Castell in De Weteringschans

Warm and lovely atmosphere , high quality fresh good, welcoming staff

We had dinner later that evening. The carpaccio appetizer was tasteless. The atmosphere was nice, and we ate on the couch with our plate on our lap. The service was excellent.

Unfortunately, our visit was very disappointing. The tall, blond waiter was extremely unfriendly, unprofessional, and appeared discriminatory in the way he treated guests. His behavior was completely inappropriate and negatively affected the entire experience. This is especially disappointing because the restaurant itself is very nice and has a lot of potential. However, a single employee with such an unfriendly and disrespectful attitude can ruin the overall impression of the place. Based on this experience, I unfortunately cannot recommend this restaurant.

Good food and atmosphere but limited choice of drinks and quite expensive

The dishes was absolutely delicious especially chicken, but why was the water so expensive? The water cost the same as a dessert and was even more expensive than all the side dishes on the menu. The price made no sense. Aside from that, everything we ate was very delicious.

This is a steakhouse focused mainly on barbecue and grilled meat. It was our first time here and we wanted to give it a chance. We went without a reservation and were told there was availability for 1.5 hours, which worked for us. We ordered bottle of wine,ribeye, ribs, and side dish, and honestly, everything we ate was delicious. The food was truly successful the meats were cooked perfectly and full of flavor. We really enjoyed what we ate and were very satisfied with the quality of the food. However, due to the concept of the place, sitting down and eating comfortably was quite difficult. I can say that it was not very comfortable and I didn’t fully enjoy the dining experience in that sense. The atmosphere itself is very nice and beautifully decorated, especially for the New Year, which we appreciated a lot. That said, having to eat on the service board placed on your lap was uncomfortable, and reaching for your drink was sometimes difficult at least at the spot where we were seated. This comment is based specifically on our seating area. Regarding service, I can’t say we were completely satisfied. Overall, it was acceptable, and in general we were still pleased, but there were some attitudes particularly from one female staff member that didn’t feel very welcoming or professional. I won’t go into details, as it was something that could be tolerated and didn’t overshadow the overall experience. In summary, the food was excellent and definitely the highlight of the visit. With a more comfortable seating setup and slightly more attentive service, this place could be even better.

The Best Ribs in Europe. Every cut of meat here is of unmatched quality, accompanied by fantastic staff...

A cozy setting for a modern concept. A plate on your lap without Studio Sport. Friendly service. When a time slot is mentioned in the communication, the atmosphere changes a bit. Ultimately, no reservations were made after us. We did have our closing drinks elsewhere.

Just had a delicious meal, great service! Highly recommended.

Great vibes, we sat at the table watching the grill it was a great experience. Best salmon iv ever had it was cooked perfectly 🫶

The food was good, but the service was AWFUL. It was our first time here, so we needed some time to look through the menu. The waiter said we were taking too long and didn’t even confirm our order with us, so we were left completely confused about what we had actually ordered. When we paid, the waiter even gave us an attitude. Overall, the experience was not good.

The food and the service was very good Thank you so much for accommodating

Unfortunately we event didn’t have a chance to taste the food . We had a reservation for 3 people, but we were not offered a regular table seating that you usually expect for a dinner occasion. We had to leave.

What a fantastic place! I had spare ribs with salad, honestly the best spare ribs I've ever had. Then I shared a dessert of sugar bread with my friend. Also incredibly delicious. All of this in a uniquely retro and intimate atmosphere with great music. Definitely recommended!!!!

Delicious, hospitable, atmospheric, retro, fantastic!

The food is great. The steak was cooked properly and the kitchen clearly knows what they’re doing. But the service? Absolutely unacceptable. I was seated in a dark, unlit corner even though plenty of tables were open. Then the waiter didn’t bother to give me a menu, didn’t acknowledge me, didn’t check in — nothing. I sat there completely ignored. For an establishment charging premium prices, this is embarrassing. As an Asian diner, the way I was treated felt blatantly dismissive and racist. There’s a big difference between busy restaurant and simply refusing to serve someone. This was the latter. Fantastic food, ruined by front-of-house staff who make certain customers feel like they don’t belong. If you’re Asian or a minority traveler, think twice before coming here.

Delicious food, great service. Reservations are a must.

