A living room where gezelligheid never ends
Walk into The Pantry and the aroma of slow-simmered pea soup greets you before anyone says a word. The interior looks less like a restaurant and more like your Dutch grandmother’s front room—if she happened to own a restaurant in Amsterdam’s bustling Leidseplein district. Delft blue ceramics line the walls alongside paintings of Dutch pastoral scenes, and atmospheric lampshades cast a warm glow over wooden tables packed close enough that conversations sometimes merge between parties.
This is exactly the atmosphere Jerome and Renate, the husband-and-wife owners, intended when they opened The Pantry in 2000. Jerome, a born-and-bred Amsterdammer with hospitality running through his veins, created a space where visitors could experience gezelligheid—that untranslatable Dutch concept of coziness, conviviality, and belonging.
What makes The Pantry stand out
The Pantry earned the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice 2024 award, a recognition that surprised no one who has eaten here. What sets this restaurant apart from other Dutch eateries is its complete dedication to grandmother’s recipes made fresh daily.
The kitchen serves stamppot in four variations—hutspot (carrots and onions), boerenkool (kale), zuurkool (sauerkraut), and bloemkool (cauliflower)—each mashed with fluffy potatoes and served with rookworst or a gehaktbal. These dishes trace their roots to the 16th century; legend credits hutspot to the 1574 Siege of Leiden, when starving Dutch citizens found this dish in a pot abandoned by fleeing Spanish soldiers.
Erwtensoep arrives thick enough to stand a spoon upright, served with roggebrood (rye bread) and smoked bacon. The poffertjes—miniature pancakes dusted with powdered sugar—make a sweet finish. The menu spans 43 items and is available in six languages, with traditional Dutch dishes marked by a small flag icon.
The menu: grandmother’s kitchen, expanded
The Pantry structures its menu around five set menus and an extensive à la carte selection.
Set Menus:
The Dutch Delight menu (€25.95) offers pea soup with rye bread and bacon, a stamppot combination with smoked sausage or meatball, and vlaflip for dessert. Grandmother’s Kitchen menu (€29.95) features goat cheese croquettes, a casserole with cauliflower and Old Amsterdam cheese, and poffertjes.
The Amsterdam Honor menu (€32.95) presents a trio of Dutch sausages, beef hachee with red cabbage and mashed potatoes, and chocoduo with advocaat. The Volendam Fish menu (€34.95) highlights Dutch shrimp croquettes and sea bass with fresh herbs. The Full Pantry Experience (€42.50) provides the complete tour—pea soup, herring, bitterballen, an XXL stamppot combination, and both vlaflip and poffertjes.
À la Carte Highlights:
Cold starters include smoked eel on toast (€11.50), salted herring with onions and pickles (€9.50), and a trio of Dutch sausages (€9.75). Hot starters feature bitterballen with coarse Zaanse mustard (€6.95)—also available in a vegetarian version—and goat cheese croquettes with honey mustard sauce (€6.95).
Main courses range from Dutch steak with sautéed mushrooms (€22.00) to chicken satay prepared Dutch-Indonesian style (€19.95). The traditional Dutch ham weighs in at 450 grams with honey mustard sauce (€23.00). Fish options include sea bass with fresh green herbs (€21.50) and salmon with lobster sauce (€21.50).
Vegetarians have dedicated options: stamppot combinations served with applesauce and piccalilli (€16.50), cheese fondue (€18.00), and gratinated goat cheese salad (€17.50).
Drinks: Dutch wine and local beers
The Pantry pours Dutch wine from the Gelderse Achterhoek, a viticultural region in the eastern Netherlands that has produced wine since medieval times. The restaurant also stocks local and special Dutch beers, and finishes meals with traditional jenever (Dutch gin) or liqueurs like advocaat.
Practical information
Address: Leidsekruisstraat 21, 1017 RE Amsterdam
Opening Hours: Daily 10:30 – 22:30
Special Hours:
- New Year’s Eve (31 December): 10:30 – 16:00
- New Year’s Day (1 January): 15:00 – 22:30
- Christmas Day (25 December): Closed
Phone: +31 20 620 0922
Email: [email protected]
Website: thepantry.nl
Reservations: Strongly recommended. The restaurant’s intimate size and popularity mean walk-ins often face waits of 30 minutes or more, particularly during dinner service between 18:00 and 20:30.
