Café restaurant van Kerkwijk in Burgwallen-Oude Zijde

What a huge mistake choosing this place for dinner on our first day in Amsterdam... Ignore the dishes listed on their website: once seated, a waitress warned us that there was no written menu, and that she was going to tell us out loud what we could choose (which is about four first courses and four main courses). I chose what sounded the least likeable to me: "gazpacho" for starters. Well, to summarize, this piece of garbage only had tomato sauce in common with the great Andalusian dish: it wasn't liquid, it didn't contain cucumber, green pepper, olive oil, onion, or garlic... For main course, literally, a grilled beef entrecote on a pile of strawberry jam (as is), with a small scoop of the ubiquitous fries. I had a glass of Spanish red wine, and since it was almost undrinkable, I ordered another wine: this time Argentinian, which was almost worse. Haughty and pretentious service. Cuisine made up of meaningless combinations. The place is poorly lit and noisy. And of course, it's expensive (it's in Amsterdam, friends), but the quality/price ratio is terrible. If you're not an absurdly masochistic person, don't go. Dutch cuisine is very, very limited, but I assure you there are plenty of other decent places.

Had a delicious salad here for lunch. With a Blue Stilton "sauce." Truly delicious. The friendly guys serving made all the difference. The atmosphere was fine, but nothing special.

I removed a star ⭐ for the reason the menu was not available and therefore leads to confusion regarding the price!

TOURIST TRAP – BEWARE! We were completely misled by this restaurant. On Google, the prices were listed as 10–20 €, so we expected something reasonably priced. When we arrived, no menu was provided. They simply recited a few options, which in hindsight should have been a red flag. The food was fine but definitely not worth the price. When the bill arrived, we were shocked: almost 200 € for four people: just one appetizer, one main, and a drink each. Based on their online prices, we thought it would be around 30 € per person at most. To make it worse, my friend ordered a small beer and they charged her the same as a large one! Dishonest pricing practices and lack of transparency. The food might be decent, but the way they take advantage of tourists is unacceptable. Avoid unless you want a nasty surprise when the bill arrives.

Great place to drop in for a pizza

My Best dinner in Amsterdam. Indonesian chicken is heavenly. Muscles great. No menu. Listen to waiter recite.

Omg, WOW! In a place where everything looks tourist trap, this is a hidden gem! They don’t have a written menu, so a really nice waiter explains all the options to you. It was hard to choose as everything sounded amazing! When the food came, it was just out of this world fantastic! Highly recommend it!

We ate here for the first time tonight. It's a small, busy place, but it has its own unique atmosphere. The food was good, as was the atmosphere. The evening was made by the very friendly ladies who helped us through the evening. Sometimes, the success of an evening comes from receiving attentive service and a smile.

The americano was wondeful. Nice wife at that place. We are spent nice moments there. Recomendación

As a restaurant in Touristic area, it is very odd that there is no menu and you cant know nothing about the prices until is too late and you have to pay. Waitress and the waiter we had I consider them as not friendly. Because they answered everything somehow that we are aliens and everything is so obvious!, When we asked about the draft biers and what kinds they have, they only said OURS, same for lemonade😅. They were insisting that we are not ordering enough food and they face expressions was disturbing to me. Next table to us had a mint drink and they brought some dried mint and put it inside her drink I dont know, but for a place with this hight ratings, I do not find my experience satisfying

It's a lovely living room space! With great choices! What's not to like!

Warm family atmosphere and delicious food. The owner always welcomes guests with a genuine smile and personal care. Service is outstanding and every visit feels special.

Everything was extraordinary! It is a special restaurant, it does not have a conventional menu. The staff explains carefully and with passion directly at the table what the menu is. I came here 2 nights in a row with great pleasure. 10 for all the services!

An excellent restaurant in Amsterdam! The +++: 🤵🏻‍♂️: the friendliness of the staff 🍽: the quality of the food An incredible culinary experience. The plates are generously sized, the goat cheese salad is excellent, and the apple tart is the best I've ever eaten. Truly exceptional! Bravo! There's no menu to read; the waitress recited it to us. It creates a warm and friendly atmosphere. I highly recommend this establishment.

Really great food at reasonable prices. The steak with strawberry sauce was awesome and so were the desserts

Excellent service and quality. Beautiful spot on the Nes.

