Calle Ocho — Restaurant in Amsterdam

Me and my family decided to have a small dinner at this place, after exploring the city all day. After we ordered drinks and some appetizers, the men in my family figured that they would try the Taco Trio as well. They were still hungry and since the Taco dish was quite expensive, so we all expected it to be a reasonable amount.

When the food came out, however, we were shocked. Never in my life had we seen a smaller Taco Trio. They were literally half the size of a tiny hand. My family were all just accepting it, since they didn't want to disturb the owner, but they were my guests in Amsterdam and I felt like I should ask at least if there was something that could be done about receiving so little.

When I told the waiter that we felt like we were given very little for the price we paid, the manager implied that this was 'just normal' and that 'every place' in Amsterdam served this little for the money we paid. I wholeheartedly disagreed, because I have been a local for years and located right at the end of the Albert Cuyp is Taco Cartel (for example), which serves good proportions for a reasonable price.

Furthermore I explained that we already had several appetizers and drinks, so we were well paying customers. I told them that I felt like it would be nice of them if they could just give us some snacks or drinks (or anything really) on the house to make sure the guys had enough to eat. I didn't want them to leave with an empty stomach. After all, if you are a well paying and respectful customer, you'd think that any restaurant would be happy to have you back - right?

The only reply we got was that we 'should just order something else if we wanted more', and that I should 'know better about reasonable prices' if I had indeed been living in Amsterdam for years. I was livid, but still we quietly paid and left.

However, I will warn others about the kind of establishment this is. What a total waste of money. If you want to get treated well and get enough food for the price you're paying: just don't go to Calle Ocho and find one of the many...

Great PQR and underestimated place. the food and the cocktails were excellent. For the sweet tooths among us I can recommend the Heidi Montag, lovely balanced and beautiful presentation or the even sweeter Violet Sky (?) which tasted like a retro lollipop. If you rather have a more tropical sensation and you like tequila, the bikini bottom is bursting with a fresh pineapple taste.

I especially enjoyed spicy cocktails Tiki and Sex in the City, which had a subtle taste of peppers. If you want to stay with the classics, they also make a mean frozen margherita.

The cocktail of the month is a great blend I would personally prefer in fall: think of a smokey apple pie. You get fresh tangy apple, mixed with caramel and cinnamon.. all with the smokiness of mezcal. I love it, but it's a bit odd for summer maybe. Overall the drinks didn't make me flush (asian flush) that badly, which often speaks of the quality alcohol used.

The bites we had, were tasty as well! For all the citrus-fans I can greatly recommend the summer salad, though I can imagine that for most it might be too sour. The tartar is definitely a favourite of mine, stacked on ripe avocado. We had some great quesadillas which were crunchy and come with a bit of mashed Avocado and tomato-like dip. The trio of tacos was varied and tasty, but I have to admit I'm more of a traditional birria or carnitas kinda girl.

Overall a lovely place to go for...

This place is called after a street in Little Havana, Miami for its cultural diversity in Latin American influence. The menu and drinks serve the same complexities. I have dined here many times, also sometimes i visited just to have a drink. The bartenders are skilled in making very strong cocktails and their signature one is a frozen margarita that is in a machine that they keep on all night long. They also have their famous Taco Tuesday's same as in the US, when they make 2 extra taco's at a cheaper price than usual. Also they have a monthly taco that they change from time to time. The interior is very colorful and playfull. On the back of the bar there is a wide selection of different types of liquor. It's located in an area on the Albert Cuyp Market, also famous for many merchants. After the kitchen closes they continue as a bar that opens for locals and friends until the wee hours of...