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A great little place to eat. The place is full when we walked up but we were greeted promptly and offered a table. The menu offers set meals as well as open ordering. The pea soup is a must and the Hutspot with meatball was great. The service is great too, everyone is happy to help. The prices are about 25e per person and in this area that's a great deal. I highly recommend the pantry.
The Pantry serves authentic Dutch food in a cozy environment. Definitely get one of their prix-fixe menus. It includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. If you are sharing a meal with someone, get items from a different prix-fixe menu and you can both try a variety of items. We enjoyed: * Charcuterie plate: sausages taste minimally processed and delicious * Beef and onion stew: taste slightly different than ones in America * Cauliflower and cheese oven bake: vegetarian's comfort food * Hutspot (mashed potatoes and carrots) and meatballs: non-vegetarian's comfort food * Pea soup with smoked ham For desserts, we had chocolate mousse and vlaflip (vanilla custard) and they were just okay. I'm not sure if desserts are the Dutch's strengths, except maybe the Dutch apple pie. They even bottle their own house beer. The restaurant is small. Try to make a reservation if you can. We didn't have a reservation, but went to the restaurant at around 5PM and were seated in about 15 minutes. At times, the line could get very long, but the staff is still welcoming and ensures that everyone gets served...eventually.
Hudspot was a good surprise Great pea soup too. The line was long but we were only two soon wo reservations we were seat in 30 minutes. Worth the wait. Not cheap for what's offered. Very busy and noisy and cramped. Do it
Love this place! Happy that we were able to get a seat quickly here because reservations are a must! Inside may feel and look cramped but it is super cozy. We were able to get seated right on the window area. We chose menu 5, which was just enough for two people. Everything was delicious! Their pea soup is out of this world. Don't know why as it is a simple dish but wow! I also love their herring. It was so delicious that I wanted seconds. It paired so well with their onions and mustard. And their bitterballen was just enough bite. Creamy and crispy! We also got a combination of the hutspot. They were all delicious! Although for me the meatball was just a tad bit salty but it is probably just me! Everything else was spot on. I love their dessert at the end. It was a great way to end the night. Our server and their staff were all amazing! Very friendly and welcoming. Yes it is a tourist spot but totally worth it.
Came by for dinner the other night and it was a decent experience. The Pantry is a very popular traditional Dutch restaurant. Made a reservation and my table was ready upon arrival. Dining is available both indoors or outdoors. It was towards freezing when I went so the outdoor tables were available for walk-ins. Reservations are a good idea. Started off with the pea soup and it was different. The soup was pretty thick and tasted like peas. There were a couple slices of sausage that were placed over the soup. The soup was served with a slice of rye bread along with a piece of bacon...interesting to say the least. For the main, opted for the hutspot which was mashed potatoes with carrots, 3 scoops, along with a sausage. The mashed potatoes were ok, although I only managed to finish half a scoop. Portions were gigantic. The sausage was ok. The highlight of the meal was the Dutch apple pie. This was served warm. The pie was freshly baked and wasn't too sweet. It was filled with apples and topped with white powdered sugar. This was also served with a side of whipped cream. The interior of the restaurant is cramped and the staff were wonderful. They take credit cards.
Highly recommended! This is truly Amsterdam experience--a cozy restaurant that feels very Dutch. In a city with a lot of great restaurants, it is a stand out. You must be punctual. The reservations are in time blocks--so everyone enters together at the reservation time. It is orderly, not a mad rush, but they are serious about the reservation timing. We ordered Menu 3 (pictured) which was excellent for comfort food: --Trio of Dutch sausages, bread, Amsterdam pickles, and mustard --Hachee served with red cabbage and mashed potatoes --Chocolate duo with advocaat (chocolate mousse and ice cream) To get the reservation, we had to wait at our computer on the day the reservations open, then book immediately. It was hard reservation to get, but very much worth it.
Such a lovely little place! The service was so kind and the local Dutch cuisine was exactly what we were hoping for. We enjoyed everything that we ordered but I personally could not get enough of their split pea soup!
