Vegan
Raw
Western
Juice bar
Take-out
European
Vegan and raw food cafe. Reported closed, Feb 2019.
55 Reviews
First Review by Chrunchkin
iokan
Points +2253
The art of good food - Edit
The "Zest for Life" restaurant is conveniently located (almost) next to the famous museums of Amsterdam. One can admire the art in one of the world class museums, then afterwards enjoy the art of good food. A nice perk: under these museums is a huge carpark, a rarity in Amsterdam. This means Zest for Life is even reachable by car (otherwise Amsterdam is a nightmare when travelling by car).
Read moreThe restaurant has a very welcoming, warm atmosphere. Even before ordering I felt I was in the right place. I was there around noon and asked for a light lunch. The chef recommended the Zest Wrap and I took his advice. Glad I did! It's amazing what a skilled chef can do with raw ingredients, just by cutting, soaking and combining them in exactly the right way. The wrap is tasty, juicy and very healthy.
In fact the food was so tasty, that I ordered takeout as well to have Zest for Life food for dinner later that day. The second wrap was great again, as was the dessert (sugar free chocolate cake!). Highly recommended!
Both English and Dutch is spoken. Please note that cash is not accepted, only debitcard and creditcard.
Pros: healthy, tasty, carpark and museums nearby
Guest
VeganCrush
Points +458
divine! - Edit
I was sooo happy finding myself in this raw food heaven! Perfect place to hang out after sightseeing! Various amazing cakes to choose from and pizza, burritos and pancaaakes! Amazing surroundings and stuff too!
Read morePros: lots of raw food desserts to choose from
Guest
MatiasGato
Points +27
Awesome Raw Food 🍲 - Edit
A very smooth place with excellent and exceptional service from the young staff.
Read moreGuest
Barbarajanna
Points +52
Good food! - Edit
The food was delicious, I ate with two other people here for lunch and we had two pizzas and one wrap. We all had a nice drink and as dessert we had two cakes - they were very, very good. However, it was a bit pricey and the pizza was not very big. But what we got was delicious!
Read morePros: Nice vibe, Friendly staff, Delicious food
Cons: Small portions, Bit pricey
Guest
vincenthoutman
Points +153
Nice atmosphere - Edit
I'm not a fan of raw food but I can't hold that against this cozy and warm place. A nice oasis in a crowded area.
Read moreGuest
tsuminyaa
Points +325
My first raw vegan pancakes! - Edit
I really loved this place!
Read moreI had the raw vegan pancake and my boyfriend had the raw vegan sushi. Both dishes were amazing!
I didn't feel really full afterwards, since I got only one pancake, but was expecting a bit more for the price. But whaterever, it was a first for me, so I didn't bother that much.
Would love to try some of their juices or cakes if I am there again someday!
Pros: Great vibe, Lovely people, Delicious food
Cons: Expensive
Guest
Peter_v5.0
Points +61
The BEST of the BEST in all of Amsterdam! - Edit
I was first here in September 2016 and have been back for lunch or espresso & cake at least 20 times now. NOTHING beats the quality and creativity of the food served here. I've tried everything on the menu at least twice and EVERYTHING is consistently scrumptious & delectable! The staff here are ALL super-nice, super-friendly and absolutely attentive!! I was here again today and everything was perfect! A MUST for vegans when in Amsterdam!!
Read morePros: Consistently EXCELLENT food! Reasonable prices.
Cons: NONE!!
Guest
Naomigoesvegan
Points +40
Heerlijke RAW dessert! - Edit
Gezellig knus en warm gevoel kreeg ik toen ik binnenkwam. Je ziet dat ze de juices aan het voorbereiden zijn, leuk om te zien.
Read moreEen RAW choco reepje/cakeje gegeten. Super lekker en goed vullend!!
Pros: aanrader!
Guest
PeteRB2000
Points +40
Must GO! - Edit
Very friendly! Excellent food...fresh, raw, vegan,...and super delicious!!! What else can one ask for?
Read moreGuest
Shama2004
Points +172
Convenient location, nice lunch - Edit
Very close to the museum plain, conveniently located for tourists. Cozy atmosphere with a little garden. We had carrot soup, wrap and patthai for lunch. All were nice, especially the soup. Patthai was cold, which was a bit of a surprise. Cakes were also very nice. A little pricey but nice lunch.
Read morePros: Cozy atmosphere , Friendly staff
Cons: Little pricey for the portion , Busy at lunch time
Guest
Gudrun
Points +4905
Vegan for health, not for the animals - Edit
After reading a couple of good reviews about this place I really looked forward to visit it. And indeed, the food (I had the "springrolls") was nice, with a delicious, spicy sauce and the staff was very friendly. I asked if everything was really vegan (i.e., no honey used), and they confirmed. However, there were new, modern leather seats all over the place (plus "capiz" -shell- candle holders, not animal-friendly, either). Not exactly what I (being an ethical vegan) want to see in a vegan restaurant. The smell of leather was pretty strong. The staff told me they already removed 2 big leather seats because of customer complaints. I don't think I will come back here.
Read morePros: nice, healthy food, friendly staff
Cons: animal-unfriendly interior
Guest
Fabivegan
Points +263
nice cheese cake - Edit
Lovely raw desserts
Read morePros: nice atmosphere, delicious food
Cons: none
Guest
maltman23
Points +6560
Good food in pleasant environment - Edit
I had the Zest Burger. Not easy to eat as a sandwich, but worth the effort. The Pumpkin Chai was incredibly good.
Read moreThey take only cards, no money.
