| Amsterdam |
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Bolhoed 
 based on 26 member reviews
Prinsengracht 60-62, Amsterdam
020-6261803
Type: Ovo, Lacto, Vegan-friendly
Info: Vegetarian dining in casual indoor and outdoor seating. Changing menu, fair portions. Usually one main dish plus salads and quiche. Note that cheeses are not vegan. Open 12:00-22:00. Directions: next to Prinsengraght canal in Jordaan area, near Anna Frank house and Noordermarkt. Has outdoor seating. Price: Moderate.
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| "Great restaruant."
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My Rating |
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5 |
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Posted on: Thursday, November 19, 2009 |
Review: Tons of vegan options. Lots of yummy desserts. friendly staff. I've eaten here numerous times and look forward to my next visit. The place is always busy has a great bohemian-esque vibe. Go, you will not regret it.
Pros: great food * many vegan choices * inexpensive
Cons: always busy * * |
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| "Full of lovely vibes!"
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My Rating |
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7 |
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Posted on: Monday, September 28, 2009 |
Review: My boyfriend and I visited Bolhoed three times during our short stay in Amsterdam.
The first time we ordered chocolate brownies. It was around 2pm and they were very busy, but the glamorous dita-von-teese lookalike member of staff instantly brought us a jug of water and it wasn't long before our brownies were served. We were each presented with 2 generous slices of rich, moist, dark chocolate brownie. I was quite sure they must have misunderstood when we asked for 2 brownies and thought we meant 2 each, but they were so good I didn't complain. When we got the bill, we were only charged for one each. The portions are not stingy in this place!
The second time I had hot chocolate (just heated up Alpro chocolate milkshake, but it was delicious of course) and an oat biscuit. Not very sweet, but extremely filling and very tasty.
On our third visit we had a meal. It was the most expensive meal out I've ever had, but I am used to dining very cheaply! Unfortunately they were out of "Vegan Meal of the Day" which was a shame because it looked spectacular, but I had a lovely vegetable casserole instead. There were hearty portions of both casserole and salad, and having polished that off I soldiered on and ordered a dessert because I just had to try one more! I had a berry cheesecake, and wished it would never end.
Despite the evening menu being more expensive than I'm used to (I paid just under 20 Euro for my meal and dessert) I highly recommend this place. Especially if you're not a cheapskate like me. We wouldn't have eaten here in the evening if it hadn't been the last night of our trip, but I'm glad we did.
The decor is quirky and cosy, the staff are friendly and the food is worth spending all your pocket money on.
Say hallo to the cat for me.
Pros: Friendly * Cosy * Variety
Cons: Quite expensive * * |
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| "Didn't even get to sit down...."
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Thursday, September 03, 2009 |
Review: Like a previous reviewer, we weren't greeted when we came in and didn't know if we could seat ourselves. We waited for the staff to finish making juices for other customers and busied ourselves by looking at the decor. We were eventually greeted and I asked for a table for two but the staff went back to cleaning/juicing.
Eventually someone came over and asked us why we were standing there, looking around with dumb expressions, like "duuhhh". Um...because maybe we want a table? or a menu? or to ask a question?
As it was, I didn't appreciate the "duh" comment and repeated (in a slightly harsher tone) my request for a table and pointed out that I'd asked for one when we came in and greeted each other. In the end, I think they decided that they didn't want us to eat there and we were told that all tables were reserved. True - a lot were reserved for later that evening but the canal seating was available.
There were several couples in the restaurant, nobody had food or drinks - we were there maybe 10 minutes and only one guy was served a juice. The place looked quite clean. The cat is adorable too :)
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "GREAT PLACE"
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My Rating |
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12 |
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Posted on: Saturday, August 22, 2009 |
Review: nice little rustic cafe just down the canal from ann frank haus. interesting and tasty food. its small with some outside seating. nice staff, great vegan salad dressing. good selection of vegan desserts too. reasonablely priced. i'm def going back for cake! :)
Pros: vegan cake * vegan salad dressing * affordable
Cons: smallest toilet ever * * |
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| "Huge portions, good service, great food"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Friday, August 14, 2009 |
Review: We were hesitant about eating at Bolhead due to the mixed reviews on Happy Cow. We decided to go ahead and try it-- two vegans and four non-vegans. We weren't disappointed. The service was excellent (keep in mind service in Europe is generally slow). Portions were American size (which could be a "con" and not a "pro"). Most importantly, the food was fresh and excellent.
