Jun 24 2011

Cafe Zola, Amsterdam

Today I’m traveling back in time, to May, when I was in Amsterdam.

Salad with River lobsters, Mango, and Wasabi Seaweed Crunch, Cafe Zola

While exploring the city one day, my best friend and I had lunch at the cutest little off-the-beaten path restaurant, Cafe Zola. I had the pleasure of conducting a mini interview with the Owner, Raily Bernardina.

Zola, established in February 2008, is named after the French writer, Emile Zola. The name was chosen because the streets in the area of Zola are named after Dutch writers, so Raily decided to go outside the norm. Of the location, Raily says ” Zola is a place that you normally do not find in the neighborhood. The reason for the location was because West is an upcoming neighborhood, young and international people are living over there. Most of the customers are locals or expats, you will not find many tourists here.”

The corner restaurant boasts an outdoor seating area and an upstairs, while still remaining quite intimate. The seasonal menu changes every three months, but according to Raily, there are some items that remain. While there, my BFF and I split the Salad with River lobsters, Mango and Wasabi Seaweed Crunch, and a few of the bar bites; fried little balls filled with a shrimp mixture and tiny golden fried cheese sticks filled with a creamy, local dutch cheese. We also had a La Chouffe and Duvel, both of which are really good beers that we were excited to see on the menu. The salad was my favorite, I’m seriously still thinking about that salad. For lunch, the restaurant wasn’t crowded but it wasn’t empty either, a good mix of room and people. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was good, and the waiter was super sweet. If you want a break from the touristy areas, and want to experience local culture in Amsterdam, head to Cafe Zola.

fried3 Cafe Zola, Amsterdam