Lacto
Ovo
International
Organic
Western
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Name means "the dare devil." Its ovo-lacto vegetarian menu changes bi-monthly with also one monthly dish focused on a specific country. Has a separate vegan menu as well as a surprise menu that can be chosen as vegan. Large selection of drinks including tea, fruit juices locally brewed beer, organic wine. Casual atmosphere. Open Thu 17:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 17:00-00:00, Sun 17:00-23:00.
84 Reviews
First Review by Marco
clark
Points +293
best vegetarian option in amsterdam - Edit
We came here for dinner during our last of three nights in Amsterdam and had our favorite meal here. Although I generally find plant-based cuisine in Europe to not quite be on the same level as what you might find in the States, this was pretty close. Tasty and surprisingly inventive. Furthermore, the service was friendly and attentive and the desserts were excellent. Highly recommended.
Read moreJust be sure to make a reservation as the restaurant was packed while we were there.
Pros: friendly service, excellent food
Cons: crowded
Guest
RMA20904
Points +223
Unique Flavors and Attentive Service - Edit
Despite being quite full on a Friday night, our server was attentive and the service prompt. We both had the Caribbean selection (this month's highlight) - I had the vegan version, my husband the vegetarian. A cornucopia of flavors and textures, it was very good. My husband also enjoyed the peanut soup (a savory peanut purée with a hint of spice) and the vegan-gluten-free carrot cake (a treat for someone with celiac, filled with nuts, raisins and carrots - but not too sweet.). Everything is vegetarian and a number of items are vegan and/or can be served as such. Not a big menu, but certainly sufficient. Would go back monthly to see what the special is.
Read morePros: good food, good service
Cons: limited readily apparent gluten free items
Guest
ViajedeunaVegana
Points +96
Didn´t like the food - Edit
We had a the "japanese vegetable tofu burger with shiitake mushrooms and chinese cabbage soy and ginger dip sauce and brown rice". The name sounds very good but the tofu burger didn´t taste good at all, it´s tasted to a certain spice I could not recognize (maybe aniseed?) which was very strong and spoiled the burger. The rest of the plate (the vegetables and the rice) didn´t have any taste at all :(
Read morePros: very friendly staff
Cons: food didn´t taste good, just 2 vegan options
Guest
dkinjer
Points +305
Pleasant upscale vegetarian restaurant - Edit
Update on 5 August, 2014:
Read moreWe visited de Waaghals again this past month (July, 2014) and were less enthused than the first time. The menu for vegans was quite limited and what we ordered was OK, but not terrific. It is only about 3 weeks since we were there and yet we cannot remember exactly what we ate, and since they change the menu, we can't refresh our memories. I remember that some of what was on my plate was good and the kimchi was too spicy (even though I was assured that it wouldn't be). I wouldn't make a point to go back. Amsterdam does not have the quality restaurants that vegans can enjoy as I've found in Rome, for example, and New York has some amazing places. I love Amsterdam, but vegan food is not up to par.
de Waaghals was not inexpensive, but after eating in a dumpy place and an informal place, we decided to splurge and see if Amsterdam has a more gourmet-type, upscale vegetarian restaurant. de Waaghals did not disappoint, but the options for vegans are limited. The waiter was helpful in explaining what was good for vegans, and they were able to switch one side dish for another so as to make one of the menu items a viable option. The food was tasty, a fairly nice size portion (not huge, but decent), and served very nicely. I could see from what others were eating that if you are not vegan (and not worried about cholesterol), then there was really a nice variety and scrumptious-looking desserts (they are big on whipped cream). The decor was informal, but very nice and attractive. When we arrived, it was full or fully reserved, so they put us down for a table for a half hour later and we went for a walk and came back. So I recommend reservations. I don't think this was quite as good as the best veggie restaurants that I've been at in Rome (and a very good one in Paris), but if you are looking for something beyond the usual vegetable stews and want something more gourmet, then this would be the choice in Amsterdam.
