Don’t you love a good food surprise? I luckily stumbled on this authentic and insanely delicious Israeli food between museums! Yes, for real, it was like an Israeli food dream, but even better. Because the dishes were fresher and tastier than I had expected. This Amsterdam hotspot I am gushing about is Café Martinot near the Museumplein.

At a glance 

• Location: Amsterdam
• Cuisine: Israeli street food
• Price: 18 euro per person for a whole table full of vegetarian Israeli food
• Rating: 9/10

Café Martinot – Pizza x Pita Bar

After a whole morning of enjoying the legacy of Vincent Van Gogh in the Van Gogh Museum we were starving (looking at art is hard work for the brain, ok? – and of course the body with lots of walking ;)). We were hangrily looking for a lunch spot, but did not want to settle for a tourist restaurant at the Museumplein. I mean after all, we are Dutchies. So, we walked around and after about 2 blocks and between the lovely museums, we stumbled upon Café Martinot.

The outside looks welcoming and cosy – that caught our eye at first. It had a ‘living room’ vibe to it, as if you are sitting in someone’s home. They also have a covered terrace, so you will not get wet when it rains.

What started out as a pizza place in 2015, brothers Ilan and Joël, decided that they also want to serve food close to their roots: and just like that, the Israeli street food baby was born! So, they turned their restaurant into a unique spot in a ‘pizza x pita bar’. But how does their food taste?

The food

We opted for the Israeli street food party, a selection of smaller dishes to share. 90% of the dishes were vegetarian. All dishes came at once, so our whole table was totally packed and there was no room left! Oh gosh, where do I even start? It all looked phenomenal.

Falafel, I choose you! The golden brown colour of the falafel drew me in and I knew that I had to taste it first. It was delicious, crunchy on the outside and so soft (almost creamy) on the inside. The seasoning could have been even more intense for my taste (just like Shakshuka’s falafel in The Hague), but the texture was perfect to me.

There was a selection of pickled vegetables: red cabbage, cauliflower, carrot and dill pickles. It was the right amount of tanginess and the vegetables were still crunchy. They def know how the pickle game goes down. Especially the cauliflower was so unique to me, I could have eaten many more plates of that. The fries were also freshly made, crunchy on outside and yet soft on the inside.

Then the labneh, it is a yoghurt dip with herbs and olive oil. It was wonderfully full and airy at the same time.

But, the labneh tasted basic after I tasted their hummus. I was in awe, this hummus was one of the creamiest and smoothest I have ever had. Oh my, I couldn’t stop eating it, dipping it in the freshly homemade pitas which were a-ma-zing. These two combined, it was like two peas in a pot, Bonny and Clyde, peanut butter and jelly, you get the picture. Solely for this combo I would def go back.

The staff

The staff was really friendly and serves you with a smile. Our lady waiter was quick, social, pro-active and knowledgeable of the food. Especially in Amsterdam (city centre) I must say that is quite unique.

Final verdict 

9/10. Creamiest hummus and freshly baked pitas with a lovely spread of pickled veggies and dips. This Israeli street food hidden gems between museums in Amsterdam really surprised me in a great way. The food is flavourful, well made and the staff was super friendly. Will keep coming back!

At the moment Café Martinot is closed because the landlord is restoring the property. Café Martinot has the chance to also expand their restaurant with an additional property next door and is now in the middle of a crowd funding to make this dream come true. You can crowd fund only money as a loan to them, but also buy a dinner in advance for 60 euro (2 persons) to finance them and enjoy that dinner when they open again in Martinot 2.0. I certainly did and hope it all works out for them.

Information

Address: Moreelsestraat 3, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

Website: https://cafemartinot.nl/

Follow me on Instagram for more vegetarian and vegan foodspots reviews and recipes! The reel I made about Café Martinot – with live action of hummus dipping – is also coming soon on my Instagram.