Café Restaurant Van Kerkwijk
+31 20 620 3316+ Add websiteImprove this listing
Hours
Sun
11:00 am - 1:00 am
Mon
11:00 am - 1:00 am
Tue
11:00 am - 1:00 am
Wed
11:00 am - 1:00 am
Thu
11:00 am - 1:00 am
Fri
11:00 am - 1:00 am
Sat
11:00 am - 1:00 am
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
Travellers' Choice 2024
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Food and ambience
Local cuisine, Dutch, European, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Does this restaurant allow dogs or considered pet friendly?
Details
About
Van Kerkwijk, situated at the Nes 41 just behind Dam square, is a classic Amsterdam cafe and restaurant where you can eat and drink from early in the morning till late in the evening. Van Kerkwijk sisters have chosen a personal approach. That's why a menu doesn't exist and your options are presented at the table by your waiter. Van Kerkwijk stands for quality food and drinks in an urban atmosphere. Characteristic, easy going, value for money. You feel at home between the regular customers who keep returning for the varied menu and the relax atmosphere.
PRICE RANGE
$21.00 – $49.00
CUISINES
Dutch, European
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks
FEATURES
Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Digital Payments, Cash Only, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
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4.5
2,682 reviews
Excellent
1,890
Very good
582
Average
108
Poor
39
Terrible
64
Brian C
Gorey463 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
I get very uneasy in a place where I order first and hear the prices when I pay the bill. I would generally never go to one, but the reviews of here were impressive.
It's a busy spot but they are happy to sit you at the bar until a table comes free. Friendly and very homely atmosphere.
Then they come to your table and list off whats available. This is verbal and without prices. About 5 or six starters and the same for main courses.
We made fairly quick decisions rather than look for clarifications.
A carafe of very nice red wine was 14 euro when the bill came, which I think was reasonable for Amsterdam.
We had mussels - heaped tasty plateful (€7) and a Pate starter (pleasant, €6.75). Each starter was served with a big chunk of really tasty crusty bread.
Our main courses were Beef on Goats cheese, which was really good (22.50) and a Veal steak which I would have thought was tender steak.(20.95) It was very tasty but the beef was the winner.
The quality of the food was such that it was great value and very enjoyable. My two lingering doubts:
If I had more time to think about the options, I might have chosen differently.
It can be a bit unsettling to have no idea what the bill is going to be.
Having said that, we were very happy and would certainly go again if back in Amsterdam.
Written 28 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maydavid1234
Bournemouth49 contributions
Dec 2019 • friends
We visited in early December as a party of four after reading the trip advisor reviews.
We booked before going luckily as the restaurant was bursting at the seems with locals (always a good sign)
From the lovely waitress reciting the menu to the amazing food it was 100% one of the highlights of our trip. Thank you so much!!
Written 3 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Miguel G
Cascais233 contributions
Mar 2020 • friends
Excellent experience.
Homemade food restaurant, super tasty and comfort food in a familiar space.
The Restaurant has no written menu. The friendly and very helpful maid explains the various options (three meat dishes and two fish on the day we went to dinner).
We chose a tall veal steak and a chicken in the oven, accompanied by French fries, all excellent and very tasty. Superb!!
For dessert we had a fabulous homemade pear tart with cream, made by the mother of the restaurant's owners (two sister’s).
The wine list, although neither large nor cheap, has several options for different tastes and values.
The space is not very large, it is simple and makes us feel at home.
The price / quality ratio is good for the levels we find in Amsterdam.
It was a fantastic experience that I recommend and would like to repeat.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sizar B
Solna115 contributions
Jan 2020 • couples
We dropped by for a late lunch here and were so disappointed. Appetiser meatloaf (Indonesian?) was heated in the microwave, dry, and with zero flavour. Zucchini soup and tapas plate for two and everything was just heated in the microwave. Obvious how? Super hot plates and dry edges on the food, as well as insanely chewy tortilla bread, chewy bacon? Absolutely horrid food. Would never set my foot here if I were you.
Written 12 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brownstone76
New York City222 contributions
Feb 2020 • none
Came highly recommended by a friend and yes she was right. Our meal experience was excellent. The waiter comes to your table and tells you what the chef has prepared for the night. The mussels in garlic were the best we have eaten. I had the steak with goat cheese and strawberry sauce. It surprised me how the flavors complimented each other and it was so good and tasty. Dessert was a caramelized pear tart that again was great.
Written 27 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JeJeWe
Copenhagen554 contributions
July 2020 • none
What makes this place so great is that for all their soups, salads and sandwiches they use top produce and make an effort to compose a great full taste experience. Not easy to find, but by far the best place for lunch (or afternoon homemade cake) in the city.
Mind you they charge a premium price for wheat beer; 30% more than other restaurants or cafes in Amsterdam.
Written 9 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gijs K
London24 contributions
July 2020 • couples
We visited Van Kerkwijk with a party of 2 and it was absolutely fantastic. The service is immaculate and although the restaurant doesn’t have a menu, the various menu options were explained very clearly by the great staff. We had homemade pate and blue cheese mouse as starters. As a main we choose the Indonesian chicken and the cod with anchovies sauce, served with a side of salad and fries. The desert was a fantastic piece of apple pie with double cream on the side. Overall great experience, great food, great wine and fantastic staff. Having lived in Amsterdam for 6 years, I really regret only finding out about Van Kerkwijk on a weekend visit again.