Updated from previous review on Sunday October 21, 2012
Pros: Nice atmosphere, tasty food, helpful about vegan choices
Cons: Not enough vegan choices, expensive
Guest
hack_man
Points +28166
Where Daredevils Go - Edit
After first visiting in December 2004 to find it closed, it was a very long time to wait to finally eat here in February 2011. It's a superb place but the food on that particular evening was of a Vietnamese theme that didn't really appeal too much. Other menu choices were available but they didn't stand out. The crispy sweet potato cake starter was delicious but the main course was a mis-match of many so-called Vietnamese flavours and ingredients that didn't complement too well. Overall, this is gourmet vegetarian dining which I will definitely try again but would prefer a different food theme. Staff were friendly, maybe slightly laid back (I like laid back), surroundings were plush and there was an angry house cat. On a third visit in May 2013 we found the whole experience to be simply magnificent with fabulous staff, a wonderful atmosphere and delicious well presented food that left us with a strong desire to return again later in the year. On returning in December 2013 the angry house cat was still there, the staff were wonderful and for me this is a clear personal top 10 Happy Cow venue. Be daring and visit the Daredevil.
Read morePros: decor, location, themed food
Cons: basic free salad
Guest
fruitarian.army.wife
Points +34
Great Food :) - Edit
the food was really good. kinda disappointing that there was only one Vegan option though. i loved the kitty (the mascot) it was really busy, and the staff was very friendly and relaxed. will differently go back
Read morePros: good food, atmasphere, friendly staff
Cons: need more vegan options
Guest
hexam3
Points +17
Really lovely food - Edit
De Waaghals has a really tasty menu, with food combinations I wouldn't have thought of but are really delicious. They had three mains options when I visited; the autumn dinner, the De Waaghals classic and the Japanese main as well as a couple of other cheaper options. The food is really good and the atmosphere is pleasant. The staff were friendly and polite, plus they speak absolutely perfect English. It may not be good for vegans, as it is not obvious which meals would be suitable. They also have a cute, fluffy cat wandering around but perhaps don't try to stroke it unless you're used to slightly stroppy cats!
Read moreGuest
The Veggie Cook
Points +1201
only one vegan dish? - Edit
Saw this place listed on happycow and went to check it out when I was in Amsterdam this spring. When I went inside, no one greeted me. Perhaps the owner/staff were having a bad day? They seemed upset that I even showed up. Eek. I inquired about menu options for vegans and was told there was only one dish that I could have; everything else had cow milk or what not. Too bad, cuz I wanted to eat here, but I left.
Read moreCons: not for vegans
Guest
pacifists
Points +19
Amazing food, real feast for the tasting buds - Edit
We've spent an amazing evening with addition of superb dishes. The tomato/coconut soup was something totally unexpected and delicious. Soup of the day potato and curry also tasted very good. The dishes that we tried were very interesting with lots of different flavors on a single plate. For example combination of peach and some sort of blue cheese just blew me away that was one of the most delicious things I've tried.
Read moreFor the finish we were recommended a banana pie and it's not your everyday pie fromthe oven it had some pieces of banana inside and crust from seed and nuts also some kind of cream that by the taste of it looked like made from some sort of grains - I have no idea what was in there, but we really liked it. Will definitely visit this place next time.
Guest
Gudrun
Points +4905
Excellent veggie food with a "twist" - Edit
A very nice place with good food and friendly staff (and I like the cat, too!). I wish they had more vegan options but what they have is very creative and really good. The food is mostly organic and, as it was already said below, it is never boring and comes usually "with some interesting twists". Popular also among non-vegetarians.
Read morePros: great + interesting food, nice staff, frequent change of menu
Cons: could use more vegan options
Guest
erland
Points +27
Excellent food and wine - Edit
A lovely little place with great atmosphere, super friendly staff and excellent food. There are three mains food options that are plates of several different items that go really well together. I can recommend both the Summer Plate and the Waaghals Classic, though the menu probably changes. They also offer organic beers and lovely wines. Both on-street (a quiet lane) and inside seating.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Great wines, Relaxed atmosphere
Guest
slithers
Points +719
So-so for vegans - Edit
De Waaghals has a nice atmosphere and knowledgeable staff and we had no problem with getting a table on a Thursday night 1 hour before our reservation. However, there is not an extensive menu (maybe 5 entrees) and very few of the dishes or appetizers are vegan (maybe 1 was vegan and another could be made vegan). I opted for the non-mushroom vegan choice, which turned out to be steamed vegetables with a very simple peanut sauce. Totally adequate and healthy, but not what I'd expect from a vegetarian restaurant, more like something an omnivore restaurant would throw together for the odd vegan. I think my appetizer (don't recall what) was good, though. My girlfriend (an omnivore) absolutely loved her meal, though, so if you're non-vegan, it's probably good. Otherwise, I'd say it's OK, but don't go out of your way. Golden Temple and TerraZen have way better vegan options.