Authentic Dutch food at quite reasonable prices makes this spot hugely popular. How popular? Well, we came on a Tuesday night and everything was booked. Fortunately, our nice hostess said a reservation was canceled and hooked us up. Inside is quite small and sitting and dining right next to a stranger is a strong possibility. But there's comfortable, unpretentious, chill vibe here. Love the decorations inside and the staff is very pleasant. You can order individual items from their large menu, but these nice folks have made it easier for you by having a prefix menu of three-course meals that consist of popular Dutch cuisine. Ordered the number three on their special menu: - 1st course - 3 sausages, bread, pickles and mustard - 8/10: not sure what kind of sausages these were, but one had the texture of pate, the other was like steak tartare, and the last had a bit of snap to the casing. They were all very tasty, but the last one was particularly good. - Main course - 7.5/10 - Beef and onion stew with mashed potatoes and red cabbage. Loved the beef. Very tender cuts that you can knife through with a spoon. Sides were just OK. Wasn't a big fan of the red cabbage though. Tasted sweet like cranberry sauce, but a bit too much of it that you couldn't really taste the cabbage. - Dessert - Chocolate mousse, chocalate ice cream and eggnog - 7.5/10: mousse and ice cream were perfectly fine, but the eggnog had some serious alcohol in it. I think it must've been 80 proof. This is not a bad thing at all. Terrific dinner from terrific people. Definitely recommend.
SERVICE: The service was great! Of note, if there's a wait (and you don't have a reservation) you have to stay outside the front of the restaurant the whole time, you cannot walk around anywhere even if your wait is expected to be 40mins. Friendly host and servers! Patient, kind, and efficient. FOOD: Dutch food. Variety of fish and meat dishes. I had cabbage, beef stew, and mashed potatoes Their bitterballen was very good! I tried some of my friends. Limited drink options (cocktail wise), but can make a gin and seltzer or vodka seltzer. Many beer and wine options. Ambiance, cool eclectic decor inside however seating is very close/tight and tables are only a few inches from one another so don't come with large bags or expect to have space to move around once you've sat down.
Very tiny restaurant like most restaurants in this area. Space is very tight and you're very close to the next tables. In and out is not easy but they make do. We tried menu #1 and the pork chop. On the menu #1: pea soup 4/5; yummy. The meat on the side is ok but the soup is flavorful. The meat ball with the different mash potato is ok 3.5/5. The desert at the end is just yogurt, 2/5. The pork chop is good. 4/5. Not dry. Tasty. Alfa beer: the least I like out of all beer I've tried so far in Amsterdam. 2/5.
Excellent dinner--felt so cozy and homey. Even in the summer heat, this comfort food was amazing. Highly recommend the Oven Dish, Goat Cheese Croquettes, and Apple Pie.
The pea soup is soooo fire. First time having it and I must say it is now my favorite soup. My boyfriend got the oven dish. He rated it 4/5, it's simple. My dish was a meat ball and mash potatoes, it was delicious. The portion was so large I had 2 meals! Service was amazing, super funny and warming. We went at 5pm for a table with no reservation. We don't normally eat dinner than early but had to make sure we got a seat here! Would definitely come back. oh and this is our first time trying traditional Dutch cuisine!
