Situated in a weigh house in the centre of Nieuwmarkt, restaurant and café In De Waag serves 700 years of history with its updated versions of traditional Dutch dishes.

Built in 1488, the ornate castle-like structure oozes history. Originally one of Amsterdam’s three main gates, it was turned into a weigh house in 1617 to deal with Holland's rapidly growing trade.

It was also home to several guilds, most notably the surgeons, who built a small amphitheatre in the building for the popular public dissections of recently executed criminals. In the 19th century, after the guilds were dissolved, the building was due to be demolished but was saved, in part due to the fact that no alternative location could be found for the building’s medical collection.

In the 20th century, De Waag housed two museums before reopening in 1996 as Restaurant-Café In De Waag. The interior of the restaurant is less impressive than the exterior, but the 300 candles that are lit daily bring some warmth to the place and look particularly cosy in the evening.

The food is Dutch with international influences, and ranges from soups, salads and sandwiches for lunch, apple tart, brownies or Belgian waffles for afternoon tea and classics such as entrecote, duck and salmon for dinner. Two vegetarian options and a children’s menu are also available.

In De Waag has an extensive wine cellar and each dish on the menu is followed by a recommended wine - a nice touch. Service can be slow, particularly at weekends when the place is packed, but alllows plenty of time to soak up the history between courses.

Restaurant info

Opening hours:
daily 10.00-01.00 (lunch until 16.00; dinner from 17.00-22.30)

Price indication:

Our rating:

Telephone: 020 422 7772
Web: go directly to homepage

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