Read morePros: Near museums, Knowledgeable helpful staff
Cons: Severely limited vegan options, Simple, adequate vegan fare
Guest
Kristel
Points +34
Great - Edit
After reading the good reviews on HappyCow, we had great expectations for this restaurant, and we weren't dissapointed.
Read moreThe server was very friendly, the atmosphere was cosy, we didn't have to wait long for our food although it was full.
My companion is not a vegetarian, but he didn't miss meat at all. They bring out the true flavours of the ingredients. We had the 'Waaghals classic' and the 'Libanese special' and there were some unconventional combinations, but everything worked perfectly.
You can tell this restaurant has been around for more than 25 years, because everything has been perfected into the smallest details.
Recommended to all, we will definitely go back there when we're in Amsterdam again.
Pros: great food, friendly staff, great atmosphere
Guest
sglcklch
Points +3761
limited vegan options - Edit
My partner and I came here on a Tuesday evening for dinner without a reservation. It was obviously a very popular place as almost all the tables were reserved. Good thing we arrived early, they were able to squeeze us in.
Read moreFor food we ordered some olives and two coconut crepes to start with, a pesto minestrone and a Turkish stew for mains, and shared a panforte for dessert. Everything was tasty, not strong on flavors, but properly seasoned. Presentation was simple yet lovely. The highlight was definitely the panforte with pineapple sorbet - the only vegan dessert on the menu that day. The two made such good complements! Just one pet peeve though... I found the title of the "Turkish stew" kind of off. It wasn't a stew at all, but a thin layer of dal topped with some veggies and vegan meatballs served with brown rice, and I didn't understand what made this dish Turkish at all except it got three small pieces of meatballs in it. Yummy nontheless!
Portions were moderate, setting was minimalist and cozy. I found this restaurant pretty good, while my partner absolutely loved it. Out of the several vegetarian restaurants we visited in Amsterdam it was for sure one of the better ones.
Pros: good food
Cons: limited vegan options
Guest
liepy
Points +76
Nice place and really good food - Edit
When I visited Amsterdam with 3 non-vegies, I decided to look for a vegetarian restaurant. When we entered "De Waaghals" it was 2 minutes past opening and already alot of people were waiting. It was not crowded though.
Read moreTo bad there was only one waiter. Occasionally, one of the cooks helped him out.
For starters, the meals were nice, hot/warm and nice portions.
We all had different main dishes which were large and had alot of different flavors and tasted great!
Because of the large portions, there was almost no room for dessert left, but a choose to share 2 desserts. To be really honest, they disappointed me a bit, but non the less, the rest of the experience made that up.
All ingredients used were fair-trade & organic.
Be carefull of the cat by the way, you can pet him, but do not touch his lower back. It gave me some nasty scratches.
Pros: Big portions, Friendly Staff, Variation in flavors
Cons: Bit slow sometimes, Be carefull with the cat walking around!
Guest
pesek
Points +81
If you're vegan go elsewhere - Edit
If you're vegan they only had ONE vegan dish, the Turkish stew, and it didn't taste much. Brown rice with red lentils, a dish worth like 5 euros and cost around 14 euros. When we arrived we didn't make a reservation. They said that it was very busy that night, although we could choose any table we wanted and the place was far from crowded. We waited about 30 minutes just for our drinks.
Read moreGuest
Homme_outan
Points +339
"Must eat" - Edit
A very good vegetarian restaurant, tasty and original food. Nice place.
Read moreExpensive, but it's worths it.
It is better to book a table.
Pros: Taste, Ambiance
Cons: Price
Guest
GaiaGoldman
Points +56
bad service, attitude - Edit
I hate to write negative reviews, but this place really ticked me off. I called the day before to make a reservation and to confirm that they would have vegan options on the menu. All sounded good. We arrived on time for our meal, and were told that our table wasn't ready and that we could sit outside. Not a big deal. After a twenty-minute wait, I finally went inside and asked for a menu and two glasses of wine. The server (or owner? Same guy who took my reservation) said he was coming. We waited another twenty minutes. Still no sign of a table, or a waiter, let alone a glass of wine. I went inside again, and told the waiter were were willing to eat outside and were ready to order. I reminded him I'd called and was told there would be vegan options. He waved the menu in front of my nose, and said "yeah, the Indian dish can be made vegan". That was it! We waited another fifteen minutes or so to see if our wine would ever come (was having serious doubts by then), but it didn't, so we finally stood up and left. This is the worse experience I've ever had at a restaurant where I'd taken the time to reserve and check the menu ahead of time.
