Café-Restaurant Amsterdam in Centrale Markt

I have been coming here for years and have always been very satisfied. Unfortunately, the frut de mer was very disappointing yesterday. Cooked for far too long, especially the shellfish. As a result, they were not only dry but the texture was also grainy. It's a shame, because I used to always find this very tasty.

Nice location, cozy, and the food was good.

Café Restaurant Amsterdam is one of those places that reminds you why eating out in Amsterdam can be so much fun. The restaurant is located in the beautiful old water-pumping station in Westerpark, and the enormous industrial space gives it a character you simply don’t get in a standard restaurant. It’s big, lively and usually buzzing — yet somehow still feels relaxed. The menu is extensive, which normally makes me slightly suspicious. A restaurant serving everything from oysters and seafood to steak, salads, pasta and classic dishes can easily turn into a culinary identity crisis. Somehow, Café Restaurant Amsterdam pulls it off. The food is consistently good, portions are generous, and there’s something for pretty much everyone. The seafood is particularly worth trying, but this is also a great place if half your table wants fish, someone wants meat, someone wants vegetarian food and one person has been studying the menu for 25 minutes and still “needs another minute.” Service is friendly, professional and pleasantly informal. Considering the sheer size of the restaurant and how busy it can get, they run the place impressively well. Drinks arrive, food arrives, and nobody appears to be having a nervous breakdown — which deserves recognition in Amsterdam hospitality. The atmosphere is probably what makes Café Restaurant Amsterdam stand out most. The monumental building, huge windows, high ceilings and industrial details make it feel special without becoming pretentious. It works equally well for dinner with friends, family, a date, or a larger group. Prices are reasonable considering the location, portions and overall experience. It isn’t the cheapest restaurant in Amsterdam, but you actually feel like you’re getting something for your money. After all these years, Café Restaurant Amsterdam remains an Amsterdam institution for a reason: great atmosphere, reliable food, friendly service and one of the most distinctive restaurant locations in the city. Definitely worth visiting — and arrive hungry.

Welcoming environment and nice staff!!!

Great place, excellent food lots of space

Great spot which reminds you of Chartier in Paris. This old factory was turned into a “brasserie” and can host a lot of people which can make a great atmosphere. You can have a drink on the canal too. The food is good, the service is professional.

Unique location. Had a nice meal, but the food is very disappointing. Lime oysters, the scallop flavor was ruined because they were fried in a crispy coating. And the main course showed absolutely no creativity. Meat with fries. Tip: put fewer dishes on the menu so you can prepare better quality for so many people. Because it certainly gets busy there. And it would also be nice if warm lobster were available.

Great restaurant, perfect with groups as well!

For over 25 years, Café-Restaurant Amsterdam "Cradam" has been a resounding success. And rightly so. A nice menu, great food, a beautiful building in a good location, busy with an interesting crowd. The only point of criticism is the serving system: everything coming out of the kitchen is just slightly underheated. I like my fries served warm and my ice cream served as a scoop (and not as a puddle). When it is busy—I was there on a Tuesday evening—this must cause more problems. Still, I will definitely visit Cradam again, because you always have a pleasant evening there.

I got a severe food poisoning after the ravioli. This of course ruined the majority of the trip to Amsterdam. I saw more reviews with food poisoning so I would avoid the place… I hope NVWA will pay a visit - the report has been made

It is a maximum of 3 stars rated restaurant with very mediocre french-bistro food, nice ambience and very bumpy service. Some of the stuff were really nice and friendly, whilst with some of the ladies we lived situations of dropping food and cutlery on one of us and not even apologising, seeming really exhausted and annoyed with all.

Nice place for a quick lunch, affordable and lots of choice! The service was very friendly and we enjoyed sitting outside.

The vegan options are too pathetic for words. Just dishes where (multiple!!!) elements are omitted; it seems no effort whatsoever was put into offering vegans (or, for example, people with lactose intolerance) a nice evening out. In 2026? Really?

Exceptional seafood and friendly, proficient service.

Food is good, atmosphere also very nice. Definitely coming back. Beautiful building with history, outside seating is also very nice. Reservations are recommended!

We enjoyed a lovely summer evening here on the terrace by the water. The food was of good quality and the portions generous. The wine list is reasonably priced and features a number of original bottles. Nothing but praise for the way the staff handled the severe food allergies of one of us. Although it was busy, nothing was left to chance and there were many options and plenty of choice. Many restaurants could learn a thing or two from that.