Very good restaurant and atmosphere, the food was just really delicious and we had a good time, will definetly recommend around

Simply amazing Fantastic food in a fantastic place

We really enjoyed this place. Small and vibrant. They only serve a few dishes, so if you like to leaf through a huge menu, it’s not for you. The food we had (one main course each, one drink each, no starters or desserts) was delicious. Attentive and friendly customer service, not cheap but worth every penny. Would definitely return.

A very nice place. The service was attentive and very pleasant. A unique concept with the waiter explaining the menu. We'll come back!

Can’t really say how the food is, we never got any due to absolutely horrible service…. Only payment was quick 😂

We visited van Kerkwijk on a Thursday night, just as IBC (a large conference) was starting in Amsterdam. We were a party of 5 with no reservation but they were extremely accommodating and sat us within 10mins. The service we had by Paula and Evie was first class. There is no written menu so they patiently explained what was on offer to us, and provided recommendations for both food and drink. The meal was superb, and everyone in our group had a wonderful evening. If you are looking for a local style experience in the heart of Amsterdam get yourself here.

Very good. Service, food, atmosphere, and food... they offered us good food suggestions, the beer was very good, and the desserts even better. No negative comments, even the price. It was pretty fair for what we ate: €120 for four people: starter, main course, dessert, drink, and coffee. Highly recommended.

This is our favorite restaurant! 💕 My boyfriend and I love coming here - every time we come to Amsterdam, this is the very first place we go. The food is always delicious, the staff are sweet and attentive, and the atmosphere is so cozy that we never want to leave.✨

Very good service and cook. The beef is juicy and tender.

“An ideal place to enjoy a delicious, homemade meal made with local produce, yet refined with the delicate touches of signature cuisine. The service is very attentive. A wonderful discovery in a beautiful city.”

What a wonderful place for lunch! The food was great, and the service exceeded my expectations. Keep in mind that this is a small family-run business, so space is limited—please enjoy!

I don’t usually rate places I visit but this was truly special. The service and the food quality and most importantly the level of service and kindness of the staff which was limited to Paula and the chef was beyond amazing. They read ahead what we need and they cater for it.

Unique service because there is no paper menu/card. They explain the choices of dishes and drinks to us, but it is difficult to remember and make a decision quickly, especially when you don't know the price and have to ask. In any case, the food is very good!

Impressed how the staff knew the menu inside-out and were able to make tailored suggestions - unfortunately it was very loud in the restaurant. The food was very delicious and well presented.

Wonderful food and service. Well worth trying.

Great service and fantastic food.

Cozy place. Very friendly waiter. There's no physical menu; the food options are recited by the waiter.

Great little spot just a block away from the constant movement of traffic, pedestrians and cyclists. Love the spoken menu - just adds to the homey ambiance. Small but good local beer selections. Mussels were fantastic and the Indonesian Chicken was outstanding. Great fries with garlic mayo and the service was terrific. I’d your looking for a great experience just off the beaten path, this is it.

Great place in the center of Amsterdam, great fish soup.

Evie and max mad my experience incredible. Best restaurant in Amsterdam. What a spot. Even when we overstayed our welcome, they looked after us!

Wonderful lunch location, a spoken menu super local and fusion food options the staff were really lovely food was great and we'll priced.

Siamo stati in questo ristorante seguendo le recensioni positive. Il fatto del menu letto al tavolo, può avere una sua poesia ma in realtà non consente una scelta consapevole, né dà la possibilità di visionare i prezzi dei singoli piatti. Il cibo ha una qualità abbastanza scarsa. Abbiamo assaggiato la carne e risultava molto dura.

Locale a conduzione familiare, situato nel centro storico della città. Ha vinto il premio come Traveller’s Choice 2024 in Amsterdam. Verrete accolti da una calda accoglienza olandese. Il menù non è scritto, ma verrà raccontato dal cameriere direttamente al vostro tavolo. Ho iniziato con uno starter di salame tipico olandese, aromatizzato con mostarda al limone, il tutto accompagnato da cetriolini, cipolline e focaccia artigianale. A seguire, un filetto di manzo olandese scottato, servito su base di Gouda e purea di frutti rossi. Tutto meraviglioso. Da provare assolutamente.

