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Casual lunch cannot be any better than this. Seating outdoors on the edge of the canal, watching the bridge open up to let boats through (with lampposts and rails and all! wonders of engineering!) - and eating most delicious pizzetta... Ahhhh. Life at it best. I was sipping an ice tea with some bubbles (seltzer?) - very refreshing on crisp day that was just in-between summer and fall - and snacking on perfectly oily, meaty olives white they were making the pizetta... Oh, the dreamy Tartufella, with European-style prosciutto and mushrooms, with salty and sharp aged parmigiano shavings all over the top... So, so, so good! ...I am day-dreaming of it right now... There is a casual, rustic vibe to this place, it is chill and easy to spend time at - be it lunch, brunch, dinner or just drinks. Loooove!
LOVE LOVE LOVE. The husband and I had my birthday dinner / last meal in Holland here. What a great way to end our trip and for me to start a new decade! For drinks I had a glass of wine and he had a gin and tonic the size of his head! It was in one of those very large sangria glasses. As a starter we had the Spek Plank. This included salami, the prosciutto, and marinated bacon. Lets just say these were some of the best cured meats I have ever had. I would have been content not sharing this and enjoying it for dinner. Of course we didn't and had to order entrees. I had the steak with green beans and fries and the hubs had the veal spare ribs. the steak was flavored with some salt, pepper, and rosemary and was cooked perfectly. The spare ribs were sweet and salty and amazing. I would fly back over from the states to eat here again and gorge on that cured meat platter.
I'm almost certain that every review I've written in Amsterdam has contained the lines 'simple yet delicious,' but I really can't think of a better way to describe the food (I've already considered the need for a thesaurus). Bar Spek is simple, with a relaxed and inviting atmosphere in a great location, the kind where you'd be happy to drink the day away whilst people watching. I had the piccante pizza and tanqueray gin. My partner had the margarita pizzq with cheese sticks to start with a few cups of mint tea. I won't say the pizza blew me away because it didn't, but the ingredients were fresh, base was thin and crispy, and there were a good amount of toppings. My goblet- yes, goblet of gin and tonic was enough to give me a good buzz. The added grapefruit was pretty special too. Overall, food was good and the service was great. I'd recommend this place to anyone- and don't forget your goblet of gin!
My experience at Spek was a bit confusing, as I heard many good things about it. But as we are rating individual experiences, and not overall impressions of others, here goes mine: Monday dinner, 8pm, group of 9 people. Starter 1 - Bread with hummus and aioli: The aioli was good. The humus was also good, except it was not the classical hummus. It was actually a sweet pea and mint one, so it was quite a surprise :D It was good, though, so the only suggestion would be to mention the variation on the menu. There were 2 bread versions, one softer and one 'baked', which was way too hard. Not a fan. Starter 2 - Oysters: Rather small, but the product was good. Shucking was done ok. The oysters were properly detached, but with some shell residue. What I did not understand was the presentation. The oysters were served on a ruccola bed, and topped with raw spring onion. Since the ruccola was under, that was not a big problem, but I found it annoying that I had to remove the spring onion from my oyster. I was thinking: Like why? The onion should have been left aside. Raw it is too overpowering for the delicate creature. The ruccola would have been of more use in other dishes, such as the tagliatelle. Main - Oxtail stew: Oxtail served on a creamy polenta, great idea for a comforting filling dish. The execution was ok. While the consistency of the meat was great, nicely melting in the mouth, it was missing the usual multitude of taste layers a stewed or slow-cooked meat has. Moreover it was a bit bland, lacking salt. I really enjoyed the grilled carrots, but the grilled pieces of spring onion/scallion were not really fitting in, and surely not necessary. Desert: Essentially a chocolate lava cake with ice cream. Only note here is: the cake could have been 30-50% bigger. Otherwise, it was absolutely delicious. I have to add that I had to wait for a bit longer for my dessert, as the first one did not turn out as it was supposed to. So I got it on the house, however, this dis not bias my opinion, and once again: It was delicious :) Other remarks: As to the other dishes at the table, I heard that the tagliatelle was great, but 2 beet pizzas were half-burned. These were upon complaint taken back, and the 2 girls got a new half-pizza of their choosing, which I understood was good. I tried a fry with the home-made mayo, it was nice and crunchy. A friend got the chocolate mania dessert. While it was good, I would not describe it as a chocoholics dream, however, as it was visually appealing, yet there was quite a bit of whipped cream, and not enough chocolate. Overall: While my visit should have probably be rated 2, my final overall rating is 3. The extra star is due to our waitress, who was attentive, and genuinely interested in what we had to say about our dish, as well as the way she dealt with the issues that presented themselves during the dinner. I think that there are some labeling issues when it comes to the dishes, as well as some execution matters that need to be addressed. Finally, while I am a general fan of all onion varieties, I do believe that the spring onion use here should be taken down a notch, or two; it was everywhere. I am looking forward to trying breakfast or lunch here, to get the full image of the place.
