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Vegan food cafe near Dam square. Menu combines Caribbean and Japanese tastes and ingredients. Sample dishes like the house-made vegan burger, quinoa salad, fresh spring rolls, udon noodle, hijiki seaweed salad, and changing vegan cheesecakes and desserts. Beverages offered include fruit shakes, tea, and coffee. Hosts special events. Reported to close an hour earlier than stated times. Open Mon 13:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00, Wed 12:00-15:00, Wed-Sun 17:00-22:00, Thu 13:00-15:00, Fri 12:00-15:00, Sat-Sun 13:00-15:00. Closed Tue.
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19 hs Sint Jacobstraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1012 NC
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Last update on 09 Sep 2024 by koortje
Update business info -
Added by The Veggie Cook on 08 Nov 2011
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688 Reviews
First Review by ChakaKamaNath
flormadel
Points +340
Chill Atmosphere, Homey Food - Edit
I really enjoyed my time at Terra Zen. It is a bit hard to find if you're not looking for it, but it was a nice discovery. The prices weren't that great, but the food was really tasty. We did have to wait quite a while, but if you're in good company, and not that hungry, you'll be fine. They had really creative and homey dishes, which is hard to find for lunch in Amsterdam. The owner is really friendly, talkative, and is very passionate about his dishes. The place is small, but it has a very chill vibe. Would definitely go again!
Read morePros: nice atmosphere, great service, homey, creative dishes
Cons: waiting time is long, a bit expensive, hard to find
Guest
Fer
Points +600
Vegan close the Dam - Edit
This is a small restauurant, friendly with few tables. Vegan ambient. Good food and price.
Read morePros: In the center of the city, Price, Food
Guest
Gony
Points +60
One of the Best. - Edit
So tasty. You can not do any better. Such special flavors
Read moreAvocado burger and crispy tempeh burger to die for.
Guest
SamiT
Points +39
loved it! - Edit
Great atmosphere and fantastic food. We are in Amsterdam for 3days as part of a month long Europe trip and we agreed that our meal here has been our favorite of the trip. My omni brother and friend loved it just as much as I did. Super friendly staff and great food, what more can you ask for?
Read moreGuest
Happymouse
Points +489
worst restaurant experience - Edit
Excited to find a vegan place (thats not comparable to a restaurant) near the Central Station, we headed there and sat down to look at the menu choices. After about 10 minutes we could order. Another guy sat down at our table. Then the waiting started.
Read moreThe same song was playing over an over. The guy ordered. Waiting. The guy got his food. Waiting. After 45 minutes they asked if we wanted just bread instead of the ordered portion rice which was not yet done (?) but we said we would wait. The owner, calmly smoking a joint in the kitchen, confirmed us it would take 12 minutes. The other guy payed and left. And after another 30 minutes (!) our food arrived. Well, part of it at least.
Unfortunately I didn't like it that much but my boyfriend did so for that we can't make a statement. It was an average meal but not okay if you consider the prices.
A bowl of rice, 5 pieces of veganChicken and a miso soup (with seetang) costs 11€.
Considering all those points, I'd not go there again.
If we would have been looking for a comfortable chill-out on a rainy afternoon, our judgement might not have been so bad.
Pros: apart of the humidity - nice atmosphere
Cons: Waiting 75min for the food, Expensive, same music over and over
Guest
CLRtraveller
Points +11016
tasty food, iffy service - Edit
I’m late with this review. I was in Amsterdam in September 2013. Comments from my first visit to TerraZen:
Read moreGood and varied menu. Mains of curry and rice or roti, €9.80-17.00 (not cheap!), burgers, stews, lentil daal, quinoa salad and other salads, noodle dishes (soba, udon), sushi, miso soup and other soups €7.50, drinks (including hot ginger soymilk, ginger beer, juices), cakes, choco ice cream, fruit plate. I had “crispy tempeh burger” €8.80. Meal took a while to come but was tasty and satisfying. Beware: 10% is added after 6 pm for “night charges”!
