Café De Koe

The Cow Café is minutes from Leidseplein, so there is no excuse for going to one of the four Irish bars on Amsterdam’s brightest square.

Thankfully, the cow theme is minimal and only maintained by some bull horns protruding from the bar wall. Speaking of decor- the aluminum wall panel behind the bar is inexplicable and tasteless. Please remove. The other walls support interesting ‘Warholesque’ art.

For the price, the food is decent. Expect hearty and heavy meals, and for €15 for a main, it’s hard to do better so central.

Venue: 7/10

Split level bar area provides more space than the typical Dutch bar whilst maintaing a cosy, wintery feel. The restaurant downstairs is altogether different and just as homely.

Beer: 6/10

Stocking La Trappe Isid’or demands a visit to the cow all by itself, and there are 16 others of you have no taste-buds to look after.

Belgisch Restaurant Lieve

Hardly a well-kept secret, Lieve has been on our to-do list for some time now. For a restaurant in the Netherlands, the service is uncharacteristically good. We grossly underestimated the popularity of Lieve and were surprised when we were asked if we had a reservation, turning up as we did at 6 on a Monday evening! Thankfully there is a stylish waiting area for the imprudent, where we enjoyed two of the best beers in production: XX Bitter and Timmermans Peche.

I have a huge respect for restaurants that suggest beers to accompany your meal. With over 35 Belgian beers to chose form, they are able to recommend a different beer for every dish on the menu.

We plumped for something they call the Belgisch Barok ‘ambiance’ (dining is not a simple venture here) where one chooses three starters, four mains and three deserts to share in a tapas style.

The clear winner of the first round was the mini flemish stew of pork with Floreffe double beer and beer bread. The mushroom and truffle pate was also very good, but the the goose breast rilette (whatever that is) has a texture more than a little reminiscent of canned tuna.

We don’t normally eat frites (ahem). But the Belgian’s are quite insistent on this accompaniment. The pumpkin pie was unusual and delicious, but the wild boar and deer stew with cranberries probably takes top spot. The vegetable strudel was also great- tangy sauce and stodgy, buttery pastry marginally offsetting the health benefits of the vegetables.

Everyone was a winner in this round. The pannacotta is lined with a jelly made with a rouge beer which really works. The apple struddle was fine and the parfait of sugar and spice cookies is unabashed indulgence.

Kwak sitting proud in its ridiculous glass

If you have time then this a a great experience- arrive hungry.

 

Venue: 6/10

Kooky, rustic and homely. Definitely a restaurant.

Beer: 7/10

Very unusual for restaurants to focus their menu on beer pairings; kudos.

In De Wag

More than 300 candles light your evening in the former gatehouse on Nieuwmarket.

If you want to go somewhere that looks and tastes more expensive than it is, In De Wag is ideal.

The Dutch chicken (whatever that is) was complemented by a lekker plum chutney and the crispiest of pancetta. The burger was only OK, whilst the tagliatelle was a very fine standard: the walnuts offsetting the spinach and smoked ricotta perfectly.

The staff tried to fob me off with a sour tasting Jopen Bok Beer, assuming I was a tourist and a simple “That’s how it should taste” would suffice. But I’m not and it shouldn’t. Gratefully, they Ciney is kept rather well and was also scratched off the bill.

A free mouthful!

In De Wag is a fine example of how good Amsterdam can be so close to the typical gash tourists gravitate towards. The Red Light District backs onto Nieuwmarkt, yet seldom frequented compared to the much, much worse Damrak.

Venue: 7/10

The building is quite obviously stunning and very unique. However, this is set out to be a restaurant, and one could not pop in for a classy brew or while away the hours.

Beer: 4/10

A few good beers, but nothing special.