Getting to The Pantry
The Pantry sits on Leidsekruisstraat, a narrow side street branching off from Leidseplein, one of Amsterdam’s busiest entertainment squares.
By Tram: Trams 1, 2, 5, 7, 11, 12, and 19 stop at Leidseplein. From the stop, walk southwest across the square and look for Leidsekruisstraat—The Pantry is less than a two-minute walk.
By Metro: Metro line 52 stops at Vijzelgracht station. Walk northwest along Vijzelstraat, which takes approximately 10 minutes.
By Bus: Lines 282, 283, 284, and 288 stop at Leidseplein. The Amsterdam Airport Express (bus 397) connects Schiphol Airport directly to Leidseplein.
By Bike: Amsterdam’s bike rental network makes cycling an efficient option. Secure parking spots are available on Leidsekruisstraat, though bikes should be double-locked given the area’s busy nightlife.
By Car: Q-Park Byzantium on Tesselschadestraat offers the nearest covered parking, though rates in central Amsterdam run high. The Q-Park at Marnixstraat 50 provides an alternative.
The neighborhood: Leidseplein’s history and character
Leidseplein takes its name from the Leidsepoort, the city gate where the road to Leiden once began. The gate was built in 1662-1664 by Amsterdam’s master builder Daniël Stalpaert and demolished around 1870. In the 17th century, this square served as a parking lot for horse-drawn carts—farmers and merchants left their horses and wagons here while conducting business in the city on foot.
The area transformed during the 19th century into a cultural center. The first Stadsschouwburg (city theater) opened on Leidseplein in 1774, and the current neo-Renaissance building dates to 1894. Electric trams first departed from Leidseplein in August 1900.
Today, Leidseplein anchors Amsterdam’s entertainment district. The square connects Amsterdam Centrum, West, and Zuid, with legendary music venues Melkweg and Paradiso within a few blocks. The Art Nouveau American Hotel overlooks the square, its Café Americain preserving Amsterdam’s oldest reading table.
The Pantry occupies this historic setting, offering a culinary anchor amid the nightlife—a place to fill up on traditional Dutch food before exploring the area’s theaters, clubs, and cafés, or to wind down after a day at the nearby Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, or Vondelpark.
Tips from regulars
- Make a reservation. This advice appears in nearly every review of The Pantry. The dining room seats perhaps 40 people, and the restaurant’s popularity means peak hours (12:00-14:00 for lunch, 18:00-20:30 for dinner) book out days in advance.
- Ask for recommendations. The staff, described consistently as friendly and knowledgeable, happily explains dishes and makes suggestions based on preferences. Many servers speak multiple languages.
- Try the stamppot combination. First-time visitors often order the combination plates that include multiple stamppot varieties—a sampler approach to Dutch comfort food.
- Order jenever after dinner. The traditional Dutch gin comes in jonge (young), oude (old), and korenwijn varieties. A small glass after dessert completes the experience.
- Take advantage of the outdoor terrace. During warmer months, a small terrace allows guests to eat while watching the flow of Leidseplein street life.
Frequently asked questions
Does The Pantry take walk-ins?
The restaurant accepts walk-ins when tables are available, but waits can exceed 30 minutes during busy periods. Reservations are strongly advised, particularly for dinner and weekend lunches.
What is typical Dutch food?
Traditional Dutch cuisine centers on stamppot (mashed potatoes with vegetables), erwtensoep (split pea soup), haring (raw herring), bitterballen (fried beef ragout balls), and sweet treats like stroopwafels and poffertjes. The Pantry serves most of these dishes.
Is The Pantry vegetarian-friendly?
The menu includes dedicated vegetarian options, including stamppot variations served without meat, cheese fondue, gratinated goat cheese salad, and vegetarian bitterballen. The Dutch Delight menu and Grandmother’s Kitchen menu are both available in vegetarian versions.
Who owns The Pantry?
Jerome and Renate, a married couple, have owned and operated The Pantry since 2000. Jerome is an Amsterdam native with a background in hospitality.
Is it rude not to tip in Amsterdam?
Tipping is not obligatory in the Netherlands as service charges are typically included. However, rounding up the bill or leaving 5-10% for good service is common and appreciated.