Second visit: Not impressed with the service (desultory young woman), and a toddler and others going in and out the door, right beside where I was eating. Delicious soba noodle/vegetable stir-fry topped with a piece of okra. Yakisoba, €9.80. Rather than wait longer, I walked to the back to place my order; details on the menu had to be extracted from the server.
Don’t be in a hurry. The meals take at least 20 minutes or more to arrive, but you know it’s freshly cooked.
Toilet beside the eating space didn’t flush, and there wasn’t any hand towel.
Seating is limited, and what there is includes a low table where you sit on cushions on the floor and two chairs at a window counter beside the door, meaning you and your warm meal are impacted by the cool air. A potential additional eating space was occupied by a sleeping infant.
I'm thrilled to have a vegan eatery, but this place could use some improvements.
Pros: good food, varied menu
Cons: slow service, certain servers need improved attitude
Guest
flash-gordonette
Points +53
Loved it! - Edit
The café was fun to find, tucked up a narrow little side street – I almost walked past it. It was cold outside so it was a relief to walk into the cosy friendly atmosphere of the café. I was welcomed warmly by both the chef/owner and the waitress. The waitress was clocking off but she still took the time to wish me a nice meal and night. I ordered a hot chocolate soya milk and a crispy tempeh burger which the chef made whilst singing along to the same reggae track which seemed to be played on continuous loop the whole time I was there. I couldn't help but smile inside!
Read moreThe hot chocolate was very nice and I enjoyed sipping it while reading my book. I had just finished it when my burger arrived. I’d never had tempeh before, but based on my experience I would definitely order it again. It was indeed crispy, and there were several slices placed on-top of a salad on-top of an extremely yummy brown sub roll. The salad consisted of lettuce, spring onion little sprouted things (like mung beans but smaller), sesame seeds, chunks of a soft fruit-like thing that I didn't recognise and a really tasty sauce. Despite my ignorance towards some of the more “exotic” ingredients, everything worked really well. The burger was crunchy, yet saucy and fresh without ever being dry or drab in taste or texture. I was feeling under the weather but had I been well, I may have asked exactly what I was eating, but what is life without the odd little mystery?
I guess the food did take a little while to arrive at the table, but I was having such a nice time reading and drinking my drink that I didn't mind at all. However the chef still came over and apologised for the wait and explained that he likes to take his time making sure the food was perfect. Mission accomplished, my good man!
I would definitely recommend this cafe ♥ So much so I have written about it in my blog: http://flash-gordonette.com/2013/12/07/21-vegan-las-amsterdam.aspx
Pros: Fabulous tasty cruelty-free food, VAST selection! , Cozy & friendly atmosphere ♥
Cons: Slight wait for food - but not too bad!, Not posh enough to take guests
Guest
mel723
Points +29
Disappointing - Edit
After reading the reviews here, I couldn't wait to go to TerraZen. It was hard to choose something from the menu, because there are so many things, so I randomly picked the 'Rasta Pasta' because it sounded nice, but the waitress couldn't tell me what the dish was.
Read moreMy friend and I both ordered and then the wait started. My friend got his food (vegan chicken and cassave) in about 20 minutes but then it took another 30 for my food to arrive. Although we ordered different dishes, they tasted quite the same (soy sauce). When we wanted to pay, it took another 10 minutes because the waitress couldn't figure out how the till worked. Quite unbelievable.
I might give TerraZen another chance when I'm in the city centre again, but only because of the other positive reviews, which may mean my experience with them was a one-off. Let's hope so.
Pros: lots to choose from, vegan
Cons: slow, food not so special
Guest
hermey
Points +28
Interesting! - Edit
I read the reviews here before deciding to brave this place. I was expecting something quite manly and it wasn't as bad as I imagined. However I agree with the other reviews: I don't think this would pass any kind of inspection (!) but the staff are lovely, there's lots of choice of food and it is good quality.