Well, where this kitchen once enjoyed a good reputation for earning 5 stars with pure dishes and good fish specialties, this gluttony has fallen off the podium. Raw salmon, lots of bones the second time around, just not fresh. Mussels okay, but then again, what could go wrong? Vitello tonnato fine, but way too much sauce with a greasy taste. Prices are reasonable (for Amsterdam), but I’d rather pay a bit more for a nice plate of good food. Maybe we’ll try it again.

The industrial hall gives an open and pleasant vibe which limits loudness while dining. The food is French oriented with some Italian dishes prinkled inbetween. The serving goes on good pace which allows chats inbetween dishes but not having you wait too long. Overall a pleasant experience and would recommend

We had ordered steak, medium rare. Upon serving, it turned out to be well-done. Fine. It happens. The new steak was so tough, impossible to finish. The chewed-up remnants lay on the plate. The last piece lay next to it. We pointed this out to the wait staff. The response was: would you like the dessert menu? Anyway. We thought they would come back to it. After all, I would be mortified as a restaurant. After some time, we ordered the bill. Not a single reaction from the same waiter. Paid and left. A pity. It is a beautiful setting and has a nice atmosphere. But this was the last time.

Everything we tried was delicious, a must if you’re in Amsterdam! Vibes 10/10

Good atmosphere, great food, and a good, affordable wine list 😊

Cradam remains a fantastic place! Friendly service and dinner for a great price!

Unfortunately, our experience was very disappointing. Upon arrival, the explanation was unclear and we felt anything but welcome. Before we were even properly seated at the table, we were already asked about our drink order without having had the chance to look at the menu. Furthermore, we were not shown a soft drinks menu, making it seem as if alcohol was the only option. We were also rushed multiple times regarding the food, despite explicitly asking for some extra time. We found the value for money very disappointing. My pesto pasta was completely sticky and gave anything but a fresh impression. The fries also looked more like McDonald's than the quality we expected for this price. Moreover, I developed a stomach ache later in the evening. While we were still eating and still had drinks on the table, the staff started clearing our table and even took our drinks away. We found this very unprofessional, especially since the kitchen was already closed and no new guests were arriving. Finally, we regularly saw staff members looking at their mobile phones instead of paying attention to the guests. It is a pity, because we had expected a higher standard from a restaurant with a GaultMillau listing, both in terms of service and quality.

I heard it was built inside an abandoned factory. So, I think it might be noisy if there are a lot of people. If you don't like noise, I recommend visiting for lunch. I went on a Monday for lunch, and there weren't many tourists. Locals were eating sandwiches. The waiters were friendly; I just blurted out whatever I could find in English or German, and they understood me well and served me. Speaking from my 30 years of experience eating seafood, there was no fishy smell, and the quality was top-notch. I had Gambas (shrimp grilled in butter and garlic), scallops, and cod, and they were very clean and delicious. Even the fries were tasty. There was a seafood party going on next to us, so I think it would be fine for you to have one too (I think it was around 60 pesos per person). It is worth the price. I peeked over and saw everyone was eating artichokes. I haven't tried them, but they look delicious. It is an excellent restaurant. Awesome!

A favorite spot right from the start. Whether with two or twenty, for lunch or dinner, it's always good. A favorite is always the seafood platter, preferably with Crémant d'Alsace. Tasty food, lovely service, atmospheric location; it's always a party at Cradam!

We've been coming here for years, such an iconic, friendly location with happy vibes and above all great food and drinks selection. Sadly on the last three occasions, We've noticed the quality and quantity of the food, have taken a steep dive. On this last occasion one of our guests ordered prawns, which were not many and not cleaned as in some places, very messy. I ordered a steak Which was tough and full of sinue making it reality difficult to cut. For €25 I would expect a better quality product. The shrimp croquettes arrived with a finger pinch of deep fried seaweed over the top, no added value or thought to presentation really. Plus they were luke warm. The Caesar Salad, was quite bland and thoughtlessly presented as a pile of lettuce layers. The fries were thin and also cold.Each time we wanted to order something, we waved at one of the waiting staff, who were happy to help, but there was no rhythm to the service, it felt like we were prompting every step of the meal. Again to mention they were very pleasant but not looking for an opportunity to keep it flowing. We asked for a blanket, as one of our guests was getting cold outside, twenty minutes later she was offered a blanket by a departing guest which was kind. We know that the owner of this once quite prestigious restaurant works super hard, always visible, always getting stuck in on the the restaurant floor, this occasion was no exception, yet still it was all a bit low key messy. I'm only writing this because we've had so many amazing times here and I would love to keep coming back again and again, but the price/quality/service ratio was unjustified and out of balance, for the last two visits, meaning I will think twice before bringing people here.

