kosher in central Amsterdam
Are there any kosher eateries or shops in CENTRAL Amsterdam? All of the places that Shamash lists appear to be a tram ride away from the center. I will only be in Amsterdam for a couple of days & I don't want to waste time traveling out of the city center for food.
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Hi Tamar-
There are only two kosher restaurants in the center of Amsterdam, both in the Old South (Oud Zuid) neighborhood, which is not in the center of the center, but it is in the city proper. The better one is the Sal Majer sandwich shop. It's also the only kosher eatery that's authentically Dutch-- the others are all run by Israeli expats. You'll be disappointed if you order something you recognize (the corned beef sandwich is pretty lame), but if you choose something that sounds Dutch, it'll probably be great. It's on Scheldestraat 45.
The other restaurant is HaCarmel, at Amstelveenseweg 224. It's a little overpriced for basic middle eastern food (shish kabob, shawarma, shakshouka, etc.), but it's pretty good.The other restaurants and both kosher markets are more on the outskirts of the city, though it's not a big city--you can get there on the #5 tram or, probably quicker (about 30 minutes), the #51 metro. Get off at the Van Boshuizenstraat stop and you're right there.
Note: the cafe in the Jewish Historical Museum is NOT kosher, though it used to be, but they do get their pastries from a legitimately kosher bakery called Nesjomme (pronounced Neshama). If you go, ask to make sure that's still the case, because the cafe has no hechsher and could change that at any time, but I'm pretty sure it's true. (I've only been gone a few months.)
In case you're not aware, you can get door-to-door public transportation instructions in Amsterdam at this website: http://journeyplanner.9292.nl/
