Cafe 't Zwaantje Amsterdam

This place presents itself as a cozy brown cafe with local Dutch food and a friendly family run atmosphere. Reality is close but a bit different it is a good ish local Dutch restaurant but with some service and hygiene issues. We came here upon recommendation of the concierge and had a reservation and were seated promptly. We did see some others come in without reservations and they were promptly and firmly turned away, so you definitely need the reservation. We started with some smoked salmon and it was very nice and fresh, with some bread and spreads, capers, onions, etc. I had the Grandma 's stew as the main and it was pretty good although not great. It came with a large plate of vegetables and mashed potatos and a separate large dish of stew. The vegetables and mashed potatos didn 't have much taste but the stew itself was good. The reason I say good but not great is I had a similar dish, a Flemish beef stew in Antwerp a few nights before and the flavor of the meat and sauce blew away Grandma 's dish. Ambiance is cozy casual inside. We had a nice dinner conversation with the next table (which was very close two tops are placed literally only a few inches from each other so you are essentially dining with your neighbors and luckily they were very nice people. Using old shag carpets as table clothes and placemats doesn 't seem appropriate or something that looks good or is in any way hygienic when is the last time those carpets which the food dishes are placed on were washed (if ever ? The service could use more professionalism in general. The all young male waiters all wear graphic or band t shirts and some sported large gold chains. At least an all black shirt would look a bit more professional. During our time there I saw one waiter in the middle of the dining area pull up the bottom of his t shirt to wipe his nose, like a child might on a playground. This is not what you expect to see from a restaurant food service professional who will be serving your food. Service by the various waiters was fairly timely with the check ins and delivery of food, but a bit haphazard. When I went to pay the bill at the end at the bar, I was subject to a fairly aggressive shake down for tips by the owner/bartender. A bit off putting and I 'm sure something the locals don 't have to endure. So, mixed review, probably alright if you 're a local or don 't mind their issues... There must be better options.

Reservation is definitely needed here. And when you do get the reservation email, be sure to scroll down and hit the confirm button. Good thing I used Google translate because the email was in Dutch. Our friend recommended Zwaantje for traditional home style Dutch entrees. We shared the Grandma 's stew which comes with a plate of vegetables along with mashed potatoes and apple puree. We also got the pork satay that comes with a side salad and fries. Grandma 's stew was so tender and delicious. Our waiter informed us that back in the days every Dutch grandma would know how to make this dish, and this is still their family 's recipe. The pork satay came with a generous amount of peanut sauce and it was soooo delicious! The pork was juicy and tender. We simply couldn 't eat much of the sides because the main entree 's portion was quite big. The mayo/aioli that comes with the fries was super addicting. We were wondering if it 's really mayo cuz I never like mayo, and the waiter looked at us it 's JUST mayo lol He was friendly and the price here is very reasonable, considering a tourist trap stroopwafel bakery down the street is already $10 Euro.

Reservations are must for this bar restaurant. We started with the mushrooms on toast which was a little underwhelming. For the main course, we split the Grandma's stew and the boiled mussels. The stew was fantastic. It's a large dish and could honestly be for 2 people. It's the perfect meal with protein, mashed potatoes, vegetables and a sweet and tart apple puree. The mussels were tasty. The portions in this restaurant are gigantic so make sure you come hungry. The staff were very friendly and helpful about the food they recommended. The price was fair considering the large portions of food.

Luogo tipico, ottimo servizio e personale molto cortese. cibo davvero buono e abbondante!

Fantastic place really loved the food and the service