I had high expectations here based on all the good reviews. Unfortunately, nothing special was added to the ordered meat dishes, no plating, no sauces... absolutely no creativity. I don't understand how this restaurant gets an average review rating of 4.

I had lunch at Amsterdam. The food was reasonably good, service good. The atmosphere is a bit massive, though.

A favorite for almost 30 years.

Always a great atmosphere and good food. Solid service and friendly staff. Had a delicious meal at Café Restaurant Amsterdam. You really can't go wrong with a name like that.

Nice building, pleasant place to sit. Unfortunately, the shrimp weren't that great; they still had an intestinal tract inside and had absolutely no taste. The steak was really tasty, though, and the lamb chops too. The staff was okay.

Great interior! Limited vegetarian options but solid spot overall

A firm favorite! We come here regularly, and it remains a delight to eat at Café-Restaurant Amsterdam. The experience is simply "always good." The first thing that stands out is the fantastic location. The restaurant is situated in a beautifully restored engine room of an industrial building. This lends a unique and stylish atmosphere to dining. As far as I'm concerned, the price-quality ratio here is perfect. Additionally, the staff is always incredibly friendly, which only makes the visit more pleasant. A major plus is that we can almost always find a spot here, making it a wonderful, reliable choice. We love coming here and will certainly keep doing so!

Nice place to grab a bite to eat. Diverse menu with plenty of choice. The terrace is nicely set up, and the large indoor space is also nicely decorated. Not on the cheap side, but the quality reflected that. The gravy with the Black Angus steak was somewhat disappointing; it looked like pancake syrup. The meat itself was tender and well cooked.

In a unique, unexpected location. A beautiful industrial building steeped in history. Classic French cuisine with something for everyone. A good wine list. Accessible and atmospheric. Friendly, attentive, Dutch-speaking staff. In short, a lovely place to enjoy a drink with snacks, or a lunch or dinner with excellent dishes.

In terms of service, value for money, and ambiance, it truly stands out in Amsterdam. Classic, good dishes—where you don't pay a fortune for an extra salad—friendly and quick service, and a unique decor where you can easily hear each other. Highly recommended.

Gigantic canteen, huge hospital ward. Impersonal service. Small portions, simple food. No atmosphere.

We ended up here by chance. It is not in the tourist area. A big surprise. We took the Seafood menu. Possibly the best seafood we have ever eaten. Super fresh and value for money. Very cozy due to the spaciousness. And yet full. That says it all! People love coming here. In the summer, you can sit by the waterside.

Server casually walks by and elbows my pregnant partner in the head with no apologies whatsoever. Abysmal service, don't waste your time or money. Date: Wednesday 10th of June at lunch.

We had a super delicious meal with extra attention from the staff for our party, thanks!

Had a great evening, special thanks to Sijmen for the good care!

What a fantastic evening at this beautiful restaurant. Together with my soulmate, we experienced an unforgettable evening. Not only the pure, beautiful dishes and the Sancerre from Roger Neveu, but especially our host Pieter, who sensed exactly what to do to make our evening unforgettable. Thank you and hope to see you soon. Love, Eric and Adine.

I discovered this place by chance. I really liked the location and the peaceful atmosphere. Very pleasant and well-located. Parking nearby.

Saturday night kitchen are already closed at 21h30. Impossible to eat there.

It is nice to sit outside at the terace. So far i only tried seafood but the menu seems to be positively extensive. It is hard to run such a large restaurant with various topics to deal with. Applause to management and entire staff!

A wonderful experience in a lovely setting, delicious food with attentive staff.

Everything you look for in a restaurant

Great building and people seemed nice but the rating is because their business model is silly. Being told we can’t have food without a reservation despite the almost the entire restaurant being open makes no sense.

Good, plentiful food, mainly French cuisine, and reasonable prices.

It's worth a visit for the ambiance alone; this old machine hall is really coolly renovated! The food—the steak and fries and the truffle pasta—was okay, the wine very tasty, and the service absolutely courteous and attentive!

Restaurant in a former engine room, unusual but very noisy. Good food.

Large size restaurant in Amsterdam, there is parking near by and larger space at the other side of the street. Food is average, good selection of seafood, meat and vegetables. Bread and butter served till food comes. Service is good and efficient. Good for a big group. The place used to be manufacturing, some of the old machines still there.

Super cool building. Delicious carpaccio, very good steak, and desserts too tasty.

We ordered the sea food platter and it was below average! None of the shell fish tasted fresh! Only the oysters and prawns were good the rest was tasteless, the service was worse than average.