Pros: Excellent wait staff * Yummy food * Reasonably priced
Cons: Huge portions * Salty * |
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| "Outstanding Vegan Food! PPK atmosphere!"
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My Rating |
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304 |
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Posted on: Saturday, July 18, 2009 |
Review: With 50s music playing and a hip tattooed crew serving you up with some sass Bolhoed is an experience in itself. Don't forget to make reservations on Saturday, but if you get there and its full try to order take away and eat it outside on the canal where there is some non reserved seating. The most impressive menu item is the Vegan Meal of the Day, which comes with something like 6 different items on a plate. Mine had a tofu pastry, carrot pate, white bean salad, risotto, green beans, salad. All were delectable. Don't miss out on the dessert fridge where we enjoyed a strawberry vanilla vegan cake. There are many menu items with a * next to them indicating vegan or vegan option! Probably the best place to eat in Amsterdam for vegans.
Pros: service * vegan desserts * menu of the day
Cons: reservations needed on busy nights * * |
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| "LOVED THIS PLACE!!!"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Monday, June 08, 2009 |
Review: Amsterdam really was not as easy as expected when it came to getting good vegan food, thankfully we were staying just up the road from this place and we went there for brunch every single morning! The tofu pate is to die for!!! I have even asked my husband that the one thing I want for my 25th birthday is that recipie!! yum!
This place is slow at service, but it's amsterdam, so just relax, have a few drinks, enjoy it!!! There's a lovely little lazy fat cat who lives there too! :)
V&A from Brighton UK X
Pros: TOFU PATE!! * cat * friendly staff
Cons: slighty slow * * |
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| "cute place with its own cat!"
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My Rating |
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28 |
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Posted on: Thursday, May 21, 2009 |
Review: Loved the cat walking around, too cute! VERY crowded restaurant, definitely recommend making reservations. We found the only table left at dinner time, and saw them turn away many customers because there were no tables, which was sad. Food was great, though pretty expensive. We were confused with the lack of service, weren't greeted when we came in, didn't know if we could seat ourselves. No one came up to us at the table and offered menus or asked to take our order, so we went up and grabbed our own menus and went up again to try to order, when they finally said something to us and told us they would take our order at the table. Very slow, and not the friendliest service, but worth going for the food.
Pros: food * *
Cons: prices * not enough tables * not helpful service |
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| "Disappointing"
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My Rating |
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3 |
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Posted on: Friday, May 15, 2009 |
Review: I was just so disappointed. I'm a veggie but my husband is a vegan and I've cooked vegan for over 15 years and eaten in countless restaurants. This was dire. Very slow and surly, uninterested service. After waiting 15 minutes, my husband ordered the main salad (including bread) and I ordered quiche and salad. It came 45 minutes later without bread for the salad, which we immediately asked for as well as some salad dressing as eating unadorned broccoli florets, leaves and huge chunks of onion and carrot without some moisture wasn't appetising and I thought some oil/vinegar or dressing would help. The waiter shrugged and returned 10 minutes later with the bread but no dressing. I didn't bother asking again. The salad was 'edible but boring' in my husband's words and the quiche tasted overwhelmingly of sage and nothing else. In the quiche, there were 4 huge wedges of undercooked onion (half an onion cut into quarter wedges), 4 chunks of carrot (about 4 cm x 4 cm) and not much else. I couldn't taste anything other than sage. The salad on the other hand was completely tasteless and chewy - fresh? I don't think so. Now, I always give places the benefit of the doubt but I'm finding it hard to think of a positive. The floor was dirty (food on the floor kind of dirty), as was the cutlery, which we ended up washing in our mineral water as there was no-one about to get clean! The service far too slow for the type of meal it was (it was only salad and cold quiche for crying out loud!) and the food was way too expensive. Included in our meal was a bottle of mineral water and an espresso and it came to €27,45 which was just too much for the portions and quality - broccoli, leaves and carrots are NOT expensive even if they are organic. I've just thought of a positive. The location is nice if you are sitting outside. Please take this review seriously, I'm not a complainer (The Golden Temple was excellent) but please don't waste your money at Bolhoed as we did.