I haven't been here in about 18 years!!! No clue why it took me so long 🤔? The steaks were some of the best I've had in a very long time( outside of my kitchen 😁)....We were treated like Kings and we walked out with full bellies!!!

One of my favourite go to restaurant in Amsterdam for steak. Booking is essential as walk ins are often turned away unfortunately. High chair bar counter seating for smaller groups and the u shape sofa for bigger groups or sharing. The lobster bisque with brandy is a good start for a cold winter's day. The French onion soup was just as good. Usually I'll order the ribble, but instead I tried the special of the day, the black Angus, no regrets. Cooked perfectly and the condiments sauce were tasty. I had the seasonal vegetables side which was not worth the money. The spare ribs comes with a generous sauce and the meat slides off the bone. House wine pour paired well with the steak. The dinner atmosphere was dim and cozy. Service with Dutch hospitality.

Great grilled meat and fish in an informal place with kind service and warm ambiance. No tables, just the counter and sofas. I recommend the counter.

The overall experience was quite good. The pork ribs were indeed grilled very well, and the two dipping sauces were also well-seasoned. In comparison, the appetizers were just average. The shrimp were very ordinary shrimp (a bit pricey considering the price), and the snails were a bit too salty. Some reviews mentioned that the waiters' attitude was poor, and I did have that feeling to some extent, but I think it was more a matter of competence than attitude. As for those who dislike the seats near the sofas, at least in my opinion, the atmosphere there was quite nice.

A wonderful restaurant in the center of Amsterdam, We made a reservation - and it was good, it was full And more people kept coming, They sat us in front of the grill - and it was really fascinating, Watching the grilling, Like a real dance, so efficient, professional Wow! The food was very tasty! The service was great, We will be back.

Having Solo dinner. Nice restaurant, good service, Price More than good quality/Price. Defenetly coming back

We tried their ribs, chopped lamb, and jacket potato. They all were delicious. If you don't have a reservation, you can sit on the sofa and eat on a tray. The atmosphere is cozy. The service was average, neutral.

This is by far our favorite restaurant in Amsterdam. The food is always amazing and the service is always great! We try to go back whenever we visit the city and strongly recommend this lovely establishment!

Good place- very touristy however nice place with nice size meals. Cool ambiance

What a great place and great food this is!

I had a disappointing experience. Sitting on a couch and eating food on your lap is not ideal. The steak was delicious, but instead of kiwi and melon, fries would have been a much better choice — the fruits just don’t fit the dish. Also, instead of calling it “vegetables,” you should simply say “uncooked asparagus,” as that’s all that was served. The service was mixed: the waiters were very attentive, but the manager seemed to prioritise money over customer comfort. We asked to move to another table that was free, but the manager refused, saying it was reserved. However, the table stayed empty during our entire visit, which was quite frustrating. I hope the restaurant takes this feedback into account and continues to improve.

I’ve been to Castell a total of 3 times so far over the span of 5 years whenever I visit Amsterdam. It’s become one of my favourite steakhouse in Amsterdam. Sometimes you’ll be seated on the couches where you’ll need to have the serving board on your lap, and other times you’ll have a table. It really depends on the day and how busy it gets. I enjoy all types of dining so it was never an issue for me. The most recent visit I was seated outside and the waiter made sure we were warm and comfortable. As soon as it started raining they came out to check up on us to see if we were okay with the environment. Overall, I’d say while Castell is upscale, it’s also very unpretentious and classy, it shows throughout the vibes of the restaurant from the staff to the dining guests. I will just let the picture of the steak speak for itself and this T-bone certainly hit the spot. I’ve also had the sirloin steak during my previous visit. The steak is always delicious and filling. In addition, the service has always been fantastic and extremely friendly as well as attentive. They take their time to get to know you and chat with you when they can, and sometimes provide recommendations based on your conversation. It’s definitely become a restaurant where I would definitely come back to whenever I can simply because I know it’ll always be a good time. The food is also priced very reasonable for the atmosphere and service it provides so definitely check it out!

