Ljs: Dam tasty: dining out in Amsterdam

Dutch dining may not rank high in the gourmet Premier League, but talented chefs are revolutionising Amsterdam's eating out scene

Amsterdam is the perfect weekend break right now, with a major Picasso exhibition starting at the Van Gogh Museum this weekend (vangoghmuseum.nl), and the new Canal Museum (herengracht386.com) opening 1 April. And there's a fun, innovative eating out scene. I tracked down a host of wonderful organic produce and talented young chefs serving a brilliant ethnic cuisine that taps into Holland's colonial heritage. Most of these new places are just outside the historic city centre, but it's easy to leave the crowds of tourists behind, and hop around using one of the cheap and efficient tram passes.

Modern Dutch cuisine

Proef

Proef is the most exciting address, whose owner, Marije Vogelzang, is a "food designer", overseeing everything from the look of the food on the plate, to the psychedelic design of the interiors, to the concept of her chef only using organic and seasonal produce. Each dish looks like a work of art, even a simple asparagus soup, served in a glass jar alongside bunches of cotton wool sprouting herbs that you snip off with scissors. There is a big vegetable, herb and edible flower garden out the back, and these are not just for the kitchen but also ingredients in dazzling cocktails such as a "rabarbarella", which adds frozen chunks of rhubarb, peas and mint to fiery apple aquavit and soda.

? Gosschalklaan 12; +31 20 682 2656, proefamsterdam.nl; mains around ?10

Sucre

Peter Scholte cooks to packed houses every night in the tiny kitchen of his Sucre restaurant drawn by his unique recipes. He worked with Raymond Blanc in England, was greatly influenced by cooking in Norway, where flavours are deep and intense, and then returned to Amsterdam to put into reality his concept of combining sweet and sour, salty and bitter, in both main dishes and his signature desserts. So as a main course you could order scallops served with pumpkin-vanilla cr�me, toasted brioche and cucumber, followed by an amazing "brie with sweet and sour apple caviar", which is theatrically smoked with oak shavings under a belljar. The friendly sommelier, Aline, then adds another surprise by proposing a luscious sweet Eiswein from Holland itself to accompany a creamy white chocolate mousse and a tangy cloudberry compote.

? Amstelveensweg 152; +31 20 470 1910, sucrerestaurant.nl; mains around ?22

Lab 111

Far from the canals in the centre of town, Lab 111 is part of an innovative arts programme to regenerate the run-down Old West neighbourhood and is already drawing a lively crowd. It serves a fusion cuisine that cleverly combines local Dutch produce, Mediterranean flavours and an Oriental twist. The fun ma�tre d', Otto Groeneveld, is direct when asked why the restaurant is so successful: "People come here because they know what we serve is yummy! Our clientele is local, bohemian Amsterdam, looking for something out of the ordinary ? who can resist our 'accras de morue' with a paprika ketchup and wakame seaweed?"

? Arie Biemondstraat 111; +31 20 616 9994, lab111.nl; mains around ?19

Restaurant de Kas

Holland is a country that takes its greenhouses seriously ? just think of all-the-year-round Dutch tulips and plump tomatoes ? and one of the most unusual restaurants in Amsterdam is located inside the glass walls of a 1920s greenhouse. The owner, Gert Jan Hageman, a former Michelin-starred chef, doesn't even work in the kitchen any more, preferring to supervise the cultivation of vegetables in its nursery. The food is out of this world, with a five-course fixed menu surprising diners with dishes such as pumpkin paired with spicy chorizo, a sweet melon soup with crab and local Zeeland oysters, or cannelloni stuffed with classic buffalo ricotta and aged Beemster, a sharp local cheese.

? Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3; +31 20 462 4562, restaurantdekas.nl; lunchtime two-course meal ?37.50, tasting menu ?49.50

Traditional Dutch cooking

Haesje Claes

Amsterdam is not just about modern Dutch cooking though, and I couldn't resist returning to one classic restaurant right in the town centre. Haesje Claes is an Amsterdam institution, often dismissed by visiting foodies as it attracts coachloads of foreigners, but remains a firm favourite for Amsterdammers who come here for a quiet lunch to savour traditional Dutch dishes that have simply disappeared from many restaurants. Keep clear of complex dishes and set meals, and select classics such as a Dutch split pea soup with bacon, a tasty selection of smoked fish ? salmon, eel, mackerel and trout ? with salted herring and tiny sweet shrimps, and a hearty "hotchpotch" of meatballs, sausage, carrots, cabbage and mashed potatoes.

? Spuistraat 273-275; +31 20 624 9998, haesjeclaes.nl; mains around ?18

Cafe 't Smalle

For cheap and cheerful homecooking, nothing can beat stopping off in one of Amsterdam's traditional brown cafes. Cafe 't Smalle opened its doors back in 1780, and the Dutch have a word, "gezellig" ? roughly meaning "somewhere you feel at home" ? that describes it perfectly, with its antique porcelain beer pumps, beautiful stained glass windows and the lovely sunny terrace looking out over a canal. Don't expect gourmet cuisine, as the menu runs to plates of young and aged Gouda cheeses, salads, soups, the local favourite ? meatballs with tomato sauce ? and "ossenwurst", a spicy raw beef sausage.

? Egelantierssstraat 24-26; +31 20 625 5306, t-smalle.nl; mains around ?17

Amsterdam ethnic

Warung Spang Makandra

No one can visit Amsterdam without sampling the unique fusion mix of Javanese and Surinamese cooking, served in simple "warung" canteens. For a first taste, nothing beats one of the oldest of these eateries, Warung Spang Makandra, which has been serving delicious food at budget prices since 1979. Here you can feast off Indonesian rijstaffel favourites ? a mountain of steamed rice with satay, beef rendang, vegetables marinated in coconut ? a roti with spicy chicken curry, "broodjes", hearty Surinamese sandwiches stuffed with lamb, "tempeh", a cake of fermented soya beans, or devilled eggs. Spang Makandra is tucked away down a sidestreet of the Pijp neighbourhood, where dozens of reasonably priced restaurants offer everything from Tunisian to Turkish, Chinese to Lebanese, Spanish to Indian.

? Gerard Doustraat 39; +31 20 670 5081, spangmakandra.nl; mains around ?8

Bazar

In the heart of the Pijp is what looks like the local church but is now the location of Bazar, a stunning melting-pot restaurant. This is a dreamland for anyone interested in design, with interiors resembling a mix between a mosque, church and synagogue, vividly decorated with shimmering chandeliers, swirling ceramics and vintage posters. The huge menu spans the Middle East, Asia and North Africa ? couscous and kebabs, corbasi yoghurt soup and falafel, grilled sardines, stuffed peppers and aubergines.

? Albert Cuypstraat 182; +31 20 675 0544, bazaramsterdam.nl; mains around ?14

John Brunton

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