Read moreMy meal was rather a surprise. I ordered the vegan chicken burger. It was an open sandwich with something like stir fried sauce and veg over it. Underneath was the 'burger'. The 'chicken' was AMaZING. It was really good. However it wasn't really a burger per se. So just bear that in mind. Next time I would ask for the burger simply with the 'chicken' and roll. The bread roll was good quality though. Afterwards I had banana cake which came with vegan cream. It was so delicious and not too sweet.
Definitely worth a visit. Just be open minded!
Pros: All vegan , Friendly, Tasty
Cons: Very small, Not the cleanest looking place
Guest
vegan_ryan
Points +3878
GREAT food, good atmosphere - Edit
This is a Japanese-meets-Carribean place just off a main street in Amsterdam central area.
Read moreEveryone we met was SUPER nice, the food was amazing, the prices were good - it couldn't be better.
Their hours say that they are open all day, but they close in between lunch and dinner. From 14:30-16:00, they're closed.
We went for lunch one day and dinner a different day. Both times, we really enjoyed it.
Order the katsu chicken bowl!!!
Pros: All vegan, Super friendly
Guest
sugarplumzoom
Points +28
Exactly what I needed - Edit
After a long weekend of less than ideal food, arriving in Amsterdam and dining at TerraZen was exactly what I needed. The service was warm-hearted and helpful in choosing from among the many delicious sounding dishes. I had the crispy tempeh burger (so satisfying) and my companion enjoyed the chicken sweet and sour with excellently prepared seitan. The survival cake was also very good. I highly recommend a visit to TerraZen!
Read morePros: delicious food, friendly staff
Cons: small space
Guest
_mayz_
Points +74
hilariously tasty - Edit
I absolutely loved this place.
Read moreI prob wouldn't have stepped in had it not been on happy cow and am really glad I did. On arrival we walked into an empty shop filled with very loud reggae!
We sat ourselves down and were eventually served by the wonderful owner.
I had the chicken katsu burger and organic cola. We also got spring rolls to start which we re more like crumbed and fried dumplings... They were amazing!
My burger was a taste sensation and the evening was made even better by hearing the cook/waiter/owner singing in the kitchen.
Defiantly recommend
Pros: amazing food , fun atmosphere
Cons: don't go there if your looking for special service, bit slow
Guest
meisterman
Points +80
Only 1 person works there - Edit
Be sure you have a LOT of time to wait around.
Read moreI stopped in, excited to find an all vegan place. It looked empty, but there was one customer ordering at the counter from the Jamaican owner guy. The owner took his order, and disappeared into the back, so I sat down & waited ... and waited. Next I heard him chopping things back there and realized he was still going to have to cut, then cook, etc., so I had to leave.
I was there around 4 pm. I will go back today or tomorrow so I can finally see if the food is any better than the wait.
Pros: All vegan
Cons: Horribly long wait
Guest
ChrisWood
Points +29
Fantastic food! - Edit
Took my meat-eating father here for dinner last night and we both really, really enjoyed our food.
Read moreI had the organic sweet and sour "chicken" roti and my dad had a mixed bean roti - both were really tasty and really hearty.
Only slight negatives were that the service was very slow (though we were there at peak time) and after waiting 30 minutes we were told we would need to wait a further 30 minutes for rice, which we'd originally ordered instead of the roti.
Nevertheless, we're looking forward to returning later in our stay in Amsterdam!
Guest
LaurieXB
Points +38
Fantastic vegan food in the centre of Amsterdam - Edit
My husband and I went to TerraZen Centre for a late lunch yesterday. We had the Teriyaki Tempeh Burger and the "Chicken" Katsu Rice Bowl with Miso Soup. Both dishes were delicious.
Read moreWe were the only guests, which was not surprising for 3pm in the afternoon, and service was friendly and swift. Some reviews mention an issue with the bathroom - we found it to be very clean.