Written 10 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Coopertrooper89
London20 contributions
July 2020 • couples
I’ve been to Van Kerkwijk several times in past years and whilst alway excellent my visit this weekend was the best! There is no written menu, they have a signature Steak with Strawberry sauce and goats cheese dish which is always available, then an additional 4/5 mains to choose. Similar selection of starters, which the staff excellently describe and walk you through. Everything is served with fries and salad. The food quite frankly is EXCEPTIONAL, this time we went for Indonesian baked chicken which literally fell off the the bone. The wine list is on the small side, but excellent and recommendations are given. Service is excellent, the staff are delightful and it’s very reasonably priced. We had 2 starters, 2 mains, 1 dessert and a bottle of red for €85.
Written 10 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Estefanía M
5 contributions
Oct 2022 • none
othing special, neither food nor service. We went for lunch with my family and had a couple of burgers and soup. Flavors and presentation were average, nothing special or particularly elaborate. Two points worth noting: the bill was overcharged with some additional fries that we never had -we were not even informed that was a menu option-, when we asked to the same waiter that had served us she clearly looked annoyed by the fact that she had to recalculate the bill, nothing of the likes, "am sorry let me get you a new bill", she was rude and annoyed, probably by her own fault. Second thing which really was weird is that when we were leaving the restaurant I saw other guests having very different things that what the waiter had offered on the menu, when I informed about it she said, " the menu I offered you is for Dutch people because they usually only like to eat sandwich and soups" that is why I did not offered you the extended one... (!!??) first of all I am not Dutch and I already thought that the menu was really poor. She said she had assumed I am Dutch and only eat bread because I had spoken to her in Dutch....again no apologies but just a big mouth back: "well next time you can come and order the extended menu" she said. Very strange waiter, young and inexperienced. I understand that there is shortage for good staff in the city specially in the horeca, but please make at least an effort to train your staff properly and best of all, teach them some good manners with your customers.
Written 3 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Malcolm56Crowborough
Heathfield20 contributions
Sept 2022 • none
This restaurant was recommended by the owner of Those Dam Boat Guys. What a gem! The menu was explained by the excellent staff and I have to say the food when it arrived was mouthwatering - cooked to perfection. We arrived reasonably early but realised very quickly that we were lucky to get a table as by the time we left there were a number of people waiting to get in.
Written 29 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MMMH
Dungarvan852 contributions
Feb 2022 • couples
Everything about our meal here was 5 star except for the main courses which were very disappointing. This restaurant has atmosphere in spades and provides a lovely dining experience. The staff are friendly and attentive , the menu is varied and the prices are competitive. Our starters were divine, mackerel mousse for me and mussels for hubby. Both were top class. However, my husband’s steak with goats cheese and strawberry was only so so. My dish was supposed to be ‘half a chicken’ but there was no white, breast meat just brown meat and bones. Again, after such amazing starters, a real let down. We shared a pear tart for dessert and it was scrumptious, we enjoyed every morsel. The bill was a nice surprise too, €76 for two starters, two mains, one dessert, three beers and two cappuccinos. I would definitely eat here again, the atmosphere alone makes it worthwhile. I think maybe we were just unlucky.
Written 19 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ripe S
Amsterdam1 contribution
May 2022 • none
Waited for an hour, of which the service by an Italian lady was quite pleasant (but long), only to be seated inside with a Dutch middle-aged female server who didn't like our choice of having a mix of starters and main courses.
Literally said "We are a restaurant, not fast-food" and if we wanted to continue to eat there, we had to take two starters before we were allowed to order main courses...thus we walked out.
Bizarre, condescending, Faulty Towers type of behavior from a server...not worth the bad experience.
Written 22 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
zpeller
Soskut595 contributions
Oct 2021 • none
To be honest, we moved on first. But then we turned back, as we saw that the restaurant was full, so it must be good.
No menu. The waiters squatting down at the table very kindly explain the offerings. It all has a very homely and friendly atmosphere.
The food is relatively simple but excellent. One of the best in Amsterdam!
Written 23 October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle K
6 contributions
Aug 2022 • friends
The best meal we had in Amsterdam! The staff were so friendly and lovely and the food varied and delicious. They don't take reservations so we walked in and they offered us a seat at the small bar, which serves great local beers as well as wine and spirits, for about ten minutes or so until a table was available. Then the menu was recited to us and our orders taken from memory. While we ate our excellent starters and mains we could see the very enticing selection of desserts on the counter behind us, so we couldn't resist getting some of those too! I and my partner are vegetarian and had great options, as did the two meat eaters wirh us. A brilliant evening in every respect.
Written 31 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rich V
Beverley768 contributions
Dec 2019 • none
We love this little cafe, as do the locals, it is always busy. One of those great places that do a pared down menu, two choices of soup, three choices of salad, and five sandwiches. You can't go wrong, everything is fresh and super tasty. The atmosphere is relaxed and cosy, and the staff are super friendly. This place is superb and worth seeking out.
Written 16 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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