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De Pijp · Amsterdam · Netherlands

Restaurant de Waaghals

A pioneering vegetarian and vegan restaurant in De Pijp, serving globally inspired surprise menus built entirely around seasonal vegetables since 1981.

The essentials, at a glance

◐
Impact score
3 - Endorsed
→
Documented practices
Seasonal cooking
Sustainable meat/fish plant-based kitchen
Plant-forward menu

Style
Cosy
Alternative
Cuisine
Fusion
International
Good to know
Terrace

The delicious details

De Waaghals has held its place on Frans Halsstraat since 1981, making it one of Amsterdam's longest running vegetarian restaurants. The kitchen, led by chef Henrique under the direction of Eva and Martijn, transforms seasonal vegetables into three to six course surprise menus that draw on culinary traditions from across the world. No processed substitutes appear on the plate; every dish is built outward from the vegetable itself.

The dining room doubles as a rotating exhibition space for local artists, giving the room a quietly creative character. The atmosphere is informal but the cooking is precise, blending classic and modern technique with the kind of boldness that earns the restaurant its name: waaghals, Dutch for daredevil.

Menu
What's on the table, and what's left off

Three to six-course surprise tasting menu built from vegetables, dairy and eggs. Guests choose vegetarian or fully vegan versions of each course. The menu rotates monthly by country theme and seasonally at least every two months. Wine list is entirely organic, biodynamic and natural.

Cuisine
Fusion
International
Dietary options
Vegetarian options
Vegan-friendly
Dairy-free options
Allergies handling
Notice At booking

Notify the restaurant at booking; the kitchen accommodates allergies and intolerances on a per-booking basis.

What the restaurant explicitly accommodates
Shellfish
Fish
Molluscs
Coeliac diet: Chef can accommodate gluten-free requests; note that the kitchen is shared.
Impact score
How this restaurant rates
3 - Endorsed

De Waaghals has operated as a vegetarian restaurant since 1981. The entire menu is built around vegetables, dairy and eggs. No meat, poultry or fish is served, and no processed substitutes are used in the kitchen. A fully vegan version of every course is available alongside the vegetarian default.

Seasonal produce shapes the menu throughout the year. Dishes change at minimum every two months and follow a monthly thematic rotation drawing on the culinary traditions of different countries, built around what is currently in season.

The kitchen uses fermentation and root-to-leaf preparation techniques. The wine list is composed exclusively of organic, biodynamic and natural wines.

The impact dimensions
Local & direct sourcing
Seasonal cooking✓
Sustainable animal products✓
n/a
Social impact
Plant-forward menu✓

The restaurant states it works with fresh, local products and sources seasonal vegetables locally.

The kitchen claims to source fresh, local products and harvest seasonal vegetables locally. No named suppliers, farms or producers are identified on the website or in third-party sources, though the commitment to seasonal and local ingredients shapes the menu's design.

Strongest sourcewaaghals.nl ↗

The menu rotates monthly by country theme and seasonally at minimum every two months, confirmed by third-party listings.

The kitchen changes its menu at minimum every two months to reflect seasonal availability, with a monthly rotation drawing on the culinary traditions of different countries.

Multiple third-party listing sites confirm the seasonal menu rotation as a consistent practice.

Strongest sourcewaaghals.nl ↗

The kitchen operates as a fully plant-based ovo-lacto vegetarian restaurant with no meat, fish or seafood; dimension not applicable.

De Waaghals has operated as a vegetarian restaurant since 1981, serving no meat, fish or seafood. All courses are available in fully vegan versions. The dimension does not apply to plant-based kitchens per the SEERO rubric.

Strongest sourceiamsterdam.com ↗

The restaurant doubles as a rotating exhibition space for local artists.

The dining room functions as a rotating exhibition space for local artists, creating a quietly creative character noted across multiple reviews. The space serves the local arts community as well as restaurant guests.

Strongest sourcewaaghals.nl ↗

The entire menu is plant-based by design, with ovo-lacto vegetarian default and fully vegan options for every course.

De Waaghals has operated as a fully plant-based vegetarian restaurant since 1981. Every course is available in both vegetarian and fully vegan versions. No processed substitutes are used; the kitchen builds each dish from whole vegetables using classic and modern technique.

Multiple independent listing sources confirm the restaurant's consistent vegetarian and vegan identity across four decades of operation.

Strongest sourceiamsterdam.com ↗
Sourcing signals
✓
Low-impact beverage program

Organic, biodynamic and natural wines, plus locally brewed beer available.

Visit & practical info
Address, price, and more
Address
Frans Halsstraat 29, 1072 BK Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Open in Google Maps ↗
Price
€€€
Format
Three to six-course surprise tasting menu; reserve at booking
Hours
MondayClosed
Tuesday17:00–23:30
Wednesday17:00–23:30
Thursday17:00–23:30
Friday17:00–00:00
Saturday17:00–00:00
Sunday17:00–23:30
Style
Cosy
Alternative
Good to know
Terrace
Web
waaghals.nl
Social
@waaghals.amsterdam
Reserve a table

Earned a place on a Craves list

Date night Romantic places in Amsterdam →
Reviewed by My Treats
Last reviewed 27 Apr 2026
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How we score
The My Treats impact scale

Every restaurant is assessed against SEERO, our six-dimension sustainability framework — covering sourcing, seasonality, waste, animal products, social impact, and plant-forward cooking. Each finding is weighted by how strongly it is corroborated. The combined result is translated into a planet rating from 1 to 5.

The five levels

SEERO is an acronym for Starting, Engaged, Endorsed, Recognised, Outstanding:

Starting First verified signals of sustainable practice.
Engaged Credible practice across two dimensions.
Endorsed Meaningful practice across three or more dimensions.
This place
Recognised Strong practice across four or more dimensions, with independent corroboration.
Outstanding Top-tier practice, confirmed by recognised third-party audit.

How a level is reached. Each level needs two things together: a minimum number of dimensions covered, and a minimum overall strength of evidence across them. A dimension only counts once its evidence is specific and substantiated — a passing mention doesn't qualify. Meeting only one of the two keeps a restaurant a level lower.

Ratings of four or five planets require human validation and, at the top tier, an external audit. Scores are based on publicly available evidence and restaurant submissions at the time of assessment.

Full methodology→
Impact dimension
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How this dimension works
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How evidence is weighted
Self-declared Stated by the restaurant on its website, menu or in a submission. Plausible, but not yet independently corroborated.
Researched Found through independent research; one credible third-party source backs the claim.
Vouched Corroborated across more than one independent source. Some gaps may remain.
Audited Fully corroborated across independent sources or by a recognised third-party certification.
What the sourcing checkmarks mean
✓ Full check — independently verified: corroborated across more than one source, or audited / third-party certified (vouched or audited).
✓ Light check — self-declared or from a single source. Not yet independently verified.
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