Pros: Nice location if you sit outside * *
Cons: Meals are cheap to produce & too dear * Dirty floor and cutlery * Long wait for service & food |
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| "Plastic tofu, ( sometimes) macdonald quality..."
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My Rating |
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6 |
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Posted on: Thursday, April 23, 2009 |
Review: First of all the service was extremely slow: it took about 50 minutes to have the dinner. A tofu that tasted like plastic or paper;pita was insipid; a dreadful salad with a mysterious soy mayonnaise whose quality could have been perfect for a Mac Donald eater. The cake was good, but not that remarkable. Lonely Planet says that this restaurant is absolutely organic; actually it's - as the restaurant itself says, clearly writing it on the menu- mostly organic. For the " quality" that is offered, this restaurant is overpriced.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "relaxed, quiet lunch"
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My Rating |
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7 |
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Posted on: Monday, January 19, 2009 |
Review: seemed very fresh, big portions, cozy place. reasonable prices. the quiche was awesome. recommmend it as a place for a laid back lunch.
Pros: laid back * big portions * homestyle cooking
Cons: * * |
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| "I'm surprised to read so many negative reviews..."
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Friday, August 01, 2008 |
Review: Definitely a relaxed atmosphere. Staff aren't the most attentive in the world, but I found them friendly. I had a quiche and salad... I'd give the quiche 11/10 (absolutely delicious), although I imagine the type of quiche on offer would change regularly. Salad was pretty good without being amazing. Menu is a bit on the pricey side, and perhaps could be more extensive, but the restaurant is in a lovely location by the canal.
Pros: Relaxed vibe * Tasty food *
Cons: A bit pricey * * |
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| "SO BAD!!!"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Friday, July 04, 2008 |
Review: I have no idea how anyone could find the food here even acceptable. I have been to many vegan/vegetarian restaurants around the world and rarely leave disapointed.
as said below, hummus and pita as a main?? the vegan option was the most dry, bland thing i have ever had.
The people there were extremely rude, and the service was slow. Not slow in that relaxing european way, and not because amazing fresh food is being prepared.
I could not believe how bad of a retaurant this was, it left me speechless. skip this and go to de Waagals, which is AMAZING!
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "lovely food abit expensive!"
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My Rating |
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8 |
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Posted on: Friday, May 16, 2008 |
Review: this is a nice spot. the food is lovely, nutritious and tasty.
nice laid back atmosphere in the place and it says on the menu that they like to take their time preparing the food so it is right and this true!
i went for the vegan dish of the day (about €14) and was served a fine plate of nutritious food, varied tastes and delish! (maybe the tofu could be abit better!).
plenty of time to sit and digest and the plate was so full you couldnt really fit in a starter...
expensive but a grand treat!
Pros: nutritious * tasty, healthy * nice atmosphere
Cons: expensive * abit slow * |
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| "Awful. Just awful."
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Sunday, March 02, 2008 |
Review: Maybe the owners have changed since the last review was written, because my experience at Bolhoed was nothing like most of those below.
For starters, the menu was incredibly limited. There were maybe 15 choices in all, and at least half of these were simply pita bread paired with some spread (hummus, baba ghanoush, etc.) Before going to Bolhoed, I'd never been anywhere that billed pita and hummus as an entree. To make matters worse, many of the other entrees were just bread topped with cheese and some vegetable. To be blunt, Bolhoed had the least creative menu I've ever seen.
One might think that a restaurant with a limited menu would at least make the few menu items tasty. Not here. Three of us ordered the vegetable soup, and we all agreed it was the most bland we'd ever tasted. The hummus was unspectacular and the stale bread with melted cheese and pesto tasted like it was cooked in a microwave. Only the vegetable ragout tasted good.