Old waterworks pump house. One of the impressive pumps is still there, very nice to see. Atmospheric place and good food make this highly recommended for any group size. Beautiful outdoor terrace where there is slightly less space, but with a bit of squeezing in, it works. Had a good meal, nice place. Would definitely go again.

It's always nice to eat here. Just can't get enough of the serene location with a lot of space and height. The menu is superb and the mixed crowd of young and old is lovely to watch. I am thrilled as well by the old machines that are still lying around from the previous factory usage.

They know what they're doing and they do it well. Food is very good, service is great. Good selection of dishes. Acoustics are exceptional for such a large space. If you have anything to celebrate they go above and beyond.

Staff worked around my schedule and the extended warranty details were explained at my convenience

Welcoming service by lovely people in a relaxed atmosphere, always nice at Cradam.

We had a simplistic, but our most enjoyed meal here! *We ubered, not the easiest place to find. It's in a large, interesting building (look at the photo history), fairly young staff, efficient, large groups or small tables. We went early for dinner as our dinners were around midnight to our East Coast bodyclocks. It fills up quickly. Call for a reservation. *kid-friendly *Fish *fries *lemon sorbet w/vodka topper

Not much to say: Awesome place! Tonight (my birthday) was my 3rd time, really enjoyed it! Brilliant brilliant brilliant!

Had a delicious meal, definitely recommended, delicious fish Noise when the room was full, very restless.

Very special restaurant with some hystorical aspects. If you serve steaks, a propper knife would help to complete the job

It does not rise above average, the service is friendly. I found the wine glasses really too small to pour a nice wine into. The noise is overwhelming. Why 3 to 4 stars then? They did provide us with a pleasant evening.

Way out of my way but, always nice to pop in here when I'm in this area. Great eats and drinks.☆☆☆UPDATE ☆☆☆, it's almost a no brainer to bring guest from out of town here when they visit. The staff is always super friendly and accommodating. The food is 🤤 and its in a beautiful historical building. In short, I need more friends to visit so that I can come here more 🥰!!

Atmosphere is on point but food was terrible and service was even worse. I REALLY wanted to like this place because it was packed with locals and the space is lovely. Sadly, a simple meal for 3 took almost 3 hours and my steak was maybe the worst I've ever had. It was steamed to medium despite asking for medium rare. The icing on the cake was finding a live parasite in the crab claws and when we asked we were told it was normal. Skip it

It was a good experience overall.

Lovely place for dining out with friends and families.

I came here a while ago and was surprised by how low the food quality was, especially given all the praise. I decided to try it again, maybe I was just unlucky the first time. But no, same experience. The food was tasteless, the quality of the products really poor. Cheap ingredients, very high prices for this quality. I now can conclude that it's just another proof that dutch people lack food culture and cannot judge food. In italy this place would have 2 stars max, because the building is nice.

Local food. Charming places. Friendly staff

Incredibly fun dining experience. A little on the outskirts of Amsterdam, an old pumping station that is now a restaurant. Great place. Lovely and unique atmosphere, worth a visit in itself. Local people go here, a good sign. Brilliant service, lovely food and drinks. The scallop starter was lovely. My wife's sole was just delicious and my angus steak was perfect. Together with great wines, this was a complete start to our Amsterdam holiday. Highly recommended!0

Incredible spot in Amsterdam! The industrial vibe and high ceilings give this place a unique, open atmosphere. The food is top-notch—especially the seafood—and the service is quick and efficient. It's a great place to enjoy a quality meal while having a quiet space to check my phone or do some work. Excellent value for money. Highly recommended for both locals and travelers!

Lovely atmosphere, good food. Surprising what they managed to make of such a gigantic space. It's not Michelin-star food, but just fine.

I didn’t like the food, the atmosphere overall was nice but quite overpriced for such food

Is and will be always a pleasure to eat here

I've wanted to visit here for a long time. Beautiful location and an extensive menu with many French and Italian dishes. Tasty organic orange wine with a hint of orange. The food was good too. Starters: seafood and grilled scallops. Main courses: calf's liver with Madeira sauce and sea bass with salad and pink potatoes. Desserts: Madeleines, coffee, and Espresso Martini.

A super interesting concept! The restaurant is based in a huge old building which brings a specific liveliness and atmosphere to the restaurant. The menu is wide; you could find something for everyone’s palette. There’s even the option of seafood platters which is so intriguing. We stopped here after lunch and tried the apple pie and the sticky toffee pudding. The sticky toffee pudding is a must try; it was served warm with vanilla icecream. If you love sticky pudding you’ll love it. We loved this place so much, definitely coming back!!