Came here for Brunch on a late Saturday morning after passing it on my way to work several times and seeing the terrace always full (on weekday mornings!!). Plus sides: This place is about as cool as it looks, which is very, with an inventive menu (finally! not just the same 3 dishes one normally sees as 'breakfast' options in this area of town), good coffee and plenty of seating. Great prices and everything everyone was eating around me looked delicious. Down sides: I do have to say it's a bit weird to sit on a terrace and feel yourself and your food and drinks sliding backwards (it's on a slanted piece of ground). Also while the Spek breakfast was good, I've had far better breakfast menus in Amsterdam; in particular, it came with slabs of mystery meat (I think it was chicken?!) that were not good and frankly quite out of place. Lastly, the service was surprisingly slow considering it wasn't that busy. My advice: come here for lunch - and sit inside ;)
So I visited Bar Spek last Sunday. It was raining heavily and the wind was crazily strong and I only needed a place to avoid those disastrous weather. When my friend and I stepped in, the bar was full of people we had to wait for half and hour in order to get a table. But it was totally worth it. The food here is simple but the taste is overwhelming. We ordered 2 dishes: one is full of exotic food such as cheese sticks, bitterballen, and shrimp croquettes and the other is wild boar liver sausage with sandwiches. Totally fall in love with both dishes and we think we will come here again.
Didn't get a reservation in till mid day on Friday, so we only had one hour to eat. The meal was a little rushed but it was still really great. Shared a Caesar salad and the Tartufella pizza. Both of which were very tasty. The pizza actually looked so good that the table next to us tried to order one themselves, but they were being pushed out because their reservation was done. I found the bar actually quite loud. It could've been because it was a Friday afternoon, but it was still hard to carry on a conversation even with the person directly across from you. It was certainly a busy evening and the place was fully booked that's why we could only get a reservation for one hour to eat. Must be a nice place to go during the summer and sit outside.
We had a nice brunch at this place. I really felt like eating something healthy and this place is perfect for that. The servers were very nice and friendly. Sometimes just a little slow :p love that they have fresh orange Jus. Good for the vitamins. I would definitely come back for a nice breakfast or dinner.
A very nice restaurant in the area. I came here for dinner for my first night visiting Amsterdam as I just settled into my hotel and this was a nice welcoming experience. I got the ravioli under the vegetarian section which was filled with ricotta, mushrooms, truffle hazulnuts, beurre noisette, and parmesan. Very tasty and filling. I also split with a buddy of mine an order of oysters under the starters section which were not too bad at all. I preferred not using the sauce that they provided. The service is excellent and courteous. Would recommend stopping by this place for a good meal. read more
We walked as far out as possible, trying to get away from the tourist-laden center of the town. Our first choice of dining was booked and they recommended Bar Spek. So we kept walking and looking at our maps on our phone until we found Bar Spek. The dim lighting did not make it easy to find. We found spots at the bar. The bartender gave us recommendations for a bite and drinks. The atmosphere seemed hip and young. Not a traditional gastropub feel. Benches by the window where people were sitting and enjoying conversation, with tiny mismatched tables around. As we sipped our wines, we enjoyed the meat and cheese plate we ordered, which was large enough for two to share. My friend ordered a beef carpaccio because she just could not say no to that. No matter how much we ate, we didn't seem to make a dent in either one of those plates. As we watched one of the guys behind the bar prepare a cup of hot water with slices of ginger, we both knew what our next order was. We were both suffering from a head cold and needed a nice warm drink before continuing the night. So, smiling at him and pointing at the concoction he is making, I asked if we could have couple of those for a soothing drink! All warmed up and ready to brace the cold outside, we walked out.I had no clue that this would have been my best dining experience in Amsterdam on this trip! Nothing was able to top the quality, the friendliness, the atmosphere and the service!!! read more
8 years ago
Nice location nearby the water. The "removable" bridge offers a good entertainment. We have been taking our lunch there for three days in a row, the staff changes but all the waiters happened to be very nice, efficient and attentive ! The food for lunch or late breakfast is good. Quantity in the plate is just right, perfect to start the day. Home-made broad combined with salad toppings are great ! (+++ mention to the yellow monster smoothie). Thank you bar spek ! read more
