Place rating: 5 Centrum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Usually when reviewing a place, I try to have some light fun remarks here and there. I may not always get it, but at least the intention is there. The thing is, I have zero witty comments to make on this fine establishment. Everything is just great, had to go there twice in a week. Now, this review could very easily end here but let’s milk it some more: — The location is great, right by Oosterpark. — For the stingy people(looking at you, guy in the mirror), it’s not expensive at all. — The food is not only tasty but damn, it *looks* the part! I wish the pictures did it justice but the meals are even better when seen live. It is so idyllic that makes you feel sorry for ruining the dish, but at some point someone’s gotta give up in the staring contest, and I guess I lost(won) because I blinked(ate) what was in front of me(om nom). — The friendliest staff! This is especially valued here in NL where the service industry still lags behind that of other places(sorry dutchies, I really think you’re the best, but search your feelings, you know it to be true! #useTheForceLuke). — It’s huge, so great for groups. — Dogs are welcome. Not sure if this qualifies the place as animal friendly though, you really have to test with other animals. I read on another review that you must have cash on you, but in my case I went fully digital all over that terminal and it didn’t beep back ;) Definitely recommend this for this for brunches and borrels!
Jelle E.
Place rating: 4 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
For Dutch see below. On a Wednesday evening I dropped by for a drink. I’ve heard from other people this bar serves good gin and tonics, ‘G and T’s’. I chose the Hendricks with cucumber and fever tree tonic(€ 9.75). The drink was served in a large glass, with a lot of ice. In my opinion it would be better to serve it with more G and T, and less ice(especially for this price!). Nevertheless, it was delicious. It is a comfy bar and the employees were very friendly. — Doordeweeks op de late avond langs gegaan voor een drankje. Van andere mensen kreeg ik te horen dat je hier goed gin en tonic kon drinken, daar was ik ook wel voor in de mood. De menu kaart laat twaalf verschillende gin en tonics zien. Ik koos voor de Hendricks komkommer en fever tree tonic(€ 9,75). Het drankje wordt geserveerd in een groot glas met, wat met name opvalt, veel ijs. Wat mij betreft had er veel minder ijs in gemogen, met meer drank(met name vanwege deze prijs!). Ondanks de hoge prijs was het wel een heerlijke gin en tonic. De sfeer in de bar is erg goed. De bediening was vriendelijk. — Recept: Voor een derde van de prijs kun je ook thuis Gin & Tonic serveren. Benodigdheden: 35 mL Hendrick’s Gin, 100 mL fever tree tonic, komkommer, ijs. Schep een groot wijnglas vol met ijsblokjes. Snijd de komkommer in dunne schijfjes over de lengte, doe hiervan een paar in het glas. Giet hierover het geroerde mengsel van de Gin en de Tonic.
Nikola C.
Place rating: 5 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Being a hipster in East is not easy with all the places to options these days… If you have forgotten your comb, shaving seems like a lost art and you have a .Phd in not caring, you’re probably a regular at Bukowski. Nevertheless, Bukowski(and Henry’s Bar) is still one of my places on the East side. Cocktails are great(they probably invented G&T here), staff is friendly and the music is good(De Leven:-)). What really gets me going every time though is the odd Bukowski quotations on the wall: You have to die a couple times before you can really live. I did.
Amanda L.
Place rating: 5 Madison, WI
This place! Oh man. So cute, so hipstery. I, like Daniella, was suspicious at first. Could it really live up to its external image? Turns out, yes, yes it can. I’ve been here two days in a row now, and never been disappointed. The serrano ham sandwich is delectable. Seriously. Perfectly balanced and their mozzarella is great! Tried the pizzas today, and also stellar. I’m not a huge coffee person, so I can’t speak really to the quality of the coffee, but I can say that I’ve gotten coffee twice here when I usually don’t at all… So that’s a good sign! Love the atmosphere. Seriously. Every little area is fun to sit in. Their service is wonderful-and the people are great! And, bonus… Their banana bread is on point!
Bria M.