3 years ago
We came to the Pantry around 6pm during the World Cup game. Most people were at the sports bars so we were able to get a table for two fairly easily. We were really glad because a lot of people tried to come after the game ended and the wait was around 4 hours! I don't know a whole lot about Dutch food so I wasn't expecting much. However, I was pleasantly surprised. We ordered the Hutspot and the oven baked cauliflower with ground beef (I can't remember the name of the dish for the life of me). The waitress actually suggested the cauliflower dish and I was so glad! It was delicious and VERY homey, which I really appreciated. There is limited seating outside (only 6 seats total) so most of the restaurant is inside. We were able to get a seat outside so we could see the streets. It is very traditional Dutch food so be sure to try it out if you are around. I would either go early or get a reservation because it does get a bit crowded. They do offer two set menus if you wanted to taste an appetizer, entree, and dessert. Overall, great service (they were very attentive and super nice) and great food. read more
2 years ago
Eh, this place was okay. Came here on my first night in Amsterdam since I was starving and got a table in a small, but packed, restaurant. I didn't know what to order so I got an item on the traditional Dutch section of the menu. Turns out it was 3 different types of mash and a sausage. It was interesting and a completely different flavour profile than I'm used to but it wasn't anything to write home about (but Yelp is a different story lol) Maybe I need to try something else, or maybe Dutch food isn't my thing. read more
4 years ago
Amazing experience! We didn't have a reservation but the host was extremely nice and squeezed us in. Food was delicious and service was perfect! read more
7 years ago
Excellent service and food! You can't really go wrong with Dutch home cooking. The pea soup was delightful! I got the meatball with three different types of mash potatoes as my entree and I loved every part of it. The wait staff was also very friendly and spoke English, so that was a plus! read more
8 years ago
I love the people who run this restaurant; the place is decorated very nicely and is a bit small so remember to make a reservation if you plan on coming during peak dinner times. For us, we arrived around 5:30 and the woman gladly took us in even without a reservation. She was so friendly and energetic! The man serving us as well was kind enough to explain what items were on the dish since we clearly were tourists who were trying a traditional Dutch meal for the first time. I ordered the combination plate with a meatball (3 types of mash with sauerkraut, kale, and a blend of beef/carrot/onion). All three mashes were so so good. The meat ball was also delicious as well. I'm glad to have had a nice setting sit down meal with food that I can trust to be traditional. read more
4 years ago
8 years ago
The Pantry has restored my faith in Dutch cuisine! Don't get me wrong, I have an undying love for stroopwafels, and whoever thought to put it on top of coffee to melt the stroop was a genius... but I die a little inside every time I see the way the Dutch take their lunch - two slices of plain bread and a slice of cheese (alleen). The Ambiance: There is a Dutch word for which there is no English translation. Anyone who moves here will probably learn it immediately. And that word is "gezellig". The closest term for it in English is maybe "cozy". Regardless of how you describe it, The Pantry is gezellig. The warm glow from the lights, the home-y feel from the antique decor, and the nice echo within the restaurant, it just breathes comfort. The Food: First and foremost, I was really worried that The Pantry would be too much of a tourist trap. When you see menus translated this many times in a busy touristic part of a city, I think it is justified to raise an eyebrow a bit. But if it is a tourist trap, the prices are really quite reasonable and the food - beyond expectations. I had the boerenkoolstamppot which is a hearty Dutch staple. mashed potatoes mixed with vegetables (kale, in this dish) and the choice of a meatball or a smoked sausage. It was amazing. Perfect for a cold day (which is almost every day here ;)), hearty, full of flavour, and balanced. Highly recommend the Pantry - great intro to Dutch cuisine in Amsterdam. read more
8 years ago
8 years ago
Loved the authentic food at The Pantry and the experience of dining here was superior both in quality/taste of food and service! Ordered the traditional Dutch combination dish of hutspot, boerenkool, and zuurkoolstamppot - basically sausage with three different types of mashed potatoes. Each variety featured different ingredients - one with kale, another with stewed beef and veggies, and one with sauerkraut. All very delicious! I also tried the pea soup which was amazing and highly recommend! Be warned, however, that this place can get very crowded. Be prepared to go elsewhere if you're unable to retrieve a table on your first attempt to dine here. It's a good idea to make reservations for a table ahead of time. read more