Casual lunch cannot be any better than this. Seating outdoors on the edge of the canal, watching the bridge open up to let boats through (with lampposts and rails and all! wonders of engineering!) - and eating most delicious pizzetta... Ahhhh. Life at it best. I was sipping an ice tea with some bubbles (seltzer?) - very refreshing on crisp day that was just in-between summer and fall - and snacking on perfectly oily, meaty olives white they were making the pizetta... Oh, the dreamy Tartufella, with European-style prosciutto and mushrooms, with salty and sharp aged parmigiano shavings all over the top... So, so, so good! ...I am day-dreaming of it right now... There is a casual, rustic vibe to this place, it is chill and easy to spend time at - be it lunch, brunch, dinner or just drinks. Loooove! read more
LOVE LOVE LOVE. The husband and I had my birthday dinner / last meal in Holland here. What a great way to end our trip and for me to start a new decade! For drinks I had a glass of wine and he had a gin and tonic the size of his head! It was in one of those very large sangria glasses. As a starter we had the Spek Plank. This included salami, the prosciutto, and marinated bacon. Lets just say these were some of the best cured meats I have ever had. I would have been content not sharing this and enjoying it for dinner. Of course we didn't and had to order entrees. I had the steak with green beans and fries and the hubs had the veal spare ribs. the steak was flavored with some salt, pepper, and rosemary and was cooked perfectly. The spare ribs were sweet and salty and amazing. I would fly back over from the states to eat here again and gorge on that cured meat platter. read more
11 years ago
I'm almost certain that every review I've written in Amsterdam has contained the lines 'simple yet delicious,' but I really can't think of a better way to describe the food (I've already considered the need for a thesaurus). Bar Spek is simple, with a relaxed and inviting atmosphere in a great location, the kind where you'd be happy to drink the day away whilst people watching. I had the piccante pizza and tanqueray gin. My partner had the margarita pizzq with cheese sticks to start with a few cups of mint tea. I won't say the pizza blew me away because it didn't, but the ingredients were fresh, base was thin and crispy, and there were a good amount of toppings. My goblet- yes, goblet of gin and tonic was enough to give me a good buzz. The added grapefruit was pretty special too. Overall, food was good and the service was great. I'd recommend this place to anyone- and don't forget your goblet of gin! read more
My experience at Spek was a bit confusing, as I heard many good things about it. But as we are rating individual experiences, and not overall impressions of others, here goes mine: Monday dinner, 8pm, group of 9 people. Starter 1 - Bread with hummus and aioli: The aioli was good. The humus was also good, except it was not the classical hummus. It was actually a sweet pea and mint one, so it was quite a surprise :D It was good, though, so the only suggestion would be to mention the variation on the menu. There were 2 bread versions, one softer and one 'baked', which was way too hard. Not a fan. Starter 2 - Oysters: Rather small, but the product was good. Shucking was done ok. The oysters were properly detached, but with some shell residue. What I did not understand was the presentation. The oysters were served on a ruccola bed, and topped with raw spring onion. Since the ruccola was under, that was not a big problem, but I found it annoying that I had to remove the spring onion from my oyster. I was thinking: Like why? The onion should have been left aside. Raw it is too overpowering for the delicate creature. The ruccola would have been of more use in other dishes, such as the tagliatelle. Main - Oxtail stew: Oxtail served on a creamy polenta, great idea for a comforting filling dish. The execution was ok. While the consistency of the meat was great, nicely melting in the mouth, it was missing the usual multitude of taste layers a stewed or slow-cooked meat has. Moreover it was a bit bland, lacking salt. I really enjoyed the grilled carrots, but the grilled pieces of spring onion/scallion were not really fitting in, and surely not necessary. Desert: Essentially a chocolate lava cake with ice cream. Only note here is: the cake could have been 30-50% bigger. Otherwise, it was absolutely delicious. I have to add that I had to wait for a bit longer for my dessert, as the first one did not turn out as it was supposed to. So I got it on the house, however, this dis not bias my opinion, and once again: It was delicious :) Other remarks: As to the other dishes at the table, I heard that the tagliatelle was great, but 2 beet pizzas