There was no menu. The waitress chirped something about the menu being different every day, so she started telling us in a foreign language, which was difficult to understand, what the food was like today. I chose a steak with goat cheese and strawberry syrup. And I asked for regular lemonade. I had to wait a very long time for the food, about an hour to be exact. No one asked how well the steak was done, they brought semi-rare meat, which I don't eat. I tried to cut and try at least the edges of the steak, but at some point I just had to spit it out and couldn't eat any more. There are no words about the lemonade at all. It's some kind of bland taste with regular water and a disgusting taste. And it turned out that instead of lemonade, they brought me cold tea, because that's exactly what it said on the check - ICE TEA. That is, without warning, without asking, they simply brought me some crap instead of the lemonade I ordered, which I never buy or drink. I think the waitress saw how uncomfortable I was when I spat out a piece of steak. She never once came up to us and asked if everything was okay. Another waiter checked us out. I definitely DO NOT recommend this place.

Excellent choice! Finally, local cuisine, well-prepared! Their specialty is really good, as are the appetizers, dessert, and beer. The price was reasonable for what we ate. I would go back. It's a small place where you don't have to reserve, but you have to wait in line.

Ottima cucina olandese. Gestione familiare. Ambiente molto accogliente e cordiale. Prezzi nella media. Consigliato.

Restaurant serving typical Dutch dishes, very tasty and well prepared.

The food was nice but I thing is a little bit overpriced

The food is a modern dut h cuisine here. We had their speciality beef on goat cheese and strawberry sauce. It was good but nothing you can not do at home. Service was spotless. The waitress knew the whole menu by memory. Impressive! Bathroom was old and not spotless - no hand soap.

Overpriced. A guy told us what was on the menu because when we asked for one, they stated that the don’t have menus in the restaurant… Therefore we couldn’t see the prices… The dishes were also average and not something special… very small portions. We ended up paying almost 140€ for 4 dishes and potatoes. Not worth it and the salad was awful…

A lovely restaurant located in the center of Amsterdam. Traditional fish, meat, and soup dishes. Excellent appetizers and desserts. Friendly staff and good food. Recommended.

Great local cafe with authentic farm to table cuisine Great service

Glasses placed on the table with lots of soap. We pointed this out and the manager didn't appreciate it. Inexcusable.

Terrible service, a 45-minute wait for a reserved table and an unpleasant owner A hefty bill of €160 for just a main course and an appetizer for three The meal was good, but the service was non-existent, which is a shame... I do not recommend it

Yes this place deserves all the good reviews. Service was excellent and the menu is always different, which the servers will describe from memory. Everything was a hit. The food was delicious. I wished I had another day in Amsterdam just so I could come back again!

Beautiful little restaurant, amazing food with the interesting concept of no menus. The wait staff explain the menu to you! Great service, all locally sources foods.

You can definitely feel love in what they do. Everything was perfect.

I think the fact that they don't have a physical menu, and only have spoken menus, creates stress when trying to remember everything they tell you. It also means there are few options. I also felt the food wasn't that great. I wouldn't go back.

We had a wonderful meal here. The menu is explained at the table and is a surprise every day. The service is friendly and takes their time. And the price is definitely right. Highly recommended.

An absolute gem. Food was out of this world. Great service. If you only go to one restaurant when you visit Amsterdam make it this one. The starter of Stilton with salad, dates wrapped in bacon, and port sauce was a sensation. The steak on goats cheese with strawberry sauce, yes that's right I said strawberry sauce, was incredible. The only downside is that I cannot give them six stars out of five.

I experienced today a Disability Discrimination in this restaurant. I came with my brother who is in wheelchair and while the whole restaurant was empty and only 3 tables were occupied, the waiter told me that they couldn’t have a person in wheelchair in their restaurant. Didn’t explain why, just that it was “hard”. I couldn’t believe what she was saying. I explained her politely it was totally fine and that my brother could be in the place of a regular chair, they just needed to move one chair, but the waiter very rudely explained they just didn’t have a seat for us because “it will get busy later”. I’m just glad I was the one who came in to ask and that my brother wasn’t in front to have to listen to the conversation of why he was being discriminated against.

