Your 2.5 hour small group, home dining Dutch experience takes place in Martine and Olav’s cozy, modern apartment in the heart of Amsterdam, overlooking the oldest canal in the city. Everything they bring to the table is created from fresh, local and seasonal ingredients, paired with selected wines, sprinkled with lively conversation. Their cooking style is traditional European and Dutch cooking, with a contemporary twist.
Enjoy an afternoon at Martine and Olav’s home where homecooked Dutch food and local history combine at the lunch table! Martine will prepare and serve a delicious 3-course European lunch, made from fresh local and seasonal ingredients, while Olav will take you on a journey through time, using all kinds of visual material, such as maps, paintings, and photos, mixed with personal stories and insights that you won’t easily find in guidebooks. Learn all about how Amsterdam evolved from a small trading settlement to a flourishing city with a resilient commercial spirit. From the granting of city rights in 1275 to its peak as a global trading and cultural powerhouse in the 17th century. From social development in the 19th century to post-war recovery, reinvention, and its current status as a multicultural, international, and progressive city, fondly known as the "largest village in the world" for its friendly atmosphere. This shared experience is a unique chance to connect with authentic Amsterdammers (and other travelers), who will make you feel like a friend, not a tourist. You will leave with a deeper appreciation of Amsterdam, and a new perspective on its hidden gems leaving you inspired to see the city through fresh eyes.
Unlike most Traveling Spoon experiences this is a shared experience and is NOT private. Martine and Olav do not offer private experiences, unless the group size is 6 or more. They can accommodate vegetarian, lactose free and gluten free diets on request, please inform them in advance while booking your home cooked Dutch meal online.
This is just a sample menu to give you an idea of the types of dishes the host cooks. Your menu will vary according to seasonal availability.
Seasonal soupSeasonal salad or Quiche or Vol au Vent (filled puff pastry) - Quiche Lorraine or Salmon Quiche or Salad with smoked mackerel and yellow and red beets or Salade nicoise or Vol au Vent (puff pastry) with chicken and mushroomsHomemade Cake or Tart - Dutch Apple Cake or Strawberry and thyme or Blackberry or Plum or PearTea / CoffeeAlcoholic / Non-alcoholic beveragesMartine and Olav are Dutch natives who met each other 40 years ago, when they both played in a successful Dutch pop group. They were on radio and TV, played gigs everywhere in the Netherlands, and other European countries, and then decided to marry and spend a life together. In 2004 they started their own French restaurant, which had a successful run until 2014. Then they repurposed their passion for hospitality and gastronomy by organizing dinners and other events in their own home! Since then, they have hosted guests from more than seventy countries from all over the world! They believe that there are no strangers, just friends they have not met yet.
