Gartine @ Taksteeg

This place is not new and I guess that there's a bigger chance that you know this place than that you know the other places I blogged about, but since it is my own personal favorite spot in Amsterdam I couldn't resist mentioning it here. Gartine is a small lunch cafe in Taksteeg (a small side street of the Kalverstraat, near Spui) which is set up by two people, Jan Willem and Kirsten. They have their own kitchen garden elsewhere, where they grow a lot of the vegetables and fruits they use. Also, all the eggs used are from adoption chickens and the bread they serve is from Vlaamsch Broodhuys. These ingredients alone would already make the place a success, but Jan-Willem and Kirsten put so much love into every single dish that I honestly think that that's the main reason why the food (and the atmosphere!) is so good here. At Gartine, you can have breakfast, sandwiches, high tea or a piece of freshly baked the pies and cakes. Take a look at their glass case when you get here to see which cakes they have (and how beautiful they look!). For my birthday, my sister gave me a cook book which is written by Jan-Willem and Kirsten and which is filled with dishes that Gartine also serves. The recipes are lovely but I still love to go to Gartine and just sit back, relax for a moment. Gartine is the kind of place where you can take your mother for lunch, have a high tea with you girlfriends, or just go by yourself and have a coffee. Enjoy!

Check for more info www.gartine.nl