The quality and taste of the food was really outstanding - I would say that this was among the best vegan food I have had in a restaurant in the Netherlands. The place itself is small and somewhat chaotic looking (in a charming way), so definitely more a place for a relaxed group dinner or lunch than a posh meal.
We felt that the food was good value for money by Dutch standards - we have paid a lot more for less good food elsewhere.
We'll definitely be coming back!
Pros: Very tasty food, Central location, Friendly staff & relaxed atmosphere
Cons: Small place - could get crowded
Guest
hungryherbivores
Points +46
Green smoothies for daaays - Edit
My friend and I visited this restaurant twice during our stay in Amsterdam solely for their smoothies. I had their green smoothie and their coconut/soya milkshake. We didn't have any food but the smoothies themselves are worth a visit. The owners of the restaurant were very kind people as well.
Read morePros: delicious smoothies
Guest
idjuv
Points +24
The best vegan food cafe I have ever been to - Edit
I love everything about this place. The owners, the atmosphere, and of course the food! I wish I could eat here for the rest of my life.
Read morePros: 100% vegan, GREAT food, Not too tough on your wallet
Guest
MBecker
Points +58
Excellent people & food, diverse menu - Edit
My partner & I wandered into TerraZen around 8:30pm on a Monday night, and the place was CROWDED. It's tiny, seating around 4 groups of people at a time, or maybe 6 - 7 couples, but the location is phenomenal. The restaurant is just a bit north of Dam Square, in the pedestrian-only shopping alleys. Inside, the place is full of color, with murals and paintings on the wall. The menu is Japanese and Indian-inspired, with lots of tempura, rice, noodles, and tempeh.
Read moreThe clientele and staff are super friendly. While we waited for 2 seats to open up, a regular customer chatted with us and volunteered information about the best menu items. She said she'd been coming every week since the place opened, and never had a subpar dish there. The staff were also very kind, exchanging laughs with us and being very patient while we tried to decide on what to order.
We ultimately ordered:
- Ginger Tea
- Hot Ginger Soyamilk
- Tempura Udon (€9.80)
- TerraZen Teishoku with Miso Soup (€15)
- Chocolate Cake
In total, we spent €35 for a meal that could have fed 2 very hungry people, or 3-4 moderately hungry people. And it was DELICIOUS. With the exception of the hot ginger soyamilk, which was just soymilk with ginger chopped up in it (I don’t know what I was expecting), everything was phenomenal, and very fresh, piping hot, and crispy.
Actually, the meal was so filling that we saved the entire Teishoku dish in tupperwear and ate it for lunch the following day. The Teishoku is a mix of 3 of the first 6 items on the “Main Dishes” menu, decided upon by the kitchen based on what veggies are around and what’s good (which was perfect for my indecisive partner & I). The Tempura Udon is a gigantic bowl of noodle soup with tempura and veggies (such as seaweed and mushrooms) on top. For dessert, we finished with the chocolate cake, which was PHENOMENAL -- just moist and just sweet enough, but not too much. It was perfection.
If I were to suggest anything, it’d be to add seitan to the menu.
Pros: delicious food, upbeat vibe / atmosphere, great location
Cons: no seitan, very small location
Guest
killianH
Points +126
The vegan experience! - Edit
Like all good vegan resturants, this place is unique. It serves a mix of vegan meals, not overtly gourmet, but always fresh and cheap. Its a small place, and the nice guy running it can get a bit busy, but is always smiling. Ive been three times and will always go back.
Read morePros: vegan straight up!, fair prices, unique
Guest
tcasalena
Points +99
different but good - Edit
There are few restaurants where you can walk in greeted by a Jamaican man with a joint pressed between a huge smile. Okay, the guy is really nice and runs the place by himself. Okay, I'm lying, when it gets busy his kids become your servers which was weird for their age. Overall though the food was really good and we went back for more. Go for the stews for a larger more filling portion for the price, the burgers were smaller. The food was really good, the chocolate cake was amazing. I'd recommend at least giving it a try, for at least the experience of dining on what seems like a living room with table service.