I’ve been to Castell a total of 3 times so far over the span of 5 years whenever I visit Amsterdam. It’s become one of my favourite steakhouse in Amsterdam. Sometimes you’ll be seated on the couches where you’ll need to have the serving board on your lap, and other times you’ll have a table. It really depends on the day and how busy it gets. I enjoy all types of dining so it was never an issue for me. The most recent visit I was seated outside and the waiter made sure we were warm and comfortable. As soon as it started raining they came out to check up on us to see if we were okay with the environment. Overall, I’d say while Castell is upscale, it’s also very unpretentious and classy, it shows throughout the vibes of the restaurant from the staff to the dining guests. I will just let the picture of the steak speak for itself and this T-bone certainly hit the spot. I’ve also had the sirloin steak during my previous visit. The steak is always delicious and filling. In addition, the service has always been fantastic and extremely friendly as well as attentive. They take their time to get to know you and chat with you when they can, and sometimes provide recommendations based on your conversation. It’s definitely become a restaurant where I would definitely come back to whenever I can simply because I know it’ll always be a good time. The food is also priced very reasonable for the atmosphere and service it provides so definitely check it out!

Service is rude. Terrible place.

Service very qualified. Food taste good and every dish plentiful. Traditional food bar atmosphere.

If you just look at the meat on your plate, Castell is a good restaurant. However, everything else about it didn't appeal to us. We were particularly disappointed by the fact that you have to eat your food on your lap with a placemat. You'd rather eat dishes like that at a table and a chair. We also paid €10 each for grilled vegetables as a side dish. This amounted to two grilled green asparagus spears with some sauce. The fruit garnish with the meat wasn't a good match either. All in all, not a success.

Great food, great service, would love to go back

Very good place to have your meal….atmosphere is average…food is average

Enjoyed a delicious piece of meat! Friendly service!

In the Netherlands it is not mandatory to give tip, but they pressuring customers by notifying multiple times that tip is not included is outright rude. Such a disgrace for our Dutch culture.

I absolutely love this restaurant! The staff are friendly and welcoming, and the food is always delicious. Every time I visit Amsterdam, I make sure to eat here—it’s one of my favorites!

The food was truly delicious, top-notch meat, and the salmon was also delicious. Lovely Amsterdam atmosphere. The service was good. Nice music in the background. I'll definitely be back!

People there very nice & friendly. I told one of the guy that i have only an hour to eat and he made it for me. And being Asian, we dont have this tipping practice with us, i forgot to tip them~~ and as i am following tour i am not able to return to give them the tip. But i will remember this restaurant and tip the next time i come! On the foods, Asian prefers more flavourful escargot & i find Naughty Nuri ribs is more to my taste~

Reservations are recommended. Perfect food

We visited this restaurant on Thursday, August 28th, around 7 p.m. The food was truly delicious, especially the meat dishes—we were really impressed with the quality. However, our experience was unfortunately spoiled by the tall, short-haired male waiter serving the outside tables. His attitude came across as rude and unfriendly, and it left us feeling uncomfortable on the very last day of our Amsterdam trip. Amsterdam is such a welcoming, touristic city, and we had met many kind and warm-hearted people during our stay. That’s why this incident was surprising and disappointing. I still recommend the restaurant for its excellent food, but I hope the management pays attention to staff behavior so that future guests can enjoy both the service and the food equally.

I ate here for the first time, and it will be my last. From the start, it was completely misleading. When I walked in and was presented with the menu, I skipped it and immediately ordered spare ribs—that's what I came for, after all. I specifically asked what came with the ribs, and the waiter said, "vegetables and baked potato." Fine, agreed. I also ordered two glasses of red wine. I was surprised when the bill arrived: €59.00! I'd paid €64.00, including the tip, without paying attention at the time because I was already talking. It wasn't until I was on my way home that I saw the bill and was stunned: besides the spare ribs, the receipt listed three glasses of red wine (€18!), seasonal vegetables (€6!), and a mixed salad (€6!). I didn't order any of this. I immediately went back and asked for a manager—but he either couldn't or wouldn't come. Instead, the same server came up with a scandalous response: they only wanted to reimburse the wine. His explanation? "It clearly states on the menu that extras are charged separately. We don't have to tell everyone that. You ate it all, didn't you?" Unbelievable! How on earth was I supposed to know this when I'd never even looked at the menu and had just been informed by him? This is pure fraud, deception, and shameless money-making. Making customers pay for "extras" that aren't even clearly communicated is absolutely despicable. This kind of practice is ruining the hospitality industry and shows exactly what kind of business this is: a place where honesty and customer service are of no value. I'm never coming back and will warn everyone around me to avoid this place. They're nothing less than jerks who deliberately mislead their customers.

