SSSST, SECRET ADDRESS
Sometimes I get a bit annoyed when I'm sipping a cocktail in London or Paris; why don't we have something like this in Amsterdam? Why does every place get immediately taken over and overhyped (is that a word? Yes, that's a word) by all the hipsters from the city? But then I suddenly found myself in the middle of De Pijp on a soft burgundy pouf with a pornstar (Vanilla Vodka, passion fruit, champagne, egg white, and fresh lime) in my right hand and on the left, I was poking at a deliciously fried squid. Where this secret place is? Because it is indeed a bit secret.
You step into The Butcher, a trendy burger joint on Albert Cuypstraat. You walk to the back to then press a bell in a narrow hallway and call out your name and password into a little microphone. A stainless steel sliding door opens. ‘Welcome Miss van Nieuwkerk, May I have your coat?’ In front of the restaurant, between 20:00 and 22:30, you can make a reservation (even if you're not a member) and then you get a password that you must use at the door, otherwise, you won't get in. And there I was. Quite dark, mysterious, and a very charming bartender told us that two weeks ago Drake (he drank nothing) and Rihanna (tasted a multitude of what was on the menu) were also guests. So I was in good company. A handsome hostess who several times placed a hand on my shoulder or rubbed my back served cocktails and handed out the menu.
I had cod as the main course with the best fries in the city. My company enjoyed a perfectly cooked red burger and lobster. Surf and turf, you call that. We had another cocktail with gin and fresh red grapefruit juice. Maybe not the perfect combination with the food, but I didn't care at all. I found everything delightful. After a grand dessert, from which I took a few mini bites, I cycled home, satisfied, on my high DvF heels. A bit of international allure in Amsterdam.
Would you like to go here sometime too? Call The Butcher to make a reservation. The kitchen is open from Wednesday to Saturday between 20:00 – 22:30. Will you take me with you?
