Elandsgracht Amsterdam

Johnny, the owner of the coffeeshop that bears his name, started his career peddling fresh vegetables on markets around the city.  Until he decided one day to go into business for himself. Fast forward twenty-odd years and this place still exists. The interior is small but tidy and organised and a faint, sweet smell lingers in the air. It has a separate, closed off smoking area, installed to comply with the latest regulations on smoking in public places. Johnny found the location at Elandsgracht 3 through the same grapevine Marvin Gaye used to sing about. Once he obtained the necessary permits, Johnny opened its doors and after a short warm up period, the business started doing well. Celebrities like the Ramones and several American movie actors have walked through the doors here, looking for a Dutch treat, shall we say. The closure of numerous coffeeshops around Amsterdam obviously did not hurt Johnny and despite ever stricter regulations, this is one coffeeshop that isn’t about to roll over and play dead.

Balthazar’s Keuken is located in an old smithy. The atmosphere inside is decidely French. The inviting interior is humble and modest, but belies a very good cuisine indeed. Catering for two shifts each evening, the chef decides the menu, leaving the customer to choose between meat or fish for a main course. With the advent of the internet as a public forum, amateur critics were given an arena to vent their often not-too-subtle opinions from the safe, anonymous confines of their own living room. In that regard, it could be considered no small miracle that any negative notes about this place are very, very hard to come by indeed. Then again, it should not be considered a miracle at all if you execute a restaurant concept as well as owners Alain Parry and Karin Gaasterland did here. The success of Balthazar’s Keuken can, and should therefore be considered purely the result of fresh ingredients such as originality, hard work, attention to detail and caring about their customers.  Add to that the consistenly very high standard of food that is produced in this kitchen, and, as many other businesses along the Elandsgracht demonstrate every day: quality always prevails. Opened only on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, reserving your table in time is highly recommended –  more often than not, this place is fully booked.

Burgermeester is a play on words, on the one hand it means as much as mayor, but can also be interpreted as burger master. Try one off its menu and you will agree. Yes you will.  Really. The concept was the result of a five minute brainstorm among three friends. They were all itching to start an eaterie of their own and came up with what they considered crucial elements, that also differentiated them from the competition – lift them from ‘just another burger joint’ to ‘holy cow, this just blew my tastebuds away’. The beef is sourced from Blonde D’Aquitaine cows from the Palmesteyn estate in the Betuwe region. Burgermeester is about full flavours, straightforward recipes and ingredients that are brought in fresh, daily. Manager Joris, who also lives at the Elandsgracht, adds a personal touch. Don’t wait any longer, try this place for yourself.