I recently dined at this restaurant again. The service was friendly and attentive, and the ambiance is pleasant and cozy, making it a nice place to sit. Unfortunately, the food was disappointing this time. The fries were quite soggy, the mussels tasteless, and the salmon was overcooked and had bones, meaning the food quality did not meet my expectations. All in all, it is a restaurant with a good atmosphere and service, but there is still room for improvement regarding the food.

The food was delicious, the service was also top-notch, and it was a very beautiful location.

I was quite disappointed. The food is average for the money being charged. The service needs a bit more training. They are nice and lovely, but not focusing on you. We spent far too long waiting for any dish; it always came twice. Couldn't get proper wine glasses, and our wine wasn't premium. However, we spent far too long on drinks there waiting for the table, despite the fact that it had been reserved in advance—no Hendrix either at the bar. Fries with everything, no choice of other potatoes. No water asked twice. If you do like a loud atmosphere, that's fine. I was sitting next to the family with the kid, and I wanted to get away from all the children as I have many myself.

Good food, fair priced. Nice and sunny location

Like most Amsterdammers, Cafe Restaurant Amsterdam is a place I've been going to since I was a child. I recently went back for a quick lunch for the first time in a long time, and it was, as usual, delicious. What an institution!

Great food, great service Excellent price/quality

Great atmosphere and excellent service. The food was much worse. Escargots with herb butter were completely flavorless and bland. The mussels were so small you had to use a magnifying glass. They were cooked without passion. Definitely not worth returning for the food.

If you like French bistros like Bouillon you're going to love this ! Great simple no-nonsense food for decent prices in very unique atmosphere and building.

We were looking forward to a fun night out with some food and drinks. Because of the good reviews, we decided to have a nice evening. Unfortunately, it wasn't that great. First, my 3-year-old immediately got diarrhea. My husband felt sick. Luckily, I had already been to the awful restroom. The fast eaters, my husband and child, suffered from the hygiene issues at this restaurant. For me, that was a sign that something wasn't right. I quickly went to the doctor on duty. He told us it was due to the food. Luckily, I was able to take them to the doctor safely and quickly, because I hadn't eaten or drunk anything at the restaurant. Now my husband has been sick at home for three days and can't care for our sick child. So I had to pay the price again and take time off. And instead of spending my days off enjoying myself, I had to take care of my husband and child at home. Looking for a fun evening that ends in the hospital or at the doctor's office? Then this is the place to be. Simply a disaster.

Beautiful and unique location, good food, and good service. The menu has something for everyone, and the price-quality ratio is excellent. Highly recommended.

Good Food, good Service but forgot our salad, great place for dinner 👍🏽

The food was just average but not bad. Their desserts were great thou. But it's pretty expensive for the quality and quantity that it serves. I wouldn't go there again.

Always nice to eat here. The service is friendly, the menu has a wide variety and the atmosphere is beautiful because of the character the building has.

Beautiful location in the old factory. Good coffee.

Delicious food, super friendly staff, will eat there again next time.

Not recommended! The food was mediocre; the main course arrived right after the starter. We had to constantly flag someone down to ask for something. The scroppinos were melted before they arrived, "because the kitchen had already gone home." All in all, I won't be going back.

I can understand when service is bad in a full restaurant. But here it was simply her attitude. The restaurant was almost empty, waiter saw that people are waiting to be seated and she was just talking to her friends. Food is not special. A better sea food dishes can be found in other sea food restaurants. I love places in historical buildings, but I stop going there after facing such attitudes.

Delicious food for a fair price and friendly service! Highly recommended.

Been coming here for so long. It's a great place. Service is good and food is also good. Would love to see some more vegetarian options and gluten free.

A true gem of the city, with consistent quality, very good prices and great quality of service.

Enjoyed a delicious lunch in a unique building. Friendly staff.

I usually enjoy going to Cradam. The atmosphere is pleasant, and most of the staff are friendly and helpful. Unfortunately, I've had a less than pleasant experience during my last two visits, both times with the same employee (manager, perhaps) on the floor. I had placed an order with a colleague and wanted to ask her a quick question for clarification. However, her response came across as very rude when she didn't immediately understand my question. Later, there was some confusion about a cappuccino I ordered, and she responded with a snappy response. That felt unfriendly and unwelcoming. Other colleagues also occasionally made small mistakes with orders, but they resolved these very kindly and professionally. I hope attention is paid to the way guests are treated, because I'd love to return, but only in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Great food for a reasonable price. Fast and friendly service. Nice venue.