BEST VEGAN FOOD IN AMSTERDAM

Being vegan in Amsterdam is a delight. There are so many places that offer vegan cuisine, at a friendly price and is ridiculously tasty. Amsterdam itself is not cheap. At a minimum, people will pay around 10 euros for a main dish. At a maximum, they will pay between 15 and 20 euros. However, you have the budget to eat out in this city, here are a few places you should definitely check out. 

Marits Eetkamer (Marits Dining Room)

In the east of Amsterdam you will find Martis Eetkamer. Marit, the owner, opened the doors of her living room in 2011 to start her very own vegetarian living room restaurant in Amsterdam. After 5 years, she upgraded her menu with a vegan selection: a new focus on 100% plant-based fine dining — but the simple concept remains just that: products are fresh, seasonal and organic, and animals and the planet are equally respected. Meals are created with love, care and the utmost attention to presentation.

Guests can choose between 3, 4 of 5 courses and whether they want the menu vegetarian or vegan. The menu changes monthly as she works with whatever the season has to offer. 

Dishes at Marits Eetkamer are served in an informal setting, the plates creative, colourful and adorned with produce from their very own plant-filled greenhouse. 

Interiors are eclectic and soaked in Beemster’s singular style — an exquisite aesthetic that runs riot from place to plate. Besides the delicious food, Marits Eetkamer also has a nice atmosphere (if there’s space I recommend the serre behind the living room). A real gem in Amsterdam East!

Hearth

Hearth is the project of two amiable Italians, a place where besides offering great vegan/vegetarian food they are displaying art, streetwear, design and host music performances. Owners Valentino and Marco worked together in the Amstel Hotel as a chef and manager. The name Hearth comes from their passion sin art and design, and a sense of responsibility for the planet. They opened Hearth end 2016.

The main parts of the menu are their soups, pasta dishes, and tiramisu, with different options and most of them vegan. Other dishes include sandwiches and vegan sushi. With the choice for certain dishes and ingredients, their Italian background clearly shows throughout the whole menu, which changes with the seasons.

Eyecatcher of the place surely is the swing table/seats. Plenty of plants, lovely vintage furniture and all kinds of art on the walls, makes it a pleasant space to spend some time. You’ll find Hearth at Albert Cuypstraat in the up and coming area called De Pijp (south center of the city).

Meatless District

Meatless District has opened a few vegan doors around the city.  You'll find easily-translatable small plates like croquettes and falafel, but the real coups are the "chicken" Caesar salad and the veggie burger, two protein-heavy dishes that may even taste better than their meaty counterparts. 

Meatless' bright, industrial, grey-washed space was ironically modeled after Manhattan's meatpacking district, but the service here is all Dutch politeness. Popular among the hip and health-conscious, it can be busy here at peak times so a reservation is recommended.

Rainbowls Amsterdam

Mirre, the owner, studied law, During a holiday in Bali, she fell in love with all those fantastic spots with smoothie bowls and funky coffees. She ate one smoothie bowl after another and more and more, she felt the urge to open an eatery similar to the ones she saw in Bali. Once she finished her internship, she put her gown back into the closet and went looking for the perfect property to make her new dream come true.

On the menu there are various healthy juices and smoothies, ginger shots, matcha teas, all kinds of coffee with almond, oats, coconut or soy milk and they have fresh coconuts. The menu is 100% vegan. In addition, you can also buy nice plants, containers, and the real Balinese coconut bowls.

There are no fewer than three different acai bowls on the menu. One has some extra spinach, the other has a nut butter and the third has extra berries. There is also blue bowl (colored with spirulina) and made with coconut, pineapple, blueberries and bananas; a yellow bowl with turmeric and passion fruit; a green bowl with spinach, apple and kale; a violet bowl with maca powder, raspberry and coconut, an orange bowl with turmeric, mango, orange, carrot and ginger and last but not least a pink pitaya Bowl. You can spend all day there!

Kees, Eten, Drinken en Eten

This restaurant is perfectly located in the Amstel river, a few minutes walk away from the Amstel Hotel. The restaurant offers a set menu of a 3-course or a 5-course meal for a fair price. The menu can be with meat, fish, vegetarian or vegan. All you have to do is choose which type of menu you would like.

All the food is seasonal and the menu changes. When you enter the quaint location, the waitress tells you that you are a guest in their kitchen. They will cook food that they like and hope that you like it too. Each dish comes out in a timely manner and the chef comes out to tell you exactly what is in it. A real fine-dining experience in this cute, homely space.

So, if you are living in Amsterdam as a vegan or plan to visit for a weekend, the list is there for you to explore. The Happy Cow is also a great source of information if you finished the list already!