than I expected, the waiter who took care of us had a bit of a strange attitude in general but overall it is a place I would like to come back to.

Go to this restaurant for the glorious interior decoration (Art Deco) but not for the food or service. Easily some of the most rude, incompetent servers in Amsterdam. The last time I ate there was four years ago and the service scared me off. Last weekend, I gave it another try. Still the same lousy experience. Have a coffee to soak in the ambience but keep it moving. Skip the meal.

A restaurant straight out of a movie. Highly recommend visiting for lunch or dinner – the dishes are very tasty and approachable. A huge, spacious hall with beautiful soft lighting. Highly recommended.

We were here for a quick bite to eat and hadn't made a reservation. We were warmly welcomed and a nice spot was found for us. Our dishes were taken, and my wife ordered the steak. She wanted it seared on the outside and raw on the inside. After a long wait, our dishes arrived, and mine was lukewarm, while my wife's steak was completely done. We waited until a waiter came by to tell us that wasn't what we'd ordered. The meat was brought to us, and just as I was finishing my dish, my wife's steak arrived. It was fine, but without the pepper sauce, so when the meat was almost gone, some more was brought. Otherwise, the food was delicious, and the service was super friendly. And the restaurant's atmosphere was truly fantastic.

Wonderful atmosphere, delicious croque madame, and perfect service from Daan! Thanks!

Very nice place, we were there for breakfast, big buffet but we decided to take a la carte which was great

Only time in my life I’ve felt racism. sat us behind a door and never attended us while sitting others and attending them at the window with view.

The four of us had steak. The steak was tough and cooked hard (almost burning), even though we'd asked for medium. The fries were delicious. Dessert was a small orange ice cream. The price-quality ratio is disproportionate. The ambiance is lovely, but we won't be returning to this restaurant for dinner again.

We came for a drink in the afternoon to show our son this beautiful hotel that we had enjoyed during a stay 20 years ago. The restaurant remains magnificent (although access to the toilets could do with a little renovation) but the welcome was haughty and the service unpleasant. We will not return.

Beautiful architecture and design.

Beautiful place, nice food and the waitress Luz was very friendly.

I don't recommend going there if you like matcha. We had pancakes which were very good, the apple juice was freshly squeezed when ordered, but in an iced latte, you unfortunately won't get matcha, I was only served milk with ice cubes. When I was given the matcha, it was honestly disgusting if you can say that it was added.

We came here for a deluxe high tea, but this is the worst high tea I've ever had. There were only four flavors of tea, and the scones were flat, small, hard, and dry. For sweets, there were three mini-sweets, and half a saucer of strawberries for the three of us with weak whipped cream. It was supposed to come with champagne, but I asked for it myself at some point. The champagne itself was very good, though. We finished everything and looked at each other, wondering if there would be another round. It wasn't. When we paid, the price on the receipt was higher than what was stated online when we made the reservation. This was absolutely not worth the money, and I strongly advise against going here for high tea.

Very nice experience near Leidsplein 👌

A great café on Leidseplein. Just enjoy the time. And admire the Art Nouveau interior. Highly recommended for relaxing and enjoying the view.

Had to wait a very long time for my drink.

Tudor is the proof that places like this still have people that make the hole experience better. His attention was just great and he took a smile out of Us every chance he had. Congratulations for happy worker that share his energy through his way of serving 👏

We’ve been there twice and this as well, because of the really nice treatment of Tudor - the waiter there. He was more than kind to us and had always a smile for uns and all the other guests! More than recommended & thank you Tudor for your nice and welcoming kind! Really appreciated

Booked for a 9am breakfast. Got in and there were lots of tables available. We were shown two dirty tables and asked to choose. We asked for a clean table. The waitress said "I'll clean them! I just need to know which to clean first". Okay, not a great start. The table was then cleared as we waited in the aisle. She then asked us to sit at the wet table and placed the paper menus in the damp. So, in this supposedly nice cafe we were sat at a wet table next to a dirty table. Why pay their prices for rude and terrible service? We walked out.

The place is historic, the restaurant interior is gorgeous, but service is very slow.

On our way to the DeLaMar Theater, we first enjoyed the theater menu at Café Americain. The weather was beautiful, so we chose a spot on the outdoor terrace, wonderfully situated in the heart of the city's bustle. The theater menu offers a choice of three appetizers, three main courses, and two desserts. The service was friendly and attentive, and the speed with which the dishes were served was perfect: we were finished half an hour before the performance started. The food was fine—just good, not exceptional, but certainly suitable as a tasty and efficient start to a theater evening. We'll definitely do this again next time.

Unfortunately, I waited way too long for someone to take my order. I ordered a coffee, which took forever to get it. I ended up ordering croquettes and bread, which was unfortunately cold. I didn't have to pay for it, which makes sense to me. Unfortunately, everything went wrong there. And it was my very first time.