Madre — Restaurant in Amsterdam

This place has real wow factor when you walk in. It looks fantastic and we were warmly greeted when we arrived. However that’s where the warmth ended as the restaurant (and some of the food) wasn’t. We ended up sitting on our hands and putting our jackets back on because our little corner was freezing.

The staff and the owner are very friendly and I fully appreciate that they were short staffed on the day we visited but even allowing for this the service was very inattentive. They didn’t come across as lazy or carefree in anyway but just very inexperienced with nobody seeming to be in charge. After our order was taken we didn’t see anyone for half an hour until our starter arrived and then another hour before our mains arrived, during which time our empty plates sat in front of us the whole time. When we told a member of staff that we still hadn’t had our mains, they still didn’t take our starter plates away despite the fact that we had put them in a pile on the edge of the table.

The food on the whole was absolutely delicious. The madre’s garden starter was incredible. The fruit and veg were beautifully seasoned and the spicy granita was innovative, delightfully unusual and an absolute pleasure. My cauliflower tacos were almost as nice; tender crisp pieces that had been perfectly fried with a wonderfully creamy, spicy dressing although the tacos themselves weren’t what I was expecting and didn’t taste great. My other half’s lasagna appeared to have seen better days to be honest. It looked like it had been prepped days ago and had been sat under a grill or in the oven for god knows how long. It certainly hadn’t been microwaved as it wasn’t warm. I didn’t try any but Himself tells me it was very very tasty despite its appearance and temperature. He went as far to say it was probably (taste wise) the best lasagne he’s ever had.

When the mains arrived we ordered desert and asked for the bill at the same time as I had to get to work. When his apple pie arrived, the waitress failed to notice that we didn’t have any cutlery and when we couldn’t get anyone’s attention, Himself went and pinched some from a nearby table. The apple pie was, like so much of the rest of the food, absolutely scrumptious.

So all this yummy food and a three star review? Hoezo? I’ll tell you. If you are going to charge the “extremely ambitious” prices that Madre does, then the food needs to be perfect and your service needs to be not just friendly, but polished, charming, personal, focused and attentive. Even allowing for the staff shortage, it is clear that Madre is (currently) coming nowhere close to this. They need someone in proper charge to lick it into shape and then this place really does have amazing potential. I was thrilled to be in what felt like the post-vegan future and I truly truly hope Madre does what it needs to do in...

The three of us had the full tasting menu (Madre Experience) and really enjoyed it. Although I am not vegan, one of my daughters is, so it was great to be in a place where she could freely choose from the menu without having to ask about everything. I also like how the restaurant normalises vegan food by not marketing itself specifically as vegan.

Our waitress was very friendly and made us feel welcome. I appreciated how our progress through the meal was monitored, so that we did not have to wait for the next item, but were not made to feel rushed either.

For me, the starters were the best part, especially the divine sweet potatoes with salsa macha, delicious charred string beans with peanut sauce and the cauliflower wings. The wings were an absolute eye-opener. I have always avoided them when they feature on menus, but these ones were incredibly tasty. I would love to see a starters and sweets meal option since the main course items were the weakest part of the menu. I was also disappointed that the avocado popsicle was not included in our menu items.

Regarding the main courses, I found the 3D-printed "pork" used in the birria inferior to many commercial plant-based meat alternatives. It had a pronounced soy taste and was served very plain, desperately needing spices and sauces to pep it up. Luckily, I was able to use sauces from the other dishes to make it a bit more palatable. I think I would have been very disappointed if I had simply ordered this dish as a meal. This course would also have been far better if served with a small portion of the delicious salads that I saw being prepared. I had expected the salads to be included in the tasting menu and was a very disappointed not to get any. I was also very surprised that beans do not appear to feature on the menu. I love them and, to me, they are a quintessential part of Mexican food.

These last comments are included as suggestions rather than criticisms, since overall we were very happy with the food in terms of taste, quality...

As a dedicated foodie, I was both intrigued and apprehensive about trying this all-vegan Mexican restaurant. My initial skepticism about missing my beloved fajitas, pollo, and queso quickly vanished as I explored the menu, packed with creative dishes that made me forget about traditional dishes. Given our large group of nine, we had no other option but to go for the set menu, which unfortunately didn't cater to everyone's tastes. An à la carte option might have offered more choice and satisfaction for each of us. However, this could have been a blessing in disguise, as it simplified our decision-making process with so many unfamiliar dishes. Flavor-wise, the dishes leaned heavily on sour notes, with lime and tomato appearing in almost everything. While the variety in taste was somewhat limited, we did get to sample celeriac, cauliflower, artichokes, mushrooms, and some intriguing 3D-printed meat substitutes. The meat they call redefined. The latter, in particular, left us all curious and eager to understand more about it, it's not meat but what is it? The portions are small although they are meant for sharing. One notable downside was the guacamole with chips. Watching it prepared tableside was a nice touch, but the serving size was disappointingly small—just one avocado for a group of four and another for a group of five, with only a modest amount of chips. Price-wise, it felt a bit steep for the portion sizes, with each person paying around €45,- for the set menu and cocktails costing about €15 each. Despite this, the overall experience was enjoyable. The staff is really friendly and attentive, they looked like they had a great time working there. In summary, while we might not rush back immediately, this restaurant offered a unique and fun experience that left us intrigued and wanting to explore more. Is it worth a visit, ...sure, give it a go. Highlight by the way, the dessert. We...