I give it a 5 stars for the Black Angus Prime Ribeye steak which was really good. The sides were not the best. Definitely not what I thought a garden salad would be. I wasn't expecting fruit. The potato was big and hot, but I could probably skip it next time. The steak was amazing though and I saw someone get the ribs that looked pretty good.

Amazing food and great service 👌 10 out of 10!

Excellent dinner, service, and location. We dined outside along the canal. We'll be back!

Super fun and delicious food! For a fun evening, I'll make a reservation at the bar when Lars is working.

For a good piece of meat and the best steak tartare you have to go to Castel

Nice venue next to one of the canals, they also have outdoor seating. I had the lobster soup and the brownie and liked both. The staff was attentive.

Recommended by a riverboat capt. Amazing service, beautiful atmosphere. Great food. Loved it

The steak was below average. I ordered medium well and it came out dry. The size is large enough for two people. But I wouldn't go back. There are much better options.

People were eating meat from a tray on their lap.. interesting (not saying it is bad, I had my table)

The beef satay is to die for. Tender, salty, tangy and melts in your mouth!

Best ribs in Amsterdam! Love it here! Sit at the bar, if small group, if able to

Inside couch seating was a bit awkward for steak.

Great place. The staff is polite and helps you choose food according to your interests. Nice atmosphere. We sat outside. Near the water channel. Super, I recommend it to everyone.

We were a group of 11, including 4 kids, and everything was absolutely amazing. We couldn’t believe how delicious the meat was from the starters to the main courses, every bite was perfect. Definitely the number one place to enjoy top-quality meat. Highly recommended!

First of all, I must say that the restaurant is very nicely decorated inside, creating a cozy atmosphere. However, it's inconvenient if you want to eat something, as there are no tables. The staff are inattentive and unfriendly. The food mainly consists of meat cooked on the BBQ grill. However, you don't get this explanation from the staff at the beginning, which is a bit irritating, as the meat tastes fundamentally different from regular steaks. However, the wine list is good, and the meat is a delicious taste experience. The spare ribs are highly recommended. The selection of side dishes and vegetable options is very poor. They don't even offer an alternative to meat, and they don't serve fries or anything similar as a side dish. All in all, a beautifully decorated restaurant, perfect for communal eating and drinking. However, you should be warned that this is anything but an ordinary meat restaurant.

The food here is ALWAYS good! Friendly atmosphere and fantastic steak. 10/10! An Amsterdam classic.

Really great food! Good atmosphere and service.

Our go-to for delicious meat, good service and a pleasant atmosphere!

Castell is on my list of favorite restaurants in Amsterdam. Delicious grilled fish and meat dishes, good wines, and a unique atmosphere. The best spot is definitely at the bar, and I always start with the shrimp in garlic oil as an appetizer, extra spicy, of course 😜🔥

I found this to be the best restaurant in Amsterdam.The steak was wonderful the lobster unbelievable

This place literally saved our birthday party, we came there by chance without expectation, just trying to find dinner after 10 PM. But we got more than dinner. Food was amazing, the service was warm and full of jokes. It felt like reward, especially because we expect to have nothing except for the KFC so late. Moreover, our dinner turned into the real party with other guests. They even turned on the birthday song for our friend. We sang and danced together, it’s possible only in a good places like that I believe.

The food, especially the meat, is truly delicious. Everything from the BBQ, including the baked potato and vegetables. It might be a bit pricey, but good meat is worth the price. Definitely recommended.

One star less because I am not a fan of the sofa style seating. This is a restaurant, serving steak on a sofa, on a larger straw plate which is given to put on your lap, and the juice will spill on your clothes easily. The food was amazing, but the experience not.

I showed up early and the servers were incredibly helpful and accomodating. Service was fast and I was in and out in under an hour. The staff all took care of me and were very kind and attentive. The food was incredible, exactly as expected for the price.

My favourite chill out place in AMS with colleagues. They are able to accommodate 12 of us and extraordinary service rendered 😊 The food was delicious, prompt delivery and friendly staff 😍

One of our favourite places in Amsterdam - the staff treat you like family and the food is top notch!

