Meatless Mexican & craft cocktails at Madre

Westerstraat 186, 1015 MR Amsterdam

The gleam of her wood-panelled cocktail bar draws you like a knowing wink. Madre has character: this becomes immediately evident as you walk through the bar, noting the cocktails with their elegant silhouettes and vivid colours. On any given evening, a warm smile—from Susan, the owner herself, or one of her attentive, efficient deputies—ushers you into the bright, airy main restaurant with high ceilings and an open, bustling kitchen.

The character was already there to start with. What is now a modern Mexican restaurant and cocktail bar in the Jordaan was formerly a neighborhood cinema; if you look up towards the entrance, you can still see the cutout window from where a projector once beamed films, and the bar you threaded your way through was once the box office. To these foundations, Madre brings a character all her own, that’s rooted in a love of flavour and care for all—for food lovers, for Mexican cuisine and its ingredients, and for the planet.

Plant-based and sustainable is the name of Madre’s game. Here, vegetarians and vegans have the full run of the casa. Meat is edged out of the menu with such skill and inventiveness, you won’t miss it at all. Crunchy fried cauliflower becomes “wings” with a rich chipotle mole. Several types of mushrooms provide the heft to al pastor nachos (served with roasted pineapple, smoky cheese sauce, and pickled pepper), aguachile verde (flavoured with seaweed, fresh greens, chilli and citrus), and a mushroom tostada with dukkah, shitake salsa macha and chives. Grilled artichokes take the place of meat in barbacoa tacos, and most intriguing and convincing of all, a 3D printed “pork” in the slow-braised birria quesatacos.

Madre

The Place: A former cinema in the Jordaan is reborn as a plant-based, modern Mexican restaurant with ample space and a wood-panelled cocktail bar.  
The Space:  Bright, roomy and airy, with high ceilings, elegant round banquettes and an open kitchen; cocktails come out of the former ticket office, where head bartender Coen now reigns as box office king.
The Base: Three-course chef’s choice sharing menu at €41,50, minimum of 2 persons; brunch and drinks, or dinner and drinks upwards of €40 per person. 
The Face: Fun, funky and varied, from courting dates to brunch girlies to multi-generational families. Is it just me, or does everyone look effortlessly chic here?
The Ace: Seasoned pro of the Amsterdam craft cocktail scene, head bartender Coen loves a challenge; keep him on his toes by asking him for a cocktail to surprise you.
The Veg: Everything at Madre is plant-based, so vegans and vegetarians: come hungry!
Opening Hours: Tues-Fri 17:30-01:00, Sat 12:00-01:00, Sun-Mon Closed

Images from madre.amsterdam © Madre