Read moreCons: limited vegan options
Guest
Gabeuk
Points +83
Good meal - Edit
Good meal. Asaparagus soup on special. dutch love that in the spring. Then an excellent pad thai and weiss beer.
Read more25 Euro all in per person. It's that kind of place. Good food though. Recommended.
Guest
stellablou
Points +26
Best meal - Edit
i'm not exaggerating. this was the best vegetarian restaurant experience of my life. the servers were friendly, the meal was so delicious, and to top it of they served my favorite dessert: banana cream pie! a friendly cat sat by my feet during the meal (this is very common all over amsterdam). I highly recommend this restaurant, but please make a reservation, as it's very busy and popular. i however, had no troubles with the service. i'm definitely coming back!
Read morePros: excellent food, good portions, friendly staff
Guest
estefinparis
Points +881
Friendly atmosphere, tasty food - Edit
De Waaghals is conveniently situated within walking distance from Amsterdam's main museums. After a long day visiting the city, we were looking forward to a warm meal and luckily we had made a reservation - the restaurant was almost full already by 6 pm! Most of the menu (which is not very extensive) is vegetarian but they have a couple of vegan options - the vegetarian dishes are the stars though and are a lot more elaborate than the vegan ones. Portions are generous; the atmosphere is warm and friendly although the one server was indeed a bit overwhelmed, as another reviewer mentioned. We were told we had to clear the table by 7.30 and were a bit stressed out by the fact that she left us unattended for relatively long periods of time. Will return next time we're in Amsterdam.
Read moreGuest
veganstastebetter
Points +205
disappointed - Edit
I figured with all the reviews and popularity this place would be amazing...I was wrong. It was too busy for the 1 server to cope. We sat down before 2 other tables that were served before us. I figured with the price for a dish it would be a big serving...again I was wrong. I left hungry and for 2 people to spend 80 euro on food, you shouldnt be hungry. It was a bit snobby here as well, even the cat roaming around bit everyone.
Read morePros: good food, location, clean
Cons: expensive, snobs
Guest
JamieWilliams
Points +1267
Our Favourite and deserves awards - Edit
Out of the four places we went in July 2010 this was rated the best and should have awards. It was well managed and very professional. The manager was friendly and welcoming. The food was delicious and there was enough options on the menu. We were very suprised at the price which we thought was good. Would go back again.
Read morePros: Tasty Food, Price, Professional
Guest
heywood100
Points +334
Tasty stuff - Edit
There were a few vegan options available when we visited De Waaghals (as opposed to the one option that some other reviewers found). There wasa good variety of tasty food, with good portion sizes, and some local organic beers. It was very full, and we were quite lucky to get a table without waiting, so a reservation might be a good idea, especially at weekends. It's also definitely not a place for budget travellers, as all the mains are fairly pricey, though you do get a good meal for your money.
Read moreGuest
Junizon
Points +81
Lovely place - Edit
Always one vegan option, nothing more, nothing less. Changes every two weeks, so if you go twice a week as a vegan, you'll eat the same thing. Place is always packed, so make reservations. Food is great! People are friendly. Dogs are allowed, but beware of the cat. ;-)
Read morePros: Good food
Cons: Could have more vegan options
Guest
gr8vegan
Points +2357
Very nice place, reservations might be needed - Edit
It was full when we went, but luckily there was a table in the back. Unlike the last review we found about 4 or 5 vegan options, but all were fried so they made us a special plate! 5 happycows earned in my book instantly! Very nice staff and perfect English spoken. Loved the local organic beers, too! On a side note, we took our carni friends here and they licked their plates clean! They loved the lentil burger (has cheese) and the indian dish. Usually they hate dining with us and they were highly impressed!
Read morePros: local organic beer & wine, happy to customize a dish
Guest
Ton
Points +581
Nice place. - Edit
Hoi. Nice place to have a proper meal. Call to reserve. Place was full when I was there. Nice staff. Can recommend. It's close to Maria Heinekenplein (De Pijp).
Read moreGuest
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