Dan M.
Yelp
But I just came for Belgian beer!
Seriously, some work colleagues and myself were walking around Amsterdam after our global sales meeting and just exploring and doing an impromptu pub crawl. We almost went into the larger much more touristy bar just over the canal in the direction of Rembrandt Square when we decided we wanted someplace a little more quaint. You can always snag Americans on the promise of Belgian beer and the signage is what caught our eye and we wandered in for some drinks. Four hours later we left a little bit drunk, but entirely full on a delicious meal.
I can't lie about some American stereotypes and after several days of 2 slices of bread, one piece of mystery meat, and playing "Whose Sandwich got a Pat of Butter?" in grand Dutch tradition we were all ready to crush some substantially sized meals. Three of us split the charcuterie sampler which ended up being so much more than some sliced meat, cheese and olives (though all were found and excellent). There was also a warm chorizo that was insane, traditional Dutch croquettes, but served with proscioutto and Gouda cheese as a filling, and a crab cake (only alright, but made up for by the rest of the sampler).
Following the sampler each of us had a different of the house recommended pasta. For one I believe it was handmade pasta and each of ours was to die for. I had a fettuccine in pesto sauce with steak tips that was fresh, light, and excellent. The other members of the party had variations on ravioli that were excellent. I finished this off with a fantastic non-traditional tiramisu, that was outshone by the unbelievable gelato that they had (that night was hazelnut and honey.)
In terms of ambiance, I found it filled with quiet locals or at the very least respectful tourists. The beer selection was excellent as well with several different choices of Dutch, German, and Belgian beer on tap as well as in bottles. We moved to wine later in the meal and the selection there was solid and reasonable.
I will make sure to find this establishment on my next trip to the Netherlands.