Read morePros: food, weirdness
Guest
sauce1173
Points +31
One of the best vegan spots in A'dam - Edit
I have seen a lot of review for this place so I decided to check it out. Yea the service is not the best(where is in Holland?) but it is family owned = ). I think the food is great and I consider it a treat to eat here. If your not in rush and want to relax and have some vegan food this is the place.
Read morePros: Everything VEGAN and yummy!!!!!, Local family owned place
Cons: Could be remodled.
Guest
Purple Carrot
Points +47
memorable and weird restaurant experience - Edit
My eating experience here was pretty memorable.
Read moreIn spite of booking a table both via e-mail (that nobody checked) and then via phone an hour before, seats had not been reserved for us. But luckily after a 30 min wait, quite a few people were leaving and the restaurant emptied out of guests.
There were quite a few people buzzing about, including what appeared to be 3 chefs, two children working as waitresses and then a couple of men who looked like they might own the place. Everybody were super friendly but utterly incapable of offering anything that resembled service. We made our order with the kids and they promptly forgot parts of our order, (they forgot half the order from the table next to us as well). But we only found that out after a 1 hour wait for my meal and another 45 mins wait for my table companions meal. The food was decent, and quite lovingly prepared, so we enjoyed it enough to want to try it again.
But as we were finishing up our meals, one of the guys got out his karaoke kit and started singing. All his family and friends that had been milling around formed a circle around him and the guests, a total of four, all smiled at each other in disbelief. The entire experience was really quite weird. So when we left the restaurant several hours after arriving, we left with smiles on our faces.
Pros: Food, Friendly staff, Good location
Cons: No service
Guest
Chiechi
Points +62
Tasty, great atmosphere - Edit
I wandered in here one evening after a super long day in Brussels and a mess with the trains. I was exhausted, irritable, and starving. Inside was the well-travelled and incredibly warm, friendly owner and an atmosphere that reminded me more of having dinner with friends than a restaurant. I walked out peaceful, happy, and well-fed. The food is an interesting mix of Japanese and Caribbean. The portions are reasonable, but on the small side for me, which is no problem because it means I get to enjoy more side dishes.
Read morePros: Nice Atmosphere, Good Food, Nice People
Guest
Asleep On A Sunbeam
Points +113
Yummy! - Edit
Whilst the food was impressively tasty the portions were not massive. But given the price of the food and the friendly atmosphere, and the quality of the food, I heartily recommend this place. If you're in Amsterdam you should definitely go here.
Read morePros: High quality, Low and fair price, chilled friendly atmosphere
Cons: portions weren't massive
Guest
Lolamoviola
Points +78
so cute! - Edit
This place looks a bit weird at first but when you get it: it only gets better! Today we ate here and we both loved it! I got the 'chicken burger' and it was soooo delicious! i don't like Fake meat at all, but the girl ( i think it's their daughter, only twelve years old or something..) advised me the chicken burger! The place is filled with nice music, nice service and good food!
Read moreGuest
sakurahappyanimals
Points +28
Awesome! - Edit
I totally missed japanese food coz I am japanese! hehe today I oder tempura donburi was really really really JApanese style! was soooo yum!!!! Im loving terraZen! I go tmrw again! will get natto avo bowl! You really should try! real japanese and ppl are so nice!!!!!!!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Tuesday November 13, 2012
Pros: excellent food
Guest
ThomasPDX
Points +24
Best Vegan Food in Amsterdam - Edit
Seriously, if you are vegan and in Amsterdam, this is the place to go. The food was absolutely delicious. I had the tempura donburi/miso soup and I couldn't get enough.
Read moreIt's a little hidden down a side street and it took me a while to find it. The portions were a tad small. But I would go again in a heart beat. I think it was the best meal I've had in Europe so far.
Pros: Delicious food
Cons: Hidden, Small Portions
Guest
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