Place rating: 5 Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Went here twice in our four day trip to Amsterdam. Wish we had found it sooner. Situated right beside Oosterpark it’s lovely to eat and then go for a stroll. It has eggs, pancakes, sandwiches and burgers on the menu all day. — perfect for a late breakfast or brunch. The Staff are really cool and friendly! Everything we had was really tasty! And the best bit is you can go from breakfast right into evening drinks in this gem!
Harrison C.
Place rating: 4 Wilmington, DE
Located across from Oosterpark, Bar Bukowski has a really nice quaint vibe with sidewalk seating. The prices are very reasonable. Me and my wife got breakfast a cappuccino and two waters for 22 €. I got the Bukowski full breakfast and a cappuccino and my wife got the American French Toast. We both enjoyed our food, the cappuccino was good as well. The service was friendly and attentive. I would like to stop by again for lunch or dinner. The menu is mostly in Dutch, the two members of the staff that we spoke to spoke good English, so if you have any questions about the menu feel free to ask.
Daniella S.
Place rating: 5 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
I have to say I was a little bit suspicious of this place… Maybe being a bit too trendy for me. So I only came here for coffee so far. Then I finally went there for brunch on Sunday and was totally reformed!!! The food was really really nice! I had a great omelette with spinach, goat cheese and mushrooms… So yummy! The coffee was also nice — had an option with almond milk too that wasn’t bad… And sitting outside on the benches was cool — especially on Sunday when there wasn’t that much traffic. I’ll definitely come back here. Nice to know I have such a cool hangout close to my house…
Grumpy F.
Place rating: 4 Binfield, United Kingdom
We debated if this should be a 3 or 4 star but as we could not give 3.5 stars we decided to be generous. OK so we stopped in for brunch and had the Atlantic Benedict(eggs benedict with smoked salmon instead of ham) and scrambled eggs with salmon and avocado. Both were delicious. Service was pretty good(although there seemed to be two people trying to serve us on a couple of occasions) — but they worked through it and took care of us quite well. One grump is the coffee. A perfectly respectable americano — actually quite a good americano — but the request for milk was greeted with one of those sad little sealed tubs of «creamy stuff» being delivered to the table(!). Seriously? You make a MUCH better cup of coffee than Starbucks and then let yourself down by doing THAT? I’d have got milk at Starbucks(to add to a much worse cup of coffee…). Second grump is the ambience… the overall feel of the place is quite«arty», relaxed, accessible to all ages etc. So why play hideous rap«music» that appeals to(for the most part) a pretty young audience? It really made us want to leave and was certainly not something we wanted to listen to over a relaxed brunch. Comment for the management — if that’s your taste in music then decide what you want the place to be, if not then don’t let your staff dictate the choice of music — it impacts the ambience a LOT. This nearly got you the 3 star vote. In summary a lot of promise but a few grumps so a «only just» 4 stars that was nearly 3 stars — but could quite easily be made into 5 stars with a few considerations.
Paula A.
Place rating: 5 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
If you’re looking for a casual yet charming location to hang out and meet your friends, Bar Bukowski is the place for you. I’ve biked in front of the bar a lot of times but this morning I finally went inside — followed by 5 friends and 3 kids. We sat at the mezzanine and had a delicious breakfast with pancakes, poached eggs, cappucinos, and juices. We also ordered scones and the lemoncake, all very satisfying and tasty. The staff is super friendly, talkative, and prepared to deal with small children. For what I’ve seen, it gets quite crowded on evenings/nights. Still wanna come back here for a couple of drinks and get the full-on experience, but I’m already pretty sure I will become a regular. Edit: So I went back for lunch on a Sunday. Although the place was packed, we found a corner to sit and were immediately met by the waitress. The food(yummy warm sandwiches) was very tasty as usual. Twice recommended! ;)
Kelsey V.
Place rating: 3 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
I had a meeting here yesterday since it’s around the corner from my office and we wanted to try something other than our usual Biertuin(owned by the same people). Between the screaming child and the very loud music we will probably stick to the Biertuin.
