Restaurant de Struisvogel — Restaurant in Amsterdam

Situated in a basement on the corner of Keizersgracht and Berenstraat, Restaurant de Struisvogel (The Ostrich) is a small cozy dining establishment predominantly featuring French cuisine.

Seating up to 34 persons, de Struisvogel is reminiscent of a dining room with the constant buzz of chatter from neighbouring diners, creating a lively atmosphere, especially when accompanied by background music. The surrounding walls are covered with blackboards featuring the menu and soup and specialities of the day, a relief in itself as the dimmed lighting and candle lit tables make reading of the normal menus a visual impossibility for those not blessed with near perfect eye sight.

Better suited for groups rather than as an intimate dining experience, clientele make their choice from a 3 course offering of organic meat, fish and vegetarian courses, or 2 courses for those wishing to omit the starter or dessert. Food is of exceptional quality, very tasty and served in generous portions. The 3 course menu is reasonably priced at around 30 Euro per person. Some items attract a small surcharge such as starter Steak Tartare, mains Blond d'Aquitaine Beef Steak with caramelised shallot and port sauce, or the organic cheese platter. From time to time, the restaurant's namesake is also featured on the menu.

There is a nice selection of local craft beers and a fairly extensive wine list, liqueurs and spirits.Due to the relatively small space and as it is an ideal venue for group events and celebrations, the restaurant is generally rather full making a reservation highly recommended to avoid disappointment.

During the summer there are a few outside tables at the front, as well as along the side of the building in the Berenstraat. De Struisvogel is one of the relatively few restaurants within the 9 streets area which caters to late evening dining. The restaurant closes...

Just had dinner together with my sister at De Struisvogel at the Keizersgracht. The ambiance is alright, although a little crowded. The waitresses were also nice. The smoking cook outside convinced us to give it a try.

We decided to just take a main course and dessert. My sister had the fish and I had the ostrich. After one bite we decided not to take the dessert. I don't understand why we finished the meal.

The ostrich dish with mango chutney was really bad. Vegetables boiled way too long and then grilled, I think. I had to cut off blackened parts from the ostrich and the vegetables. It all tasted either too watery or too dry and the temperature was off. My sister ate a piece of the ostrich and said that it tasted like soap. With hindsight, I actually agree. When it comes to the fish, it came out of the freezer. Also, the sizes of the two meals were also very different. Very poor experience. They offered us a coffee, which we declined. The ostrich had an extra of €4,50, which I didn't have to pay. We went to Dunkin Donuts afterwards and we liked it.

I guess this restaurant is what one calls a tourist trap. Don't stick your...

We were looking at the menu outside when a couple of young ladies told us how delicious their meal had been the previous evening. So we took a gamble and descended the steep steps into the basement restaurant. It was full but they found a table.

What a lovely place. The staff were friendly and welcoming. We had the set menu which was delicious - burrata, beetroot and olive starter was light and fresh to eat. Gnocchi for one main was delicious - cooked exactly right. I had the grilled fish that was seriously out of this world - sophisticated flavours but not overwhelming. The chef is very good at what he or she does. The house chardonnay was straightforward and very pleasant.

This restaurant knows it's stuff - lovely atmosphere, helpful and pleasant staff, serving great food at reasonable prices. We couldn't ask for...