3 years ago
8 years ago
I was looking for a traditional Dutch restaurant on my last night in Amsterdam. I found an awesome on in The Pantry. Lots of traditional food, great service, AND the Hutspot was very delicious. read more
4 years ago
If you're in the mood for traditional Dutch food then try The Pantry. Everything we ordered today was traditional to Dutch. The raw salted herring can be eaten with bread if you'd like but the traditional way is eaten without it. Their stews are so thick they're almost like a mash potato and I love it. My favorite stew was the Hutspot, which is stewed beef with carrots and onions. We tried both the smoked sausage and meatball but my personal choice would be the meatball. Then my all time favorite was the dessert. The poffertjes are fluffy mini pancakes topped with powdered sugar. They put butter in the middle of the plate so when it melts onto the mini pancakes they're like heaven. They accept Visa. read more
7 years ago
Excellent service and really Dutch food!!! Exquisite Good price and quality food!!! You wanted to this place read more
3 years ago
Stumbled upon this place while looking for a dinner spot. It was my first traditional Dutch meal since arriving in Amsterdam so I went with the combination #1. The portions were generous and tasty! I really liked the pea soup and the rye bread was softer and more moist than expected (in a good way). The next course was a sampler of potatoes (the beef/carrot was my favorite but the kale and sauerkraut were good too) with a tasty sausage. I didn't love the dessert - it tasted more like yogurt than custard. It was enjoyable, just not my favorite. Overall, a really nice meal with great service and a nice ambience. Check it out for some nice, traditional Dutch meal! read more
9 years ago
Soooooo....I think I just don't like Dutch food. We wanted to try authentic dutch food because I always like to try the local cuisine. My husband and I each got two different preset meals. One of was the different mashed veggies with a sausage and the other was a fish. Everything was just fine and a bit on the bland side. Nothing was particularly tasty and there wasn't anything that we ate and were like WHOA, can't wait to take other bite. However, nothing tasted bad and we were definitely full by the end of the meal. One thing that really irked me is that when we asked for tap water, they said that they "didn't have it"...which is absurd. Clearly, they want to force their customers to pay for water or a drink. We're not big on alcohol with meals so water is always preferable. Luckily we always carry a water bottle with us. When we're paying 70 euros for a meal, it's crazy that they would refuse to just give us some tap water. Overall, if you really want to eat what the Dutch eat, give this place a try, but according to our uber driver, the Dutch palate has become very international as is reflected by the restaurants around this area. read more
We came here looking for a traditional dutch dinner for our last night in Amsterdam. The restaurant is small but they make due. It was full except for a table that said reserved but the waiter let us sit there. It felt like it was reserved for us! Definitely a cozy spot. To start, I got the Bitterballen and for an entree we both got the Hutspot with the 3 mashed potatoes and the sausage. The Bitterballen was good, kind of like a deep fried mashed potato with some beef pieces in it. As for the entree, my friend ate everything up so quick (not sure if she was hungry or if the food was that good). I loved the variety of mashed potatoes. The beef stew one was life changing! It was so onion-y and something I have never thought of doing but is so simple. The kale mash and sauerkraut were also good, but I could eat that beef stew mashed potato all day. I wanted to try a dessert, but I was completely stuffed. I had heard bad things in general about Dutch food going into eating here and have to say that it is completely untrue! Dutch food is amazing and you have to come here if you want to try it! read more
Being that it was our first time to the Netherlands, we wanted to try a "typical" Dutch restaurant while we were visiting, and I was able to find The Pantry on Yelp due to the high review marks. The dining room is super small so reservations are an absolute must! We saw any party without a reservation be turned away. I made the reservation a couple of weeks in advance via email and received confirmation the following day. There was a slight mixup, however, as I made the reservation under my married name and upon arrival I insisted it was under my maiden name, but it was my fault and quickly resolved. We were immediately led to our table after that. The decor is very cute and resembles a living room-type atmosphere including Dutch paintings and lamps mixed with low lighting. The tables are a bit close together, but that is becoming more common nowadays. There are 4 pre-set menus (appetizer, entree, dessert), but there