Café ONS — Restaurant in Amsterdam

I was spiked by a server at this cafe.

I came to this cafe as my first stop for a bite to eat after arriving in Amsterdam from the UK. This was my first time solo travelling and I am a 23 year old woman.

When I arrived it was 8:40pm and the woman server said I can get on the last orders. Naturally, after travelling I was happy to get sat down and order.

The young male server then started serving me. He was overly nice but I assumed nothing of it. I ordered a ginger beer and ravioli. I wasn’t drinking alcohol as I was on my own and it was clear I was on my own after I spoke to the waiter, as he started small talk knowing I was travelling with my bags, he asked me about myself and I stated I travelled from the UK solo.

Once I finished my food which was OK, I wanted a dessert and asked for the menu. I order a Toblerone chocolate mousse. The young male server then said ‘you look like someone who likes tea’, ‘you look like a girl who’d like ginger or lemon’. I thought well I have just had a ginger beer so why not, especially since being on holiday to try new things.

I was brought the food/ drink and started to eat. Half way through my ginger tea, I was looking out toward the road and I just noticed that my whole body felt high and vision was blurry. I got concerned as I didn’t want to get high; although Amsterdam is known for weed. Even though I knew something wasn’t right I continued to finish what I was given as I genuinely thought maybe I’d mistakenly had a weed tea.

I then went to pay for my food and I asked the server ‘was there weed in that drink/ food?’. He replied ‘no, you are just imagining things’ ‘you must be feeling this because you’re in Amsterdam’. I said ‘oh right, like a placebo’ he said ‘yes’. And when I continued to ask him, he told me ‘to be quiet’ and this was when his manager (the initial woman server) was closer to us. I took his word for it as I was confused not knowing I was under the influence of something. I gave them a tip and walked away.

I then went outside to sit on a single chair hammock they have as outside furniture. The server then came up to me and asked me for my name, he then asked me to meet him later for drinks, his did this in quite a demanding manner. At first I thought that was a good way to get to know Amsterdam so I wasn’t apposed and I took his instagram.

I walked to the hostel which is over the road and got checked in. I got to my room and ended up chatting to a woman in the dorm and I told her about the situation. She was the person who made me realise that I was spiked. Obviously, in Amsterdam you have to be told that something is being put in your drink to make you high. With some spiking drugs, you do not get the full effects of being spiked without the additive of alcohol, so when he asked me to go out that evening I have no idea what his intentions really were. I did not meet him.

When I found this out I couldn’t believe it, I was very surprised that in a restaurant/ cafe environment this could happen, I was also surprised that this really happened to me only being in Amsterdam for 2-3 hours and the fact it was the server!

But when you add up the fact he suggested the strong tasting drink, that he asked me out for alcoholic drinks, that he told me to be quiet when his co-worker was near, that he denied there was anything in the drink/ food when I asked and realistically he could not risk me being on the floor spiked at his workplace when I had not drank any form alcohol. All of the above information, points to the fact the server of this restaurant spiked me.

I haven’t notified the police of Amsterdam but I wanted to notify someone and prevent anyone else to be in my situation. The server is called Voldemar (instagram @osnosss)

Another weird thing that happened was the chef served me my food when it wasn’t busy and everyone else was being served by the servers. Again initially I thought he was simply bringing me my food, but something weird is going on at this...

What a disappointment. I visited here a few times back in 2018 when working in Amsterdam and always found it excellent. Decided to go back recently and was around 12.30. We were seated for lunch, given menus and the after about 10 minutes the waitress came back over to say they had decided they were no longer doing food orders due to a party expected. Why not state that at the start before sitting customers and distributing the menus?! Then she went on to ask did we want to stay for drinks only! Needless to say we left and went to Polly Goudvisch down the road where the welcome and service was exceptional. I would be embarrassed to run a business like this. Maybe they discriminate against tourists as it’s a local place but such a shame as it is in a...

This is an excellent place situated in Amsterdam Noord (easy to reach with the ferry, you take it behind Central Station and once you are there its gonna be 5 minutes walk - or less -). The atmosphere there makes you want to stay for ever, very very cosy (gezellig). The service is really fast and the attention of the women is simply fantastic, they are in every detail. The food really fresh and made at the moment. If you are around the area do not hesitate to give a go, you wont regret. We were there on a beautiful spring day with more than 23 degrees but I guess that in winter is as cosy as it was today....