Restaurants and bars in Bos en Lommer & De Baarsjes

Coffee – FUKU, Selma's and White Label Coffee

The award-winning baristas at FUKU have been putting the caffeine high into BoLo since 2018. Meticulously crafted flat whites are poured with a smile at their funky location, kitted out with retro vending machines and bonsai trees. Meanwhile, over in De Baarsjes, Selma’s is a beautiful little Scandinavian-inspired cafe that will not only meet your hot drink needs but also sell you a delicious cinnamon roll or smoked salmon sandwich. And for just coffee – stellar coffee mind – then White Label Coffee on Jan Evertsenstraat brews up imported beans, which you can buy by the cup or in gorgeous bags.

PONG | House of Ping

What game is more exciting and nostalgic than table tennis? Paddle your way to victory at Pong | House of Ping with a vegan kebab and delicious cocktail to treat the winner. A great one for groups, parties and birthdays, there's a bar and food to keep you fuelled after battling it out on the (table) court. It's worth checking the agenda for competition nights, tournaments, live music parties and even bottomless brunches.

Daalder & Daalder Streetfood

Now situated in the monumental Het Sieraad building, tuck into a creative blend of internationally-influenced casual fine dining at Michelin-starred Daalder, choosing from the chef’s menu or a la carte. Expect all the signatures, from an artful Indonesian-spiced satay ayam amuse and a perfectly-judged slow-cooked 65-degree egg with textures of porcini mushroom, brown butter brioche croutons and a kaffir lime foam to a now-iconic stroopwafel parfait for dessert. You’ll also find the casual summertime terrace pop-up Daalder Streetfood, with its sizeable wrap-around terrace overlooking the Kostverlorenvaart waterway. Favourites from the menu include fried chicken, smash burgers, loaded fries, and more.

Fort Negen + Ulmus

One of an impressive batch of new bakeries, ex-De Kas baker Maarten Langeslag’s Fort Negen lives up to the hype with fluffy madeleines, scrumptious strawberry and pannacotta cruffins, decadent gorgonzola croissants and marvellous sourdough specialities - fermented for 26 hours and baked to dark-crusted perfection. Meanwhile, if you're still after some top-tier sourdough, Ulmus bakery makes some of the best loaves in town, and some pretty special almond croissants too.

Terrasmus

This cheerful cafe in Erasmus Park is the beating heart of both neighbourhoods, drawing in dog-walkers, joggers and families from Bos en Lommer and De Baarsjes. People queue up for fresh juice and coffees in the morning. whilst on a sunny evening, the terrace is a great spot for an after-work glass of wine or a cold beer. Alongside refreshments, they offer a selection of home-made cakes and sandwiches (the banana bread is really special) - perfect to take away with you on a gallivant through the park. There’s a playground right next door so the cafe is particularly popular with little ones in pursuit of an ice lolly.

Podium Mozaïek

Besides being a multicultural venue with varied theatre performances and children’s programming, Cafe Mozaiek is also a great place for lunch or a pre-performance meal. The sunny terrace comes alive at weekends for the traditional Turkish brunch. You’ll need to bring a big appetite and some friends to get through the range of warm and cold mezze dishes on offer including fried peppers, freshly-baked bread, eggs, börek, cheeses and salamis all washed down with unlimited tea. Midweek, the restaurant-cafe serves home-cooked dishes with Mediterranean influences - think tagines, grilled vegetables, stewed beef, lentil soups and hearty couscous salads.

Eetwinkel Buurman & Buurman

A few years back, two bros from the hood decided there was not enough good food in Bos en Lommer, so they opened their own pizzeria on the corner of Erasmus Park. Eetwinkel Buurman & Buurman has since gained a reputation for serving up some of the best pizza in Amsterdam-West. Classic toppings are given a gourmet boost with options like parma ham with truffle tapenade, artichoke, grilled fennel and smoked mackerel doused in wasabi mayo. You can eat on the vibey canalside terrace, which catches the light until late afternoon or get your order to take-away before finding a scenic spot in the park next door.

Meneer de Wit Heeft Honger

The head chef at Meneer de Wit Heeft Honger is all about home cooking that’s bursting with flavour and slow-cooked with feeling. Inspired by his Moroccan roots and a wealth of experience working in kitchens across Amsterdam and Barcelona, he combines Mediterranean spices and herbs into a colourful medley of dishes. Seasonal veg takes centre stage on the menu, with sustainably sourced meat and seafood ingredients used as extras. Inside, the atmosphere is as welcoming and unpretentious as your grandma's kitchen – and with the chintzy tableware to match.

Eetcafé Edita

Food can be a wonderful way to pay homage to someone. That’s part of the idea behind Edita, Anna Meyer's Bos en Lommer-based restaurant – which takes its name from Anna’s grandmother who was a local in the neighbourhood. The aspiration is a homestyle restaurant for everyone. And so far, most people seem to agree, with reviews all citing Edita’s homeliness and relaxed feel, much of that thanks to the decor – curtains for texture, cushions for comfort and accents of wine-red for warmth. Of course, it’s the food that keeps people returning. Inspired by the Mediterranean, the food combines French, Italian and Spanish dishes. Think breadcrumbed aubergine, poulet noir with tarragon and beurre blanc (a favourite dish among guests) and kingfish with smoked ponzu. And it wouldn’t be truly Mediterranean without wine and there’s plenty of it here, with orange wine on tap.

MasMais

What started as a BBQ with friends in the park before moving on to pop-up events across the city, MasMais has now found a permanent spot in Bos en Lommer. Describing itself as a next-generation taqueria, this friendly neighbourhood eatery was inspired by the bold flavours of the streets and markets of Mexico. We'd recommend starting with the pulpo and carnitas tacos - all wrapped in soft, hand-pressed tortillas. Wash all this down with a smokey paloma (made with mezcal) or some Mexican beers to really get into the fiesta spirit.

Top tip: Due to its success, MasMais has opened a second location in Bos en Lommer on the Admiraal de Ruijterweg called Marisqueria, which is a little different from the original venture. Here, the main focus is on fish, with an a la carte menu full of salty seafood dishes (with plenty of veggie options if you prefer).

LUPE

Brothers Pedro and Juan used to run a Mexican restaurant in the city centre, but they had bigger plans for a restaurant that created a sense of community among locals. Enter LUPE, a Mexican restaurant specialising in shareable plates and smoky cocktails, heavy on booze. The menu – which changes every season – consists of small snacks, like fish tacos and Barbacoa Tacos on the weekend. Buzzy, cosy and complete with a covered outdoor terrace, LUPE looks to help recast Bos en Lommer as the destination for Mexican food.