Horrible racist place and THE WORST STEAK I have ever had in my life!! Our steak was so bad I was hoping we wouldn’t get sick after. One of them was super fatty the other extremely dry and I couldn’t even finish my steak😭 The way especially older waiters reacts to us was horrible. He purposely made us wait for hours to bring our food. He literally rolled his eyes when our late guess asked for a drinking menu😂 Poor guy who asked for menu was shocked and asking us why they hate us! I was so embarrassed to pick this place. I hope every tourist sees my comment.

Great food ! Great service . Steak is soft and tender , ribs are delicious as well. Lobster bisque wow !

Incredible food, especially the spare-ribs, but the service was very bad, I had a hard time getting service and the food took around 45 minutes to arrive.

Dropped in spontaneously for a concert evening. Had a great meal in this gem among grill restaurants. Highly recommended!

I had the Kreeften Soep (Lobster soup) with Cognac at 12 Euros, and Spare Ribs without sides at 24 Euros. Both were excellent and the ribs are barbecued with burnt ends. The meat comes off cleanly from the bones 🦴. Easy to eat, and is finger licking delicious.

Had a delicious bite to eat for my birthday. Price quality ratio is great. The T-Bone steak was great. Cozy old-fashioned atmosphere. As if you walk into an old cozy barn. Nice place at the bar where we were helped by Jeroen. Great service and good laughs. Thank you Jeroen, you made our evening! 👍🏻 The rest of the staff was also very friendly. In short: Great evening! I will definitely come back.

The reviews made me nervous until I remembered I’m not Asian.. Although fortunately the couple next to us seemed to be treated with the same level of hospitality! Incredible food and fantastic friendly service. Interesting seating methods on a lounge with trays but we seemed to do fine. Can’t expect much more for a walk-in without reservation.

Very rude waitress! Awful service and no customer care. People without reservations are not welcomed here, even with plenty of seats available. Do not recommend!

No information on reservations available, be ready to lose time

This is a must stop each time I'm in Amsterdam.

You have to get used to the experience of eating on the couch. Other than that it was great!!

Very good service, the manager was excellent and very helpful, he explained the menu well and asked if we still wanted to heat the meat after a few minutes of being served, with care and instruction we can clearly understand the professionalism of this manager My husband and I have a lot to thank for the splendid service, I recommend it!!!!

Delicious food I like especially lamb chops and Ribeye Steak.

the old man charges 6 euros for service fee. it is mandatory, i don't know what service he provides to us, it is unfair. keep away for this restaurant,

Very bad service. Very racist. Not subtle racism; BLATANT racisim. Do not go if you are an Asian.

Cracking steak (Black Angus rib-eye), nice Malbec. Slightly unusual set up where you sit on a couch and eat off of trays, but it's fine. The server Jerome was very friendly and helpful, and the rest of the staff seemed nice.

Lovely atmosphere, great service and the spare ribs are fantastic by the way.

Everything was ruined by the arrogant waiter (Peter?), who pretended not to hear any of our requests and of course our wishes were not even listened to, let alone fulfilled. For example - upon request (which shouldn't even be asked if you are serving steak) to bring freshly ground pepper for the steaks - he said- where is the store's pepper grinder on the table - grind it yourself! Not to mention the uncomfortable tables for eating... you have to eat on your lap or bend over at a Japanese-style table. It is incomprehensible why the company can't buy normal tables for eating. I would tolerate this if the waiter was hospitable, but his attitude towards the customer was disgusting. I would not recommend going there.

RACIST staff. Visit at your own risk if you want to be discriminated. My friend chose this place and made a reservation. I arrived earlier than my friend and the waiter walked past me three times totally ignoring me. I walked into the restaurant and another waiter half ignored me. Finally shown to a table with no attention given till my British friend came and the waiter who ignored me came and was totally friendly asking him what we wanted to eat etc. My friend had three beers and after the third, the waiter collected the glass and did not ask us anymore if we wanted more drinks. When we asked for bill, I offered to give my friend a treat. The waiter who ignored me earlier shamelessly asked me if I wanted to give a tip (never in my many years in Amsterdam was I ever asked directly to give a tip no matter how good the service was). Of course I said no to giving a cent more for racist treatment. I would have walked away at the start if my friend had not chose n reserved the place. This food is at most average so I did not bother taking any photo. I will never visit again.

