Eating Vegan in Amsterdam, By Darian Galloway.
Amsterdam… what a beautiful city. Clean, amazing food, endless shopping and sightseeing a plenty! We follow Darian as she shows us what are the tastiest Vegan spots in Amsterdam!
VEGABOND
On my first day of arriving in Amsterdam, I visited a small cafe/shop called Vegabond, if you love quirky little cafes, then you will not want to leave this place. The first thing I noticed was the vintage decor, relaxed atmosphere and welcoming staff. They have a variety of vegan meals, snacks and desserts and they even have a shop inside where you can buy lots of goodies including: vegan foods, sweets, snacks, chocolate, gifts, cookery books, natural beauty products and vegan protein powders. I visited this cafe 3 times out of the 4 days I was staying in Amsterdam; I couldn’t get enough of the vegan treats!
If you are looking for a light lunch, with amazing desserts, I would definitely pop into Vegabond. Out of the 3 times I visited Vegabond, I ate a selection of different tasty foods including: Spelt sandwich made up of spelt bread with handmade cashew ‘ricotta’, pesto, cherry tomatoes and rucola, Fresh wrap with home-made hummus, sun-dried tomato, spinach and cucumber.
And (the best part) the dessert selection they had to choose from! I consumed many a doughnut, in strawberry, chocolate, oreo and caramelised apple flavours. Not to mention the amazing cake variety they had to choose from too; I tried Raw Snickers and Gluten-free brownie with hazelnuts… honestly I could not possibly pick my favourite as I loved them all.
MOAZ
Another place was Moaz, which had the best falafel pitta EVER! After spending a full day shopping and sightseeing, I definitely worked up an appetite… walking down the high streets I stumbled across this little vegetarian food shop on a street corner. It was booming with people enjoying the food and a lively busy crowd is always a good sign when deciding where to eat. So, I stepped inside, joined the queue and opted for the falafel pitta bread. (You could choose between the regular size or the small… of course I chose the regular… the bigger the better.)
You had the option of white or brown pitta, they filled it with falafel and hummus and then the control was in your hands, they handed you the pitta, where you could fill it with all sorts of sides such as: vegetables, salads, sauces, cous cous, and olives… oh and the best grilled peppers ever!
Of course my pitta bread was jam packed, if I am given the control to fill my plate, then the food has got to be over flowing. The service was quick, the staff were friendly, all customers were happy and I was definitely full. Honestly, this was one of the best falafels I have ever tasted.
I was really satisfied with the amount of food I had, but you had the option of adding a side of chips too. There were other options on the menu where you could choose from falafel salads, meal deals and smaller portion options for snacks or young children.
You could also choose from freshly squeezed juices, coffee or water. The prices were fair and you received a lot of food for the money paid.
ALBERT HEINZ
As we was staying in an Air BnB, we had our own little kitchen with cooking facilities and utensils. So in between meals or for breakfast before stepping out into the city again, I relied on snacks from the local supermarkets/shops and Albert Heinz was one of our favourites. As a vegan, finding a good selection of suitable food is hard but this is a great supermarket which has a huge selection of fresh food, meals, fresh juices, snacks, cereals and frozen goods. The prices were reasonable, staff were very friendly and helpful and not to mention…their falafel wraps were amazing, I consumed one every single day I stayed in Amsterdam.
SLA
On my last day staying in Haarlem, we had to leave our BNB at 12:00pm and the flight was not due until late afternoon. We decided to venture around Haarlem, visit the shops and locate some tasty vegan food. SLA caught my eye and was open on a Monday… I noticed on Monday’s quite a few food places are actually shut in, so be careful when planning your days out in Amsterdam.
There is a great selection of different foods on the menu, raw fresh vegan foods and there are non-vegan options too. I chose the white bean falafel bowl. My boyfriend chose their Moroccan Chickpea Soup, which they serve cold with freshly made delicious oat bread… do not knock cold soup until you try it, honestly it is so refreshing.
The food was fresh, tasty, wholesome and nutritious… I felt amazing after eating it. I finished the meal with a dessert (obviously). Dessert > Starter any day! I chose the raw cacao chia cake which really inspired me to create my own selection of raw desserts. Although the cake was small, it is definitely deceiving as it was so rich, you would not need a larger portion and that is coming from Miss Greedy Piggy over here.
VEGAN ICE-CREAM
I finished the trip with one last sweet treat… Near the airport there was a vegan ice cream van, they had a great selection of ice creams which included cookie dough, granola jam, honeycomb, chocolate mint, turmeric and chocolate. They served it in a tub or in a vegan ice cream cone and there were many toppings for the ice cream. You wouldn’t have ever guessed this ice cream was dairy free and it made me want to buy an ice cream maker and make a life-time supply of dairy free ice cream… serious heaven.
So to summarise, after consuming lots of amazing food in Amsterdam, I would definitely visit again and would highly recommend it to anyone who loves food, shopping, sightseeing and plenty of walking/bike rides to visit as soon as possible!
Muscle Bakery tip: Want to keep on a lower cal diet but still eat delicious food in Amsterdam? Stick to loads of leafy greens and veggies! Don’t miss out on dessert either, just skip on the bread and extras, have cake instead! Plus, Amsterdam is filled with lots of walking and cycling so you will no doubt burn it all off anyway 🙂
I am a 22 year old vegan foodie with a keen interest in baking (and maybe eating and force-feeding my treats to everyone)… sharing is caring! Instead of permanently driving those around me insane with my loved topic of conversation, I decided to create a blog to showcase all my recipes, food reviews and vegan lifestyle tips.
Ive always had an interest in fitness and healthy eating, starting my foodie mission by searching the net for healthy recipe ideas. Initially, with simple bakes such as flapjacks, overnight oats, etc. But, once i adopted a vegan lifestyle, my interest peaked and changed my little world around! I began tailoring my baking around the new diet and was enjoying every minute. I still bake to cater all needs, interests and adapt the recipes where necessary, but my true passion lies within the Vegan lifestyle.
I create all kinds of plant-based meals, snacks and treats and no longer feel guilty for eating my body weight in cookies, cakes and all kinds of goodies! I always consciously try to use the healthiest ingredients which means no guilt, right?
My recipes are simple, easy to follow and fun to make as possible, so get in the kitchen bake someone happy and always leave room for dessert…
Blogpost created by Darian Galloway, the lady behind Darian Kay Bakes. if you have not checked her out… what are you waiting for?! You can find her on Instagram too!
We hope you enjoyed this post, get involved… tweet/ gram us @themusclebakery & @dkayxx and tell us your thoughts! And if you have any more recommendations, give us a shout 🙂
Photography by @illuminatus_photography.