Ask any Amsterdam local where to find the city's best steak tartare and a small group of insider names will come up again and again. Café Restaurant De Bazel is one of them — and arguably the only one that goes a step further by lacing the dish with traditional Amsterdam pekelvlees, a cured beef with deep roots in the city's culinary history.
A Local Twist on a French Classic
Classic steak tartare is a Parisian icon: raw beef, capers, shallots, mustard, an egg yolk on top. At De Bazel, our chef takes that template and quietly bends it towards Amsterdam. Hand-cut beef is combined with finely diced Amsterdam pekelvlees — lightly salted, deeply savoury cured beef that has been part of Amsterdam's working-class kitchen for generations. The result is rounder, beefier and unmistakably local.
Why the Building Matters
You eat your tartare inside a 1926 national monument, designed by architect K.P.C. de Bazel. The original mosaic floors, brass detailing and stained-glass windows have all been preserved. It is the kind of setting where a thoughtful dish becomes a memory.
What Else to Order
- Holtkamp Bitterballen — Amsterdam's most famous bitterballen, supplied directly by the legendary Holtkamp patisserie.
- Holtkamp Garnalenkroketten — North-Sea shrimp croquettes with lemon and aioli.
- Biefstuk (€26) — Dutch beef cooked over charcoal, served with bone marrow.
- Kipfilet (€25) — Free-range chicken breast with seasonal sides.
See the full dinner menu or, if you are dining at lunchtime, all dinner dishes are also available from 12:00 on the lunch menu.
"I've eaten steak tartare from Paris to New York. The version at De Bazel — with that Amsterdam pekelvlees — is genuinely one of the most distinctive I've tried. And the building it's served in is something else."
Practical Information
Address: Vijzelstraat 30, 1017 HL Amsterdam (inside the City Archives)
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 09:00-22:00, Mon 09:00-17:00
Phone: 020-3376589
Steak Tartare price: €14
Available from: 12:00 daily (lunch + dinner service)
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find the best steak tartare in Amsterdam?
Café Restaurant De Bazel at Vijzelstraat 30 is widely considered one of the best. The hand-cut tartare is enriched with traditional Amsterdam pekelvlees, giving it a distinctly local twist on the French classic.
What is Amsterdam pekelvlees?
Pekelvlees is a traditional Dutch cured beef — lightly salted, deeply savoury, and central to Amsterdam's old culinary tradition. At De Bazel it adds depth and a characteristic local note to the tartare.
How much does the steak tartare cost?
€14, served as a starter or small plate. Available from 12:00 onwards as part of both the lunch and dinner menus.