All in all, avoid Bolhoed. There are far better options for vegetarian food in Amsterdam. If not a vegetarian restaurant, there are plenty of regular restuarants serving tasty, creative vegetarian food. Try the Thai and Vietnamese restaurants in Chinatown, the Middle Eastern restaurants throughout town, or the Indian restaurants in the northern area of town.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Great Place"
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My Rating |
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9 |
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Posted on: Thursday, November 15, 2007 |
Review: We went here twice during our stay. The food was really tasty. They have a couple of nightly specials and at least one was vegan. The normal menu had a few good options for vegans. We didn't have a phone to make reservations but we got there as soon as they opened and got a spot. If you don't get there early I would suggest making reservations-it was full of patrons both times. Expect to spend about 2 hours - everything is made to order and if you want anything else you have to track the waitress down-they don't bother you. It is quite expensive- for three of us food and drinks came to about 70 euros.
Pros: great food * atmosphere * selection of food
Cons: pricey * staff don't check on you * |
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| "Amazing food to be enjoyed, not rushed."
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 |
Review: Bolhoed features some of the best vegan food I've had the pleasure to eat so far (up there with Kate's in NYC).
My wife and I chose completely different vegan 'menus' so we could share. I had the 'Vegan Special', my wife ordered the 'Asian Menu'. A 'menu' in this context is an enormous 3 course meal - entirely vegan.
Not only did we feel the food was tasty and fresh, but it was evident that vegan was not a mere afterthought, or second-best. Considering the size of the portions (and our usual London prices) the cost of 21 euros each seemed entirely fair.
As for service and staff: it initially took over 20 minutes to grab the attention of a server. Past this point, however, service was extremely friendly and efficient.
If you're in an enormous rush, hyperactive or on a bad caffeine trip then move on. Bolhoed isn't for you.
If you want a fun, friendly, slightly alternative place serving large portions of great vegan goodies, then do yourself a favour and visit.
Pros: Great food * Friendly staff * Vegan!
Cons: Slow start * * |
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| "Delicious faultless food"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 |
Review: I was disappointed to hear some of the negative reviews of this restaurant as we went twice in just a four day stay and had two fantastic experiences.
We have both been veggies for 20 years but were drawn to the vegan special dish of the day both times which consists of around 5 or 6 different dishes on the one plate. The food was well cooked and presented and a lovely combination of different flavours and textures. The first time we had a little wait but it was very worthwhile as the food was exquisite. On the second visit he food flew out extremely quickly.
This restaurant is very laid back and staff were friendly and helpful.
We will definitely go back.
Pros: * *
Cons: * * |
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| "Bad Service and Food"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Sunday, August 19, 2007 |
Review: We walked across town to find this place, which is located near the Anne Frank museum. The service was very poor. Dirty plates spread across each table were blatantly ignored by the waitress, even though the restaurant was empty. When I complained about this to another employee, she smiled with that stupid Dutch smile and said, \"I'm not the waitress!\". I was tempted to start collecting dishes myself and bring them to the kitchen. The menu was bland- Quiche and vegetable stuffed pastries. This is my mother's idea of vegetarian food. I expected more creativity. The food took 30 minutes to arrive. And all they had to do was re-heat the quiche and add a salad. It gets better... after that long wait, the quiche was cold in the middle!
Please save yourself the pain-- eat at ANY regular restaurant in Amsterdam and order a veggie quiche. Avoid this restaurant until they improve the service and the food.
Pros: Food taste was good * Nice canal view *
Cons: Expensive * Bad service * It's just Quiche! |
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• I agree the "stupid dutch smile" is a ludicrous comment. you leave yourself open to comments on your own nation, very foolish, from this moment forward you can never really complain about anything anyone says about your home country.. response by marnia
• Well, what can one expect from a reviewer who is blatantly racist "stupid dutch smile"? If I had worked there I would have done more than ignore this person. As I am vegan I did not go anywhere near the quiche but all the vegan food I had there was wonderful and the palce was really fun to be in and friendly. If you want something stuck up and swish you might not be happy here, if you like good, cheap, food served by very friendly people then you will.
