Restaurants in Inner City West/De Jordaan (Amsterdam)

Takens

Takens is situated right in the center of the city and is one of the most highly recommended restaurants in Amsterdam. The decor rather resembles a living room, and the menu is highly original, based on the original French and Italian cooking styles. The food is wonderful, the service outstanding. Their popular "Chef's menu" comes highly recommended and is tailored to the wishes of the guests. The wine list is also quite extensive. The menu changes once every two weeks, which makes this a great place to re-visit.

New Deli

This trendy little restaurant's motto is 'lunch all day, dinner after 6p' and their image is style, style and some more style on the side. The interior is very minimalist and you get the feeling that some of the clientele is probably here because it's trendy and not for the food. Not to worry though, because you can get a good light meal here and the prices are actually more reasonable than you would expect. Seeing they mainly serve light dishes, this isn't the place to go for a big, festive meal, but at least New Deli tries to do something different and succeeds in making the act of going for lunch a trendy, hip activity.

Damsteeg

This lovely French restaurant is hidden away in the Reestraat. It's a nice and intimate place that comes with a small bar where you can have a drink before you move into the Art Deco restaurant. This French restaurant with a pinch from all over, offers some interesting combination on the menu, with a lot of attention to game. They import their own wines from the Sancerre in France, after which the restaurant is named and it's all very classy.

Alcantara Cervejaria

Alcantara is a Portuguese restaurant and tapas bar, located in the Jordaan. The building was originally a cinema, still recognizable because of the projection room above the entrance hall. Alcantara serves Portuguese dishes from the cuisine bourgeoise - a substantial cuisine with influences from Catalonia and France. The courses are spiced compared to traditional Portuguese cuisine, but are not particularly exotic. A wide variety of Portuguese drinks are also available.

Hostaria

Hostaria, situated in the Jordaan, is a taste of the real Italy. It certainly isn't your typical tourist-trap pizzeria. The decor is, predictably, authentically Italian: images of La Loren, Ferrari and the Pope merge together, with a singing cook in the background. The cooks are inventive yet the cuisine is based on original Italian family recipes. The pastas are always fresh (made the same day) and the soups and salads are tasty.

De Twee Zwaantjes

Located in Jordaan, this is a real old school café. The Jordaan is a neighborhood renowned for its love of music and especially the old Dutch favorite the "smartlap"-these songs are real tearjerkers and the best comparison is probably Country-Western in America. Be aware of the sing-along, especially on the weekends, and don't be surprised if accordion players start appearing from nowhere. The accordion is the instrument mostly used to accompany these songs. If the singing gets overwhelming, you can always sit on the terrace that overlooks the Prinsengracht.

Jimmy Woo

This sultry Oriental-themed nightclub is just the place to woo anyone. Named after a fictional Hong Kong triad boss, the decor of Jimmy Woo is modeled after the 18th-century Opium den with luxurious black leather sofas and gorgeous antiques. Beware that the door policy is very selective so proper and attractive attire is required.

Cafe De Doffer

When coming here, you can choose from two separately operated restaurants. Have a delicious sandwich made by Chef Jan-Willem at the “Brown Bar” or the game soup at the adjoining restaurant. With a cozy atmosphere and friendly service, this is the perfect place to relax and exit the high-stress tourist world. The atmosphere may even make you reminiscent of past summers spent at your grandmother’s house.

Café - Thijssen

Cafe Thijssen makes an interesting use of wood in its décor, which explains the very classic look in the furnishings. Step in here in the mornings to read your newspapers over a delicious cup of coffee. If you decide not to come in, the aroma will probably drag you in anyway. You can also sample scrumptious broodjes of ham or cheese, Runderpastrami and the peppery chicken. Although, it does tend to get a bit crowded during the weekends.

Casa Perú

Restaurant Casa Perú is the first and, so far, only Peruvian restaurant in the Netherlands. It's established in a monumental building in the heart of Amsterdam, in which guests are treated to South American hospitality in a cozy, informal atmosphere. In Casa Perú, an extensive menu provides an overview of the variety of Peruvian cuisine—warm and cold dishes (such as the famous fish dish Ceviche De Pescado), home-made stews with beef and goat, stewed and baked seafood, some vegetarian dishes, chicken and fish and typical Peruvian cocktails (such as Pico Sour and Chuchuhuasi).

Bordewijk

Bordewijk, which is named after a famous Dutch writer is located in the heart of one of Amsterdam's nicest and oldest areas -Jordaan. Meals here are enjoyed in a modern interior and the atmosphere is warm. All dishes on the menu look so exciting, creative and experimental that it's hard to choose just one or two.

De Reiger

De Reiger is mentioned in the Yellow Pages as a restaurant, but to many, it is just a regular pub before six o'clock. This certainly holds true for the long bar in the front, where dining is hardly possible anyway. During the day the clients are mainly the younger import-Jordanese from the neighborhood. The kitchen is good and offers, in addition to the soup and the dish-of-the-day, a tasty three-course dinner: Meat, fish or vegetarian. Amstel is offered on draught; various bottled beers are also served.