were half-burned. These were upon complaint taken back, and the 2 girls got a new half-pizza of their choosing, which I understood was good. I tried a fry with the home-made mayo, it was nice and crunchy. A friend got the chocolate mania dessert. While it was good, I would not describe it as a chocoholics dream, however, as it was visually appealing, yet there was quite a bit of whipped cream, and not enough chocolate. Overall: While my visit should have probably be rated 2, my final overall rating is 3. The extra star is due to our waitress, who was attentive, and genuinely interested in what we had to say about our dish, as well as the way she dealt with the issues that presented themselves during the dinner. I think that there are some labeling issues when it comes to the dishes, as well as some execution matters that need to be addressed. Finally, while I am a general fan of all onion varieties, I do believe that the spring onion use here should be taken down a notch, or two; it was everywhere. I am looking forward to trying breakfast or lunch here, to get the full image of the place. read more
12 years ago
Came here for Brunch on a late Saturday morning after passing it on my way to work several times and seeing the terrace always full (on weekday mornings!!). Plus sides: This place is about as cool as it looks, which is very, with an inventive menu (finally! not just the same 3 dishes one normally sees as 'breakfast' options in this area of town), good coffee and plenty of seating. Great prices and everything everyone was eating around me looked delicious. Down sides: I do have to say it's a bit weird to sit on a terrace and feel yourself and your food and drinks sliding backwards (it's on a slanted piece of ground). Also while the Spek breakfast was good, I've had far better breakfast menus in Amsterdam; in particular, it came with slabs of mystery meat (I think it was chicken?!) that were not good and frankly quite out of place. Lastly, the service was surprisingly slow considering it wasn't that busy. My advice: come here for lunch - and sit inside ;) read more
So I visited Bar Spek last Sunday. It was raining heavily and the wind was crazily strong and I only needed a place to avoid those disastrous weather. When my friend and I stepped in, the bar was full of people we had to wait for half and hour in order to get a table. But it was totally worth it. The food here is simple but the taste is overwhelming. We ordered 2 dishes: one is full of exotic food such as cheese sticks, bitterballen, and shrimp croquettes and the other is wild boar liver sausage with sandwiches. Totally fall in love with both dishes and we think we will come here again. read more
Didn't get a reservation in till mid day on Friday, so we only had one hour to eat. The meal was a little rushed but it was still really great. Shared a Caesar salad and the Tartufella pizza. Both of which were very tasty. The pizza actually looked so good that the table next to us tried to order one themselves, but they were being pushed out because their reservation was done. I found the bar actually quite loud. It could've been because it was a Friday afternoon, but it was still hard to carry on a conversation even with the person directly across from you. It was certainly a busy evening and the place was fully booked that's why we could only get a reservation for one hour to eat. Must be a nice place to go during the summer and sit outside. read more
We had a nice brunch at this place. I really felt like eating something healthy and this place is perfect for that. The servers were very nice and friendly. Sometimes just a little slow :p love that they have fresh orange Jus. Good for the vitamins. I would definitely come back for a nice breakfast or dinner. read more
11 years ago
Great place for light snacks and drinks by a canal in Amsterdam! Bar Spek has great service, food, and views. The meat plate for a shared starter was amazing and included thick sliced bacon, salami, and prosciutto. read more
9 years ago
12 years ago
We chose to eat here as a last meal before leaving Amsterdam. The food was good and the waitresses were nice. Service was slow but if you are in no rush this is a good place to be. The location is right on the canal and very close to Metro stops. We ordered the Spek breakfast and really enjoyed it. Portions could have been bigger but the food was good overall. We ordered a couple things that never came out but the restaurant was pretty busy while we were there. Overall it is a nice cafe place and we enjoyed our food. read more
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More info about Bar Spek
Admiraal de Ruijterweg 1
1057 JT Amsterdam
The Netherlands
De Baarsjes, West
Directions
020-6188102
Call Now
Visit Website
http://www.barspek.nl/
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Review Highlights - Bar Spek
Bar Spek - gastropubs - Updated May 2026
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