The slogan 'meat@Pompstation' might be excruciating, but the food at this Amsterdam restaurant is quite the opposite. Carnivores, in particular, will love the selection of quality meats which is Pompstation’s unique selling point.

Pompstation is located out in Zeeburg, but the building alone is worth the pedal east. The restaurant is located in a water-pumping station, a beautiful building dating from 1912.

The pumps, which have been moved to the cellar, are still used by Waternet (the building shudders as if someone has turned on a giant washing machine when the pumps are in action). The combined bar and restaurant now occupy the main space with its stunning 18-metre-high ceiling and tall, narrow windows.

At weekends, after the dinner service has ended, the lights are dimmed and a DJ spins into the early hours. Don’t expect to see anyone dancing round their handbags, though. Despite the music, Pompstation is more lounge than club.

The Amsterdam restaurant prides itself on the quality and choice of meat it offers. Various cuts of Simentaler beef from the German Alps, Gyu San (a relative of Wagyu beef) from New Zealand and corn-fed beef from Creekstone Farm in Kansas are just some of the options on the compact menu. A smattering of creative fish and vegetarian dishes is also available, but the emphasis is definitely on meat.

The vegetarian starter looked so good, in fact, that we passed over the steak tartar and smoked beef fillet with langoustine fritters in favour of it. It was an asparagus salad with tomato confit, smoked aubergines and a pungent herb oil dressing - a perfect mix of strong and subtle flavours. The Caesar salad, so often crudely assembled and drowning in dressing, at this Amsterdam restaurant was refreshingly simple and refined.

Like a recalcitrant child, I once again deviated from the meat menu to choose a main course of buttery scallops with brandade (pureed salt cod) and dried tuna bouillon. The dish could easily have crossed the line from briny into overbearingly salty, but was saved by a mound of mild, creamy mashed potatoes.

R. did take the carnivorous route and opted for a generous hunk (at the generous price of €32.50) of soft, rich Wagyu beef. This was accompanied by side dishes of potato gratin and wild spinach, which have to be ordered separately.

By the time we reached dessert, the friendly, efficient service we had received up to that point started to wane. We were told that the kitchen was a chef short, and we would have to wait an indeterminate amount of time for our desserts. Glasses of complimentary wine quickly followed. As it happened, so did our desserts.

We appreciated the gesture, though, as we tucked into crunchy apple cake with Calvados-infused crème fraîche ice cream, and a wonderful combination of poached pear, almond Japonaises biscuits filled with zesty lemon curd, and orange ice cream.

In contrast to the one-page menu, Pompstation’s wine list includes over 100 vintages. Of the 30 or so house wines, ten are available by the glass. These include a lively South African Chardonnay and a dark, velvety Pinotage Shiraz, also from South Africa.

The other wines are grouped by country, with lesser known producers such as Luxembourg, Israel and Morocco making an appearance alongside France, Italy, Spain and Argentina. Bottles over €30 have a standard €20 mark-up, regardless of the original purchase price. This means, relatively speaking, that the more expensive the wine, the better the deal.

Pompstation will appeal specifically to meat-eaters, but the carefully composed menu and excellent wines mean that there is something at this Amsterdam restaurant for everyone. And if the kitchen is a chef down, there's stunning surroundings to keep you occupied until the food arrives.

Restaurant info

Opening hours:
restaurant Tue-Sat 18.00-22.30; bar Tue-Thur 17.00-01.00; Fri-Sat 17.00-03.00

Price indication:

Our rating:

eat amsterdam