Wir sind am ersten Tag in Amsterdam eher zufällig ins Restaurant gekommen und sind sehr positiv überrascht worden! Es gibt wenig Auswahl, die Gerichte werden von Kellner/in angepriesen, es gibt keine Karte, wir haben uns überraschen lassen und waren äußerst zu frieden. Rumpsteak auf Ziegenkäse und Erdbeersauce mit Pommes und Salat hatte ich vorher noch nicht. Kleines, gemütliches Lokal, sehr nette Bedienung und gutes Essen!

Delicious meal, and very kind and welcoming staff. They announce the menu to you by voice, which I think is a great initiative!

We encountered the restaurant for the first time and were immediately drawn to its ambiance, but having already dined that day, we did not enter. The following day, while seeking a reputable traditional Dutch restaurant, the hotel concierge coincidentally recommended this one. We love the atmosphere of the restaurant; it was so cozy, welcoming, yet filled with local urban vibes. The food was exceptionally delicious. There’s no menu at the table. If you look on their homepage, you may see the menu with their regular dishes. When you dine in, they will explain their menu, including the specials of the day, at the table. What great communication!

Very good service. Good food and nice atmosphere. It's a shame there's no written menu. They tell you what's on offer every day. But it's still very good.

Average food but at least price was deacent. There are no physical menus in the restaurant, waitress tells you the a la carte list. I find that inconvenient and complicated.

A truly pleasant discovery! Well-cooked and beautifully served dishes, featuring the specials of the day.

I stumbled upon this place yesterday. What a breath of fresh air in the hustle and bustle of this city. Delicious food, friendly service, and a lovely atmosphere to unwind. Highly recommended.

I never normally leave reviews… but this place was something sooo special! A truly wonderful evening with great food and service and atmosphere!!!! Thank you!

We found this place by chance and were absolutely delighted))) It was the most delicious dinner during our entire time in Amsterdam)) Special thanks to the waiters for their patience and understanding))

The restaurant does not have any physical or digital menu available (they have a menu on a website but we were told that it’s from 6 years ago). The staff lists the menu items (without prices) and basically pressures you to order instantly. This is crazy way of ordering in my opinion. But okay, i’d be fine with it if the food was exceptional. It wasn’t. All the dishes we ordered were mediocre at best. That, combined with poor service and, as it turned out, pretty high prices makes me wonder how in the world does this restaurant have such good reviews. Do not recommend.

My worst restaurant experience of the year. The staff were friendly, but we felt very uncomfortable due to the judgmental attitude during the ordering process. The way they took orders was strange — they didn’t want to give us a menu. Instead, a staff member came over and lazily listed a few dishes, which left us very confused. The quality was far below our expectations. They didn’t even ask how we wanted the meat cooked. Once again, they try to present themselves as a fancy restaurant, but the standards are extremely low. I’m really disappointed to have paid so much for such a poor experience. We were asked five times if we wanted drinks within the first 10 minutes. My dish arrived cold. This restaurant tries to come across as fancy, with higher prices, but the quality was poor. The sauces tasted industrial, and the main dish was awful due to a disastrous combination of white cheese, raspberry sauce, and beef. I strongly do not recommend this place. Avoid at all costs.

Staff was the best, polite... thank you!!

Fantastic food! The food was delicious, but the service really made the difference. Friendly, attentive, and with an eye for detail. We felt incredibly welcome. We'll definitely be back!

Friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. Food was beautiful!

A great discovery, everything was delicious and beautifully presented. The staff was excellent, very friendly. Highly recommended.

Great food and friendly service, but you get very little fries and salad. Three people get the same amount as two, which isn't really fair.

Food was great and something special.

An amazing experience, we came here twice, there was three of us each time we were delighted and the waiters/waitresses are top notch, nothing less than 5 stars, we recommence the mix plater with the mussels which are simply incredible, the chicken also as well as the beef !

This restaurant is situated in a romantic small alley next to an arch between two buildings with a lamppost on it. The concept is unusual: there is no menu, rather the waiter sits down with you and presents the choices of the day. In our case he had to repeat the main courses twice because my friend promptly developed a crush on him, but that's another matter 😅. More importantly, the dishes were good! We had mussels, white fish and beef with very interesting and unusual sauces (the beef was served with a strawberry based one!). It was a perfect place where after a hearty meal, you would just take your companion's hand and dive deep into her eyes, illuminated by the colorful lighting weaved between the buildings above the tables to revisit all the memories you've made together here in Amsterdam.