is also the a la carte option. My husband and I both chose to forgo the pre-set menus and order a la carte entrees. He ordered the Boerenkoolstamppot ( mashed potatoes mixed with kale) served with a smoked sausage or a meatball (he chose smoked sausage). He really enjoyed the flavors (particularly the smoked sausage) and the gravy covering everything was absolutely delicious! I ordered the Typical Dutch Ham (450 gram), served warm with a honey mustard sauce with fries and salad. It also had a little coleslaw on the plate as well. The portion was huge (a whole leg) and I needed help finishing it. It was served warm, the meat was easy to come off the bone and tender, and it was seasoned nicely. I really enjoyed the honey mustard sauce as it complemented the ham well. The fries were hot and crisp (paired with mayonnaise of course) and the salad, while small, was fresh and the dressing (perhaps a poppyseed?) was tasty too. We decided to order a cheese plate for dessert and, to our surprise, our waiter brought it out with a sparkling candle on it to celebrate our recent marriage! The gesture was so kind and, of course, the cheese was delicious. The blue cheese was probably my favorite. Our service was attentive throughout our visit, and there was an issue we witnessed with the table next to us, which I thought the server handled quite professionally. It was a two-top table of 2 girls (probably early 20s) that were holding onto the table with only a sip of wine left in each of their glasses. The server kindly asked if they would not mind paying the check as the table was needed for an upcoming reservation, and their response was "once we finish our wine". They still had one sip left about 10 minutes later and he asked again and their response was "we are not finished yet". He gave them another 10 minutes and when they still protested he was very apologetic but persistent in the table was needed. They did finally at that time finish the sips and pay. The prices here were very reasonable, portions were large, and our experience with the food was delicious! I understand most of Dutch food is best to eat in the cold winter, but, although it was August, it did not affect our experience. I'd definitely recommend travelers take time to book a reservation here to experience Dutch dining! read more
7 years ago
It's first try of Dutch food with nice experience. Soups are slightly salty, should be better if they could provide top water. Overall is a great meal for us. read more
4 years ago
Haven't tried authentic Dutch food until yesterday at the Pantry. The establishment itself is on the small side and lies in between many restaurants on a Main Street with lots of foot traffic. The serving staff was very friendly and sat us immediately. We got some beer and wine for our drinks. The appetizer was phenomenal (bitterball. It reminded me of Latin croquetas, however, more of a European twist on it. They're essentially deep fried balls of stew. AMAZING. For our meals...the names were far too Dutch for us to pronounce...we ordered a sausage accompanied with mashed potatoes and kale as well as a Dutch Shepard's pie. Everything was tasty and homey. Delicious Dutch comfort food. read more
Great food, but like most restaurants in the area, service was slow. Truly blew my mind that you have to pay for bottled still water even though Amsterdam has the cleanest tap water in all of Europe. We specifically asked if we could have tap water, and were refused. Very weird. Very new to Dutch cuisine, I had no clue where to even begin. After some time with the menu, I had decided I was in the mood for some beef stew with onions, and my boyfriend wen with the traditional Hutspot. It was a great decision. Beef was cooked well. The onions were so sweet and delicious I almost thought they were beets that were cut into strips. We also got the traditional mini pancakes for dessert. I'd recommend it if you were in the area and were down to splurge a bit for casual dinner. read more
I came to The Pantry as our source for some authentic dutch food. The restaurant was very busy and actually had a short wait. The staff was very courteous and helpful and they even have a special preset menu, which I think is made with tourists in mind. The preset menus are a good deal and it is pretty much a 3-course meal for around 20-30 Euros depending on what you want. I'll talk about pre-set menu #1 which was my favorite because it contained many of the well known dutch foods. The pea-soup was okay and I can see that going as a love or hate kind of thing depending on the person and the weather. The 2nd dish was an assortment of meat and mashed potatoes which felt like a neat taster with different sauces. The vlaflip was an interesting dessert... not as sweet as I pictured a dessert to be. Overall, the meal was okay, nothing I truly loved or will crave again and that may be just a matter of preference. Dutch food was okay and just not one of my favorite cuisines so I can't say I loved my meal. read more