Pros: All vegan, Nice space
Cons: A bit pricey
Guest
kitchendates
Points +157
Raw food at its best - Edit
Very relaxing place, right next to busy Museumplein. Everything is raw, but not bland. You can see their creativity in everything they serve. The raw sushi and the carrot wrap were really delicious. The same goes for the red velvet muffin and the carrot cake we tried. Friendly staff.
Read morePros: Creative raw food, Location & atmosphere, Staff
Guest
Minilowen
Points +65
Great Food and Great Location - Edit
This is a small place half a block from the Van Gogh Museum. It's got delicious raw food very creatively presented. Very friendly staff. You should make it part of your museum afternoon!
Read moreGuest
MichalB
Points +60
pleasant place - Edit
Menu is almost fully vegan (I only noticed one thing with bee product).
Read moreI am not a big fan of raw food and yet liked my raw pumpkin wrap. the prices were more expensive comparing to different places we went to.
Guest
GinaEndresen
Points +24
Amazing - Edit
We went for breakfast here there days in row. It was amazing, try the cappuccino with almond milk and the lemon cheesecake! I loved the fresh apple juice and my friend the orange juice. We tried the acai bowl, cocunut yoghurt, VLT sandwich and the sushi! The staf was very friendly and i would absolutely come back! :-)
Read moreGuest
vegantonio
Points +239
Best restaurant in Town - Edit
We went there few days ago. This is the best option if you would like to try something different. Its vegan and fully raw. The only warm options is the tea. It was everything good and stylish. My portion was big enough. But the burger is maybe too small. Otherwise fair and good. I will be back there next time I visit this nice city.
Read moreA must for every gourmet lover ...
Pros: great food, friendly staff, fully raw vegan
Guest
SamanthaVeitch
Points +39
Excellent food made with love - Edit
Very conveniently found on the south side of Museumplein this little raw vegan place is a real treat. First impression is one of warmth, a cosy retreat from the bitter temperature drop happening outside on the clear November evening. Open until 6pm this would prove the perfect place for an early dinner/late lunch before our night train to Munich. ................for a complete review please visit my food blog @ whitedragonorganics.com
Read morePros: organic, cosy , good value
Cons: only open till 6pm
Guest
Chrisarnold
Points +250
Good and healthy food - Edit
It was my first time in a raw restaurant and we loved it. We ordered a carrot soup and springrolls. They were both very tasteful and nicely presented. The girl that served us was very friendly and offered us a complimentary bottle of water and a chocolate shoot. The place is very cozy and nicely decorated. I will come back to try more!
Read morePros: Healthy, fresh, jummy, great staff, nicely decorat
Guest
RobertHol
Points +100
Great raw food - Edit
The hamburger and the pizza are both delicious.Also had the "turn up the beets".Boosted with energy now
Read morePros: All Vegan
Guest
Salster
Points +64
Love, love Zest for life! - Edit
Great cafe and the menu is fab!
Read moreIf you eat raw, just go there.
Guest
Sallyb33
Points +115
Great Little Fine - Edit
I instantly fell in love with this all vegan place the moment I stepped in and saw the decor and menu. So gorgeous! There's a super cute, comfy outside area and a pretty, calm inside area. The food is so good! I tried the raw pancakes, raw BLT and a few desserts, along with fresh juices. They were all AMAZING!
Read moreGuest
NatalieDowelMcIntosh
Points +362
Loved everything about this place! - Edit
A gorgeous place with the loveliest people and the delicious gourmet raw food is right up there with the best! They have really nailed the flavours and offer a great menu for breakfast and lunch with fresh smoothies and juices. Our favourite was the VLT Spiced Pumpkin Wrap and Banana Cashew Pancakes but we also loved the Pad Thai. We're staying a 30min walk away from here but it's such a lovely walk from the centre of Amsterdam I happy to go here at least once a day to nourish myself with this raw goodness. They also sell a few products and have treatment rooms upstairs. What a joyful experience this place offers!
Read moreGuest
gvarun
Points +141
Raw vegan food and good smoothies - Edit
had the raw pizza which was surprisingly filling. all raw food. Smoothies were really good also. nice cozy spot
Read morePros: raw, vegan, healthy
Cons: on the expensive side
Guest
KarimKanfoudi
Points +275
Amazing experiance and food, 5* - Edit
Firstly, The Cafe only used the highest quality ingredients and equipment. I also found the staff to be extremely polite and knowledgable about Veganism. My favourite smoothie had to be the 'Protein Power'.
Read moreIn a short stay we managed to make two trips to the cafe and we always left feeling refreshed and energised!
On our last visit the staff were nice enough to give us discount on a variety of different Vegan deserts - which by the way.. are AMAZING to :)
Guest
MaurycyBrowar
Points +146
Best vegan food in town - Edit
The restaurant is very close to the Museumsplein were the most important museums of the town are situated.
Read moreThere are also many tram and bus lines nearby.
I had only a stop over in Amsterdam and used the time to discover the vegan places.
Zest for life is a really lovely place. In the summer time you can also sit outside in the backyard.
The food is completely raw and vegan. They serve a big variety of fresh dishes such as Pizza, Soup, pancakes and wraps.
The staff was extremely helpful and even helped me to find other interesting places in town.
The wraps and the smoothie that I ordered where delicious. There is no doubt. This is an amazing place!
Unfortunately the place is not wheel chair accessible (like most other places in Amsterdam). But I can imagine that the staff also has a solution if you are not able to take the steps.
Pros: friendly staff, amazing wraps, location
Cons: not wheel chair accessible
Guest
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