Amazing food and atmosphere, hidden gem

In over 20 years of eating out in Amsterdam, I can’t remember more surprising, original and truly wonderful dishes as I had tonight! Compliments to the Chef!

Nice environment and good food. I am not a fan of goat cheese and it was a weird combination with the tender beef (steak), but the chef pulled it off. The steak was perfectly cooked and delicious

As someone who travels often and enjoys exploring new places, I believe it’s important to highlight spots that truly stand out — and this one certainly does. Simply delightful in every way. From the atmosphere to the quality of what’s served, everything felt thoughtfully done. It’s a must-visit for anyone in the area. Trust me, this is one of those places that leaves a lasting impression.

Absolutely loved this place! Super friendly staff, a cozy family atmosphere, and no written menu they just tell you what’s fresh that day. We started with two amazing soups, then had steaks one with herby butter, the other topped with goat cheese. Both were perfectly cooked and full of flavor. And that PEAR PIE... omg. Legit next-level. One of the best desserts I’ve ever had!

Magnificent food, wonderful service, and excellent hospitality. Highly recommended are the appetizers, the veal with strawberry and goat cheese sauce, and the salmon! They also speak perfect Spanish, which is always appreciated!

A quiet place, the staff are friendly, and the home cooking is excellent.

really tasty and homemade food at a very affordable price for the quality, low key decor but very comfortable and chill

We came without a reservation and were very grateful to the host for finding space for us. She recalled the menu verbally which was a pleasure as it felt so relaxed and friendly. We had a couple of needs and we were assured these would be no issue at all which was very much appreciated. The food was absolutely divine when it arrived, put together expertly. Every bite was a pleasure. Can't fault the restaurant at all, we loved it

Friendly and punctual service. Excellent food. The place is a bit noisy. N.B. If you want tap water ask twice because they don't just give it to tourists!

We decided to eat here based on the Rick Steves recommendation. The place is off the main drag but definitely appears to be frequented by locals as English was scarcely heard (but the wait staff are fluent). Atmosphere is casual. We ate outside, so we were able to get seated immediately. No printed menus. We waited a bit for service, but food was delivered promptly after ordering. My wife raved about her mussels (and definitely use the bread to soak up the sauce). I had the stilton cheese, which was excellent (although the bacon wrapped dates which came with it were only okay). We both had the beef with goat cheese accompanied by a strawberry sauce. I would have never thought of such a combination, but the steak was excellent (although my wife would have preferred hers to be well-done). Prices were decent for Amsterdam. It's definitely worth the visit to get some local Dutch flavors!

Attention, food and exceptional price, worth it

Highly recommended! The sandwich was the best I've had in a long time. Definitely worth a visit in Amsterdam

It was a lovely experience and great food! Thank you.

A fine gem in amazing Amsterdam💎 unexpected but am so glad to be given the chance to dine here. I will go back tomorrow if I can as it is my last day in Amsterdam.

For the price, I'm a little disappointed. It's not a restaurant as such, but a bar with food. They don't have printed menus with prices; only the waiter explains everything. The fish was frozen, the meat was good but not great, and the soups for starters were good.

We shared a delicious lunch of salmon with a piquant tomato salsa and lamb with pea puree and tomato. The restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere very close to the Dam area.

No written menu, but nice meals and staff. When crowded, it's loud and you might expect longer waiting times.

Today I had a lovely chat with a friend at Van Kerkwijk while enjoying an excellent lunch and ditto wine. The spoken menu is nice, but you have to pay attention, because there is so much to choose from. Thanks again to host Jeroen for the dates, they were delicious and tasted exactly as I remembered from the past!

The food, service and wine are all fantastic! The prices are very reasonable for the quality of everything. The mussels, lamb and steak were the best we’ve had anywhere on our travels.

Great! Great service, the chef has a fine palate! Thank you very much!

An excellent, unique experience in Amsterdam. We were very well served by our waiter, Jalmer. I highly recommend it to any Brazilian or Portuguese who wants to visit and have a wonderful experience in this city.

The „service“ of the waitress was a joke -brought us the wrong food and didn’t care about that mistake at all. Her behavior towards us was so ignorant that we just wanted to leave that place. By far the worst experience we ever had in a restaurant.

Absolutely amazing experience! This restaurant is a MUST!