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The neighborhoods east of the Amstel are primarily residential, but there are also some wonderful neighborhood restaurants where seasonal, market-driven cooking is the norm. This area is also home to one of Amsterdam's longstanding temples of gourmet food, La Rive in the elegant InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam Hotel.
By day, this sleek Swedish-owned establishment serves cinnamon or cardamom buns and seriously good specialty coffee from La Cabra in Copenhagen. By night, take your pick of the premium (mostly natural, mostly French) wines displayed in a ceiling-high wine chamber before indulging in chef Ciaran Naughter's contemporary à la carte creations.
Situated in a 1926-built former municipal greenhouse is a lovely, modern, and light-filled restaurant (you're surrounded by glass) serving Mediterranean-influenced food with a focus on including more freshly grown vegetables, often from the restaurant's own greenhouses and garden. The daily changing prix-fixe dinner menu, with dishes chosen by the chef (vegetarians and vegans can be accommodated), always consists of five or six dishes (lunch is three or four). The wine selection is delightful, and they do a wonderful job with pairings.
With a bright, modern dining space lined with white-clothed tables and an open kitchen, this popular French-Flemish eatery is one of the liveliest in town. The food is simply prepared but delicious, and reasonably priced; the three-course à la carte menus change frequently and always include daily specials. When it's offered (nearly always), don't miss their signature poussin, a perfectly roasted chicken with rosemary, served with a side of seasonal vegetables. Although the menu is in Dutch, the personable staff are happy to translate.
A cozy candlelit atmosphere and French country cooking inspire many to cycle out here up the Ringdijk, which runs east of the Amstel. Every night, a new four-course vegetarian menu is posted; fish or meat may be added as a supplement, depending on the day. Dishes rotate seasonally but may include cucumber-celery gazpacho with cornbread, tomato risotto, a cheese plate, and buttermilk panna cotta with wild peaches. In the summer, you can dine on the charming terrace.
