Hannekes Boom — Restaurant in Amsterdam

Location: Hannekes Boom is located centrally close to the Amsterdam Centraal Station. Just keep in mind - as of 11th March 2022 - it's a bit complicated to find because Google Maps doesn't show the construction site at the bridge that can't be crossed. But Hannekes Boom's website includes the right route description.

Ambience: It's got a good vibe! The bar's view to the sea (Oosterdok), the many fairy lights and the colorful tables outside make it an extraordinary place to go. The outside area is way larger than the inside area. Therfore, you can only sit outside with a larger group of people. The terrace is sadly only partially equiped with heaters, but there is a small area outside which is surrounded by an open tent to keep the wind away. That's where we spent the majority of the evening.

Drinks and Offers: There is a wide variety of drinks offered. For the beer lovers there's also the possibility to order a pitcher of some beers which pays off to order with a small group of friends already. There's also the option to buy some snacks, sweet and savoury, as well as lunch for a limited time of the day.

Prices: The prices of the drinks are affordable, quite normal for Amsterdam standards. Snacks are a bit expensive, especially considering that the Nachos don't have nearly enough cheese nor sauce on them for example.

Service: The order system is quite interesting because you can either order at the counter and pay as you would usually or you can scan a QR at the table and order things through a website. A big downside of the latter is that you must have a dutch bank account to order because the only payment option is the dutch "iDeal". Service was very quick with bringing the orders. We had a reservation for 20 people outside but when we arrived nothing was prepared, at least not in the wind protected outside area. Therefore, kudos to the waitress who moved the tables and prepared everything for us as quickly as possible!

Hygiene: Toilets were clean.

Personal Experiences: I have been at the Hannekes Boom twice. The first time was a short visit because of the difficulties we faced to find the place. As I didn't know that the bar has the description of the way on their website and the covid restrictions limiting opening hours to 12am were still in place.

The second visit was actually the day before yesterday. We had a blast celebrating my girlfriend's birthday. Her mother made a Sachertorte - a specialty from Austria - which I brought from Vienna to Amsterdam. In the later part of the evening we wanted eat the cake. We first asked some personal and they said they were fine with it, as we already spent a lot of money for drinks and snacks. They even gave us a knife to cut the cake. After having cut the cake, the supervisor came over to our table and told us that we were not allowed to eat the cake. This, in principle is understandable, however, considering that we were told otherwise before, he could have been a lot more understanding but he was not even remotely friendly about it. Thus we left to eat the cake somewhere else. This was a very sad and sudden end to an otherwise perfect evening.

Summary: It is a really good location to have a party and some borrels with friends. The atmosphere is good and the location is central, indeed. Still, the supervisor was unecessarily strict about us eating the cake. We were 20 people consuming a lot of drinks and snacks, they easily made a lot more money with us than they would have "lost" through us eating the cake. Especially considering that it was a birthday I would have expected a more chill handling with this situation. Therefore, I only give Hannekes Boom three stars...

One evening about a month ago, a dreadful incident occurred when my husband slipped and fell in the bar restroom. The floor was completely inundated with water, posing a grave danger. Tragically, my husband suffered a severe injury, as he felt a muscle in his left leg snap upon impact. After applying ice for an hour, he managed to summon a taxi and return home. The following morning, we sought medical attention, and the doctor advised him to rest at home for a minimum of one month while wearing a protective brace.

The primary party at fault for this unfortunate incident is unquestionably the bar itself. Despite a high influx of customers, they callously overlooked safety concerns, prioritizing financial gain from food and beverage sales over their patrons' well-being. The failure to promptly address the restroom's unsanitary conditions directly led to my husband's injury, leaving us deeply aggrieved.

Determined to address the matter, I visited the bar the next day to retrieve my husband's bicycle. Entering the premises, I sought an audience with the bar owner, driven by two objectives. Firstly, to inform them of their responsibility to cover the expenses for the required protective brace. Secondly, to bring this incident to the owner's attention, urging them to bolster their safety protocols to prevent such unfortunate incidents from befalling other unsuspecting customers.

However, the server informed me that the owner was absent. Despite this setback, I provided a concise account of the situation to the server and requested the owner's contact information. Regrettably, the server asked me to leave my phone number, assuring me that the manager would reach out to me by 4 p.m. that afternoon. Hopeful but increasingly skeptical, I awaited their call, only to be met with profound disappointment as the bar never made any effort to reach out. Their lack of accountability is glaringly apparent.

Once loyal patrons of this establishment, we now unequivocally vow never to set foot in this bar again. We hope that our experience serves as a catalyst for the bar to reevaluate and strengthen their safety management practices, preventing the recurrence of such distressing incidents for...

Was a regular. One of the best locations in Amsterdam for lunch or a drink. But..

Being one of my fav places in Amsterdam I came with approx. 10 other work colleagues (a few years ago) and the staff here was underwhelming and almost unfriendly: not smiling, not welcoming us just head down. almost sleep walking or just on their first shift of their life. After 15+ years in this business myself, i can tell you this is terrible service and first impression that does not level to the quality of everything else you give.

Anyways, we came to order food 15 minutes before their official opening time (and informed we wouldnt have kept the two tables occupied for long since we had to return to our business convention).

There was no way around it. They refused to take our order for food saying they would open in 15 minutes. They could have played it strategically even - but defensive the waiter walked away. This killed it for us.

Seemed like the bar earned enough to want happy or returning clients. It was quite embarrassing to be refused service and I haven’t recommended this place again nor took anyone else here since. Pity (for them).

Attitude is very cultural - from amsterdam metropolis - but I hope to find a different professional...