I was really looking forward to dining here after hearing great things about their ribs and food. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing from the moment we arrived. We had made a reservation for dinner and were seated on a sofa, which we assumed was a waiting area. After placing our order, I politely asked if we could sit outside instead, as it was a lovely day. To our surprise, the young male waiter became immediately defensive and aggressive—cutting us off mid-sentence, rolling his eyes, scoffing, and speaking to us in a rude, disrespectful manner. He insisted it was the restaurant’s “concept” to eat off your lap on the sofas, slouched over, without any attempt to communicate this clearly or respectfully. Feeling uncomfortable, I approached the hostess at the front. She offered us a table by the grill, but her attitude was no better. I explained what had happened, but instead of an apology, we were met with passive aggression and defensiveness. We ultimately decided to leave. Service is just as important as food—and in this case, it completely ruined the experience. Tip: Don’t go if you’re not Dutch. And be prepared to eat your food off your lap—even with a reservation. Worst dining experience I’ve had in a long time

Inside, they don’t have dining chairs and tables, instead there is a couch and people need to eat on their lap, which is incredibly uncomfortable for steaks.

The steak is delicious and I recommend it

It's super delicious. The waiter's service attitude was very good and he chatted with us. He saw that we took the cake and moved from the sofa to the bar. It is recommended to go when there are less people!

The food was good, however the service was horrible. I went with friends and we ordered some appetisers and mains. We weren't sure how hungry we were and how big the portions were, so we ordered 3 mains and 3 appetisers (with the intention of ordering more if it really wasn't enough for us). The staff that served us then demanded that we order 6 mains and refused to place the order until we have selected 6 mains. He finally relented after we selected 5 mains. When it was bill time, he decided to add an additional 15 euros, claiming that that was the service charge. Should I not be the one to decide how much tipping I should give and whether I want to give a tip? Your service crew should not be the one to decide. I am very disgusted by his behaviour and I would not recommend this restaurant unless you feel like being pushed into a corner on what you should order and how much you should pay. There are a lot of other restaurants in Amsterdam that gives you good food and a more pleasant dining experience.

Food was great. Cocktail was great. Service was top notch and the dessert in particular made the evening a success.

asked me to eat in my lap, ridiculous, food is fine bit nothing special

Service was very bad, even none of the waitress bring menu so we left without eat anything.

One of my fav steak and grill place in Europe haha. Best in Amsterdam. Every time I go Amsterdam I will be there. These are photo 5 years ago.

11/10 spare ribs my GOD. Everything was great though - we had seasonal veg, jacket potato, bread and butter, then the hazelnut ice cream for dessert. Our bartender was also very attentive and had a good sense of humor. Overall a great choice for a pop-in dinner!

Let’s start with the food - it was very delicious, actually. The steak was amazing, and I loved the lobster bisque. It was also very very pricy, although I’m not sure if the pricing here is actually just standard for Amsterdam. Now I want to talk a bit about the seating - definitely reserve as early as you can, and I wasn’t really a fan of the sofa style table splitting. It was just… a bit awkward. It was a unique experience, for sure, but not really my cup of tea. I was quite uncomfortable eating on my lap (they do give you a lap table), and we split the area with 2 other groups of people. It’s an interesting but uncomfortable eating experience. I did find it really nice that the waiters could sit down next to you / on the shared low table and talked to you about the menu - that’s an extra level of intimacy / connection with your waiter that did help me feel more at ease. However, the general eating experience there was very uncomfortable, and I wouldn’t do it again. This isn’t the restaurant’s fault; I’m sure there are people who are fans of this style of dining, it just wasn’t me, and I had booked too late to get normal tables. Just wanted to warn the introverts among us before they try this.

If you're in Amsterdam and craving top-quality spare ribs, Castell is an absolute must-visit. The ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender, perfectly seasoned, and had just the right amount of smokiness—some of the best I've ever had. What makes the experience even better is the cozy, rustic vibe of the place and the outstanding service. The staff were warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming without being intrusive. You can tell they really care about creating a great dining experience. Highly recommended!