COOL SQUAT RESTAURANTS IN AMSTERDAM

Squat restaurants have a special place in Amsterdam. Many buildings were squatted in the 70s, 80s, and 90s because they were empty and abandoned. The communities that squatted the buildings often run an informal restaurant, all done by volunteers and not for profit.

DE PEPER

De Peper is a lovely example of one of these and you can see the philosophy behind the place in the photo above.

The food is vegan and organic. For the starter and main course you pay between 7€ and 10€, depending on what you can afford, you decide. Dessert costs 1.50€ and beers are 2.50€. When I went the food was delicious, the starter was a white miso and light vegetable soup and the main course was a seitan and pumpkin pie with white beans and mushrooms and salad.

You need to ring them between 16h00 and 19h00 to book a place and food on the day you are going. The bar is open from 18h00 and they serve food from 19h00 until 20h30. You take your own plates to the sink to be washed up and share tables with people if necessary.

Open: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday

Phone: 020-4122954

Address:  Overtoom 301

Getting there:  Tram 1 to the Jan Pieter Heijerstraat, which is on the edge of the Vondel Park

ZAAL 100

Zaal 100 is a squatted premises that is a podium for all sorts of alternative arts and of course, they have a volunteer-run restaurant 4 days a week bringing quality affordable food to the community.

Enter the building and there is a bar on your right-hand side (bottles of Alfa Beer €1, Shots of Whisky €2.50). Past the bar is the restaurant area, say hi to the people at the counter and they will explain how it all works. They are friendly and welcome new faces. As with all these squat restaurants, you help as much as possible, taking plates back to the serving area and empty bottles back to the bar.

The cost of the food is…1€ for a starter (usually a soup), 6€ for a main course, 1€ for a dessert. It doesn’t get better value than that!

They start serving at 18h00 and you should phone first to reserve food as when the food is finished, it is finished. Call them on 020 6880127 to book.

Wednesdays – vegetarian

Thursdays – vegetarian

Fridays – vegetarian

THE END OF THE WORLD

‘End of the World’ or in Dutch ‘Einde van de Wereld’ is a lovely ‘squat’ restaurant.  It started in a disused workers canteen on the abandoned Java Island, east of Central Station. The Java Island was developed and the original squatted building was torn down and the developers provided funds for the restaurant to rehouse into a boat on the same island.  As with all these restaurants, it is run by volunteers and serves good, wholesome, inexpensive food. You go to the counter to order and pay for your food and drink.  When your food is ready they call out your name and bring it to you.

Bread and delicious garlic and herb butter are on all tables.

They have a vegetarian and a meat main course.

Veggie costs 7€ (4€ for a half portion)

Meat costs 8€ ( 5€ for a half portion)

Dessert costs  2€

You can see the menu each week here, click ‘Menu deze week’ but it is in Dutch so get Google Translate working for you.

Open on Wednesdays and Fridays only

They start serving at 18h00 and when the food is finished, it’s finished. You can phone them to reserve food for you if you are running late on 020 419 0222.

To get there, get bus 48 or tram 7 to Azartplein and then walk along the Javakade to the ship called Quo Vadis and pop inside.