- Not a tourist trap: this is Dutch food by locals for locals
- Central location
- Creative, innovative menu
- Friendly service and a good atmosphere
- Fine dining without the snootiness factor
- Not for fussy eaters (limited vegetarian options & many ingredients that some would find 'scary')
- Cuisine: Dutch
- Address: Peperstraat 23-25, 1011 TJ, Amsterdam
- Telephone: +31 (0)20 779 74 50
- Opening hours: Tuesday through Sunday from 5.30 pm to 10 pm, and on Saturday until 11 pm.
- Dress code: Smart-casual
- Cost: A three course dinner will set you back approximately Euro 45, excl. drinks and gratuity.
Now for the food. We were not too keen on the witte reuzel (lard) that was served with our complimentary bread, but luckily they also had butter. More importantly, the bread was delicious, and tasted freshly baked.
I particularly loved the tzatziki-style twist on hangop (usually a dessert) that was part of my starter: strained Dutch yoghurt with Zaanse mustard and dill, served with salad, roasted hazelnuts and forgotten root vegetable chips (Euro 11.50). My dinner companion had a toasted sandwich of Frisian sugar bread with duck liver pate and apple syrup (Euro 13.50).
Both were spectacular, as were our mains. I had a grilled fillet of beef with herbed pearl barley (which, rather cleverly, was treated like a risotto), mushrooms and a red wine sauce, served with deep fried bone marrow (Euro 24.50). Yum. My friend ordered Beemster hare stew with pearl onions, red cabbage and game gravy with a touch of chocolate (Euro 22.50), which she said tasted of the good old days.
The wine list offered a good selection, and our wine was wonderful. Later, our attentive waiter offered us a complimentary glass of a rather pleasant, but enamel-dissolvingly sweet Dutch liqueur, called Vergeet mij niet (forget me not). I cannot comment on the desserts -- we simply could not face it after our hearty meal. You will not leave Greetje hungry. In fact, I am confident that you will leave feeling very satisfied indeed, in more ways than one.