When people ask me where I went on my European vacation, I say London, Amsterdam, Germany, and Switzerland! It reality, it was only London for 3 days and Amsterdam for 1. Since we didn't have a lot of time in Amsterdam, we really needed to make our meals count. We decided on The Pantry for our dinner. Our last stop was at the Royal Palace, so we had some walking to do from there. It's not far, but it is a little bit of a walk. However, Amsterdam is so beautiful, I didn't mind the scenery while walking. The restaurant is located in an alley, so it's not really off a street with cars. Even at 5:30pm, the restaurant had about an hour wait. Apparently, a waiting list is not something they do at many restaurants we visited in Amsterdam (we tried going to 3 different places for lunch and all of them didn't have one). Instead, you just wait outside. This day, we got lucky because someone cancelled their reservation. Instead of 45 minutes, it ended up being 15. Yes!!! The place is small, so it is a little cramped. Was it uncomfortable? Not at all. However, you are really close to the next table. Before I get to the food, let's talk a little bit about the service. It is awesome! Don't let anybody tell you Dutch people don't have good customer service. I saw a video on Youtube, before coming to Amsterdam, that says the service here is not the same as in America. Probably not. It may not be a good barometer of all restaurants in Amsterdam, but The Pantry definitely has great customer service. Now for the food. I saved the food review for last, because it would take me 4 hours to write this part. I can't even come close to saying these items, let alone spelling them. Anyway, we started with Bitterballen, which is like a fried meatball stuffed with gravy. Freakin' brilliant! Seriously, what's not to like? For our entrées, we had Boerenkoolstamppot (smoked sausage with mashed potatoes mixed with Kale), combination of the Boerenkoolstamppot, along with Hutspot (mashed potatoes mixed with stewed beef, carrots and onions), and Zuurkoolstamppot (mashed potatoes mixed with sauerkraut), and the Savory Beef and Onion Stew, which is served with red cabbage and regular mashed potatoes. My daughters got the Boerenkoolstamppot, which they both loved. However, they took my regular mashed potatoes and I took the kale ones. My wife got the combo and she liked that one, but liked my Beef Stew better. While we all switched and tried everyone else's food, everybody loved the entire meal. read more
9 years ago
9 years ago
I'm writing this review with mixed feelings. As a tourist, I want to praise Pantry for a great first time traditional Dutch cuisine experience. All small details were worked out from the flavors to decor. The food quality was quite good and I didn't experience the "blandness" other visitors commented. But as my less impressed partner had to criticize, "tastes like Ikea." We ordered the hutspot with sausage and savoury beef and onion stew. He was talking about the stew. Which annoyed me but I had to understand what that meant. He was just speaking to the taste combination being relatable to something from the Ikea food cafeteria. The meal was actually delicious, but may agree or not agree with foreigners. My recommendation? Try it! And rate your visit with open-mindedness whether you loved it or hated it. Tourists also please note: bottle of still water is 3.95 euros. Might as well order beer! read more
8 years ago
We were able to get the last table for two here at 7pm on a Tuesday, and so happy we did! This place is so quaint, friendly staff and delicious Dutch food. My friend and I shared the shrimp croquettes, cauliflower oven bake, and hupspot (spelling may be wrong). Both were delicious, very hearty. I'd say the beef stew potatoes are a bit more like a stuffing texture but very good! So glad we were lucky enough to try this spot. I did see a couple people get turned away for tables right after us, so probably best to make a reservation. Would definitely have tried to go a second time if we were here longer. read more
4 years ago
The Pantry is a cozy place. Yes , it's small but they have a few tables outside as well. You will need a reservation here !!! The service was quite friendly and the server patiently explained the different dishes. They offer a regular menu in many languages and four 3 course menus . We found ordering from them a good way to sample many things. They offer a combination hutspot which puts the 3 different types of mashed potatoes on the same plate as the meatball or sausage so you can sample all 3. Our favorite was the mash with the sauerkraut ! We also had the fish which was fresh and simple. The 3 course menu includes a starter - the pea soup was outstanding - and dessert. The stroopwafel with caramel ice cream was very very good ! Enough to share also. If you choose something with a different dessert , I'd pay extra to change it or order it a la carte. Ordering this way was cost effective and it was plenty of food. The Pantry is a good choice when looking for authentic Dutch cuisine. read more
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