Mind the gap: Amsterdam’s best apero.

By Andy Fenner

Mind the gap.

We’ve all been there. The not-quite-time-for-dinner-but-man-I-could-really-get-a-little-plate-of-something-delicious time.

Come on, You know it. Tell me if this sounds familiar.

Maybe you’re halfway through your second cold beer. Or maybe you have just arrived and you and your girlfriends have ordered some bubbly. Hell, you could be at your favourite restaurant and you’ve been there for so long that the lunch service is finished and a whole new crew has pulled up to join the table. (This type of boozy lunch that slowly bleeds into dinner is the most epic kind out there.)

Whatever the reason, you need something to eat. You need a snack. You need a nibble.

You need a snackle.

The snackle is what we are calling Amsterdam’s answer to more traditional cities and their established approach to filling this hour.

In France, they’ll roll out an Apero. Italy? They’ve got you covered with Aperitvo, where things like cheese, olive and cured meats are served but, really, the star(s) of the show are the diverse range of pre-dinner drinks built mainly around vermouth and Campari. In Spain, they mark this special moment – with the sun setting and the sky starting to blush pink – with briny tinned fish, shaved ham, fried potatoes and aioli. (Or boquerones, depending on which region you’re in.) In Lisbon, you’ll find people spilling into parks, grabbing plates of pastéis de bacalhau from kiosks and enjoying them on benches.

So, what is Amsterdam’s version? Bitterballen, you say? Surely not. Surely bitterballen is not the answer. Like…it might be part of the answer. But we think there’s a wave of new talent, doing new things. And we want to know how that translates into pre-dinner menu offerings.

So who is serving the most exciting snackle out there?

*Europizza’s fried polenta. Image from @europizza.rest*

EUROPIZZA
We’ve said it before. We’ll say it again. Europizza is not a pizza restaurant. Yes, their pizza is incredible. But they produce so much from this kitchen. A plate of air-cured Spanish ham, garnished simply with cracked Cameroonian Penja pepper, highlights their attention to detail, their skill and their understanding of flavour combinations.

At the same restaurant, polenta is fried, smeared with a rich almond cream and dressed with raw, shaved chestnut mushrooms. A shining example of vegetable-forward cooking and the perfect plate of food to justify sticking around for another glass of wine.

Read the full Europizza review.

VRR
This place has to be in the mix for anyone talking about the most exciting restaurants in Amsterdam right now. An industrial kitchen, seamlessly worked into a beautiful room, with one of the best bakers in town under the same roof. Perch at the counter-top seating and you are halfway to unlocking perfect snackle level. Next step? Order.

Do not look past the gougères. Choux pastry mixed with grated cheese and baked until hollow, light and…well…do I need to say anything more? It’s BAKED CHEESE THAT IS HOLLOW AND LIGHT.

Cheese puffs for grown ups.

Read the full VRR review.

PAINDEMIE
Burgers, tostis and hotdogs. We are huge fans of this team and their ability to create deeply complex flavours across what is (traditionally) a simple category.

But the pre-dinner time slot offers a perfect way to enjoy some of their ambitious, sprawling menu.

Caviar on toast, for example. I mean…that’s pretty wild. Order it, grab a corner and throw it back. Wash it down with Mutsu Hassen sake. This is snacking, done right.

The eel, butter parsley and lemon combo (also on toast) should get the same treatment.

Read the full Paindemie review.

*Paindemie’s caviar on toast. Image from @paindemie_zamsterdam*

THE GOOD COMPANION
The world owes Josh Niland a thank you.

Niland is a groundbreaking Australian chef and his work on fish butchery has been one of the single most exciting things to happen to the industry over the past decade.

It may sound simple but looking at a fish carcass – and treating a fish carcass – the same way more popular proteins like beef, pork etc. have traditionally been done has opened up some incredible treatments of seafood. Niland breaks down fish carcasses and highlights “cuts” like their more commonly-recognised counterparts.

Niland serves these from his acclaimed restaurant, Saint Peter, and his retail store, Fish Butchery in Sydney. He has also recently opened Charcoal Fish.

He is a rockstar and a generational talent.

But…so what? What does this have to do with Amsterdam? Well, one of Niland’s biggest gifts is his knowledge and his influence. Luckily for us, these can be felt (and tasted) across the world.

Which brings us to The Good Companion. Embracing Niland’s philosophy of creating seafood versions of charcuterie, they are doing a brilliant job showcasing it on their menu. Dubbed “Seacuterie”, the rotating offering varies in terms of fish species but expect a plate of delicious, cured fish that has been treated with care and respect.

This place has a few other bits and pieces as part of a bar offering and all of them are good. The brandade is nicely balanced and the oysters can be enjoyed fresh, or Mornay-style (baked, with gruyere.)

Read the full The Good Companion review.

KIKKIE.
Deep-fried olives.

That’s it. That’s the review.

Go. Order. Eat.