I often wonder if some people get ignored by staff because of the very rude attitude that they have?. response by Caryne
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| "Vegan friendly"
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My Rating |
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5 |
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Posted on: Friday, August 10, 2007 |
Review: Service is a little bit slow, but there are many vegan dishes: we had the tofu pate and ragoutcriossant which were excellent. The salad is rich, but a bit too expensive for its size.
Pros: Vegan friendly * *
Cons: Slow * * |
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| "A huge disappointment"
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My Rating |
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5 |
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Posted on: Thursday, July 26, 2007 |
Review: Having read the reviews we were looking forward to a visit here. Sadly, it wasn't good. We had quiche and salad, not really a challenge for a restaurant. We waited a long time. The place was not busy. The quiche was OK but the salad wasn't. It was soggy. The orange juice I had was expensive for what it was too. My biggest concern was that the place didn't appear clean or follow food handling guidelines.I saw food being handled (touched) without hygenic gloves on. The tables needed a scrub and at one point there was a guy behind the food bar with a cigarette. I could not really tell if it was alight but either way it shows that the restaurant doesn't mind its staff doing this. An off day?? Well I don't know ... but we won't be back to see, sorry.
Pros: none really * *
Cons: hygiene 'suspect' * waiting time * |
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| "Good food, especially the Vegan mains"
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My Rating |
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2 |
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Posted on: Monday, July 16, 2007 |
Review: All round good food, although my mexican food was a little dry (a minor quibble for a good resturant). Reasonable prices too.
Pros: Good portions * responsive staff * Understood Vegan
Cons: A little dry * stingy on the salsa! * |
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| "Best vegan desserts in the world?"
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My Rating |
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21 |
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Posted on: Sunday, July 01, 2007 |
Review: Totally great find, went there five days runnine when in Amsterdam. The main courses are cheap, huge portuins and very tasty but it's the desserts where this place amazes. Vegan cakes, sweet pies and the like that is better than anything I have ever eaten..just as well I don't live here I'd be there every day. Very friendly and chilled...wonderful. Cost is great, main course, dessert, orange juice and a coffee for less than 13 euros.
Pros: Huge portions * Excellent Value * Amazing vegan desserts
Cons: * * |
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| "Cosy - Relaxed - Yummy"
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My Rating |
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10 |
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Posted on: Monday, May 28, 2007 |
Review: We visited for lunch in May 2007. The staff were friendly, and the service was pretty quick. My curry/seaweed/pastry + salad was packed with flavour and probably could feed two people... I was too full to consider any of the attractive looking deserts on display. Very relaxed setting and a resident cat... nothing too fancy, just good food in large portions. The only possible negative I saw was that the staff had their half-nibbled brunch on the table beside ours, which they would sneak a bite from now and then... to me that gave a homely feel, but some people might not like it. Interesting artwork - I like the Pirate Cow.
Pros: Relaxed Atmosphere * Large Portions * Big on Flavour
Cons: staff table? * * |
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| "Our Amsterdam nr. 1"
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My Rating |
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25 |
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Posted on: Thursday, January 25, 2007 |
Review: There are several restaurants to go to, when you are visiting Amsterdam, but we go to Amsterdam to visit Bolhoed. The place has a nice, relaxed, natural atmosphere. Sometimes it's very crowded and service becomse slow, but this is a place where we don't mind. They take the time to prepare large, very healthy and tasty vegan dishes. Their chocolate tart is a must for me.
Pros: wonderful food * *
Cons: * * |
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| "This one was my favorite"
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My Rating |
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1 |
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Posted on: Sunday, September 03, 2006 |
Review: Yes, the service was slow by U.S. standards, but the staff were always friendly and warm and the food was great, and there are worse places to kill a couple of hours. The spouse and I ate at several different places during our week in Amsterdam, but this is the one I went back to for my final meal after he went on to Norway and I was savoring my last day in Holland. The staff also spoke excellent English, but were also patient with my efforts to communicate in Dutch.
Pros: delicious food * friendly staff * cat
Cons: takes time * * |
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