Restaurant De Kas

My neighbor David is not a romantic guy. He once gave his girlfriend a power drill for Valentine's Day. So when he told me he was taking her to Restaurant De Kas for their anniversary, I was skeptical. Then she texted me afterward and said she cried at the table. Happy tears. Because they were sitting in this beautiful glass greenhouse, the sun was setting through the windows, the food was incredible, and David had — for once in his life — nailed it.

Restaurant De Kas is in a restored municipal greenhouse in Frankendael Park, in Amsterdam Oost. The greenhouse was built in 1926 and originally used to grow plants for Amsterdam's parks. Now it grows ingredients for its own kitchen. That is not a marketing line — there is literally a garden next to the restaurant where they grow vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers that end up on your plate the same day. Farm-to-table before Instagram made it a cliche.

The menu changes daily based on what is ready to harvest. There is no a la carte — you get a set menu (lunch or dinner) and the kitchen decides what you are eating based on what is fresh. This might sound annoying but it is actually the whole point. You trust the chef, you sit back, and you eat whatever they have decided is perfect today. David, who is a picky eater, was nervous about this. He cleaned every plate.

The greenhouse itself is the most beautiful restaurant space in Amsterdam. Glass walls, soaring ceilings, light pouring in from every direction. In summer the doors open to the garden and you feel like you are eating in the countryside, even though you are technically still in Amsterdam. In winter the warm lights inside the glass create this glow that David's girlfriend described as "magical" between happy tears.

Lunch is the better value — around 45 euros for a multi-course menu. Dinner is more — around 75-85 euros — but includes more courses and the atmosphere is even better as the sun goes down. Wine pairing is available and worth it if you are celebrating something. David went for the wine pairing and said it was "fine" which in David language means it was excellent.

Reservations are required and you should book at least a week ahead, more for Friday and Saturday dinner. The restaurant is about a ten-minute bike ride from the center or a short tram ride (tram 9 to Hogeweg). The Frankendael Park itself is pretty and worth a walk before or after your meal.

One thing to know: the set menu means you cannot be too picky about what you eat. They accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions, but if you are someone who needs to choose every dish, this format might frustrate you. For everyone else, it is liberating — just sit down and let the professionals handle it.

This is the restaurant I recommend for special occasions. Anniversaries, proposals, birthdays, "we survived this year" dinners. It is not cheap, but for what you get — the setting, the food, the experience of eating ingredients that were growing in the ground that morning — it is worth every euro. David's girlfriend has requested it for every anniversary since. David has not complained.