Café Lennep is permanently closed. The canalside café at Jacob van Lennepkade 334 in Amsterdam Oud-West has been replaced by Bon Burger Bar, a natural wine and smashburger spot that opened in the same building on Friday 18 April. If you were looking for Lennep’s waterfront terrace, the terrace is still there — the name, the menu and the rotisserie are not.
Café Lennep at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Status | Permanently closed |
| Address | Jacob van Lennepkade 334, 1053 NJ Amsterdam |
| Neighbourhood | Oud-West, Amsterdam-West |
| Former phone | +31 20 233 5201 (no longer in service for Café Lennep) |
| Cuisine when open | International and grill — rotisserie chicken, burgers, spareribs, ravioli |
| Price band | €€–€€€ |
| Guest rating | 3.8 / 5 from 74 Tripadvisor reviews |
| Now at this address | Bon Burger Bar — smashburgers and natural wine |
What happened to Café Lennep
Café Lennep operated as part of the Amsterdam hospitality collective Good Food Group, which built the café’s reputation around an in-house rotisserie where whole chickens were slow-roasted on a spit. The venue’s two terraces — one enclosed courtyard and one facing the water of the Jacob van Lennepkade — were the main draw, and Tripadvisor’s own description summed the place up as an industrial-chic café serving burgers, spareribs and beer.
The listing is now marked permanently closed. Local Oud-West newspaper De Westkrant visited the building shortly before its relaunch and found the Café Lennep sign still hanging outside while the interior had been stripped: “binnen in het pand aan de Jacob van Lennepkade 334 zijn de sporen van de voorganger uitgewist” — inside the building, all traces of the predecessor had been erased. The contractor described the incoming fit-out as industrial, in light colours, with plenty of daylight.
Bon Burger Bar: what is there now
Bon Burger Bar came to Jacob van Lennepkade 334 after its owners ran a series of hamburger pop-ups elsewhere in the city, including at Bottleshop, a restaurant and wine bar in Amsterdam-Oost. The pairing of natural wine and smashburgers worked well enough at those pop-ups that the team went looking for a permanent address, and settled on Oud-West — a neighbourhood where, as De Westkrant put it, natural wine is firmly in fashion.
The house style is the smashburger: loose ground beef pressed flat onto a very hot griddle so the Maillard reaction produces a thin patty that is crisp outside and juicy inside. De Westkrant frames the opening as part of a wider shift, noting that West is becoming Amsterdam’s smashburger centre alongside TikTok favourite Le Smash on De Clercqstraat and Janana on Willem de Zwijgerlaan 151 in Bos en Lommer.
Café Lennep vs. Bon Burger Bar
| Café Lennep (closed) | Bon Burger Bar (current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Signature dish | Spit-roasted rotisserie chicken | Smashburgers |
| Drinks focus | Draught beer, wine, cocktails | Natural wine |
| Format | All-day neighbourhood café and grill | Burger and wine bar |
| Interior | Warm, industrial-chic | Industrial, light colours, lots of daylight |
| Origin | Good Food Group venue | Grew out of city-wide burger pop-ups |
Where to eat instead on the Jacob van Lennepkade
If it was the canalside terrace rather than the rotisserie that brought you here, the surrounding blocks of Oud-West are unusually dense with good options. All of the following sit within a few minutes’ walk of the old Café Lennep address.
- Staring at Jacob — the closest neighbour to the old Lennep site, roughly 50 metres away, rated 4.6 from more than 900 Tripadvisor reviews.
- Pastai — fresh pasta about 100 metres along the kade, rated 4.7 from over 570 reviews.
- Meneer De Wit Heeft Honger — a short walk north, rated 4.6 from more than 400 reviews.
- Restaurant Daalder — the fine-dining option in range, rated 4.6 from over 1,600 reviews.
- De Hallen — the former tram depot turned cultural and food complex that anchors eating and drinking in Oud-West.
What Café Lennep was actually like
Because this page is now a record rather than a recommendation, it is worth being straight about the reviews. The 3.8 average across 74 Tripadvisor reviews reflects a genuine split: the terrace and the staff drew consistent praise, while the kitchen was inconsistent enough that several reviewers recommended coming for drinks rather than dinner.
- The strongest reviews centred on the rotisserie chicken, the grill and the burgers, with one Leiden reviewer calling it the best hamburger they had eaten in the Netherlands.
- An Amsterdam reviewer who ate there as a group of six praised grilled rib eye, poussin and pork belly, and a €17.50 sharing platter of grilled steak with truffle sauce, dry sausage, cheeses, grilled vegetables, olives and spreads.
- Negative reviews were specific and repeated: dry steak, a thin wine list, disappointing nachos, and a €15 aubergine roulade described as an entire eggplant with feta on top.
- Service was the most polarised category — warm and attentive in some accounts, slow enough in others that a local reviewer publicly asked the café to fix it.
- Seating options were part of the appeal: large tables by the water, an awning-covered section, and outdoor heaters and blankets in colder months.
Frequently asked questions
Is Café Lennep in Amsterdam still open?
No. Café Lennep is permanently closed. Its former premises at Jacob van Lennepkade 334 in Oud-West now house Bon Burger Bar, which opened on Friday 18 April.
What replaced Café Lennep?
Bon Burger Bar, a smashburger and natural wine bar run by the team behind earlier hamburger pop-ups in Amsterdam, including at Bottleshop in Amsterdam-Oost.
Where was Café Lennep located?
Jacob van Lennepkade 334, 1053 NJ Amsterdam, in the Oud-West district of Amsterdam-West. The building has a waterfront terrace facing the Jacob van Lennepkade and an enclosed courtyard terrace.
What was Café Lennep known for?
Its in-house rotisserie, where whole chickens were slow-roasted on a spit, plus burgers, spareribs and its two terraces. It was part of the Good Food Group.
Does the old Café Lennep phone number still work?
The number listed for Café Lennep was +31 20 233 5201, but it should no longer be used to reach the venue. Contact Bon Burger Bar directly for reservations at this address.
What are good alternatives near the old Café Lennep?
Staring at Jacob and Pastai are both within about 100 metres, Meneer De Wit Heeft Honger and Restaurant Daalder are a short walk away, and the De Hallen complex is the main food and culture hub in Oud-West.