Megan V.
Place rating: 4 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Bar Bukowski — Doesn’t sound like it would be the happiest place in the world, but with a few of their G&Ts served up in what appear to be fishbowls, happiness is not far off(unless, of course, Gin makes you cry). We came here with friends for a few drinks — we arrived early by Bar Bukowski standards(around 8pm) and managed to snag one if their little mezzanine tables. this gave us a perfect people-watching perch. What I LOVE here, is that there is actually table service. At 8pm, this doesn’t really matter, by 10:30 — 11:00 — it’s all but necessary to get a drink unless you really enjoy swimming through throngs of well-meaning, though not very space-conscious people. There were a few bar snacks that we had which reeked of ‘average’ but based on other reviews, this sounds like it does a decent brunch/coffee. Happy to come back here! *Bonus: It’s attached to Henry’s bar(I expect they are the same owner) so you can easily head over there for more complicated cocktails.
Valérie R.
Place rating: 4 Paris, France
My friends and I followed Unilocal suggestions and we were satisfied. Very nice place for brunch or just taking a coffee. Great location: next to the Oosterpark. The staff are very friendly, smiling, available, attentive. Good atmosphere in this place. Nice decoration, at the entrance there is a big bar and severals rooms: up(behind the bar) and down(next to the restrooms), the interior is bright. Food was good. I took salmon sandwich and an amazing cheesecake ! I tasted some pancakes, it was delicious ! It was not expensive. However, there was some noise… They don’t take credit cart. For tourists: remember to withdraw cash !!
Marc A.
Place rating: 3 Paris, France
I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this place. I’ve been there for a brunch, but the place seems really nice in the evening considering the crowd in front of the bar. I like the decoration, a little bit vintage, with this big bar at the entrance and the huge space inside. The food was good. I took some florentine eggs and bread with cheese and avocado. everything was really tasty, with fresh products. Service was really good, even if we were a big table and not really organized with orders. I really recommend the place if you are in the area.
Nathan T.
Place rating: 4 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
If you want a bit of young wildness and loose revelry, like the writer the bar is named after, then this is a great place for a cocktail or shot
Michelle M.
Place rating: 5 Pleasanton, CA
This was a winner! Followed Unilocal suggestions and they were right on. I had American French toast, scrambled eggs and double latte. French toast was very good with beautiful strawberries and blueberries. And plenty of syrup! Latte was beautiful and perfect. Excellent and friendly service, and tables inside and out. It’s a busy corner, locals riding bikes by, very cool spot to people watch. Right near tram stop, so easy to get to. Great breakfast spot, enjoyed it!
Hanna J.
Place rating: 5 Palo Alto, CA
Good atmosphere! Good service! Nice interior! Affordable delicious food and drinks! What else could you ask for?!!
Michael B.
Place rating: 4 De Pijp, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Only had drinks for this first visit, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere here. The staff was friendly and attentive. Will be back to try the food and probably a meal or two and also enjoy the terrace when the weather turns nice…
Varia M.
Place rating: 4 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Yum. Delicious place for a quiet breakfast, brunch, or lunch, with a nice selection of cool non-traditional dishes(e.g. avocado, cottage cheese and toast? yes!). Decent coffee as well, and the prices are good. Very chilled out atmosphere. Recommended.
Miss Ally A.
Place rating: 4 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
You walk into a bustling café with gorgeous floors, typewriters hanging from walls, a hip, good-looking crowd focused on the fluffy foam of their cappuccinos and making relaxation look like a fashionable skill. The sounds, fragrance, and vibe of this place is fantastic. Word on the street is it doubles in the cool factor during evenings when it becomes a local spot to imbibe drinks that’ll make you fuzzy and get you dancing. I can hardly wait to get here during the night.
Kim V.
Place rating: 5 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This place has opened about a month ago next to the Oosterpark and when I cycled past this place a few weeks ago it immediately attracted me! It looks so awesome and beautiful! The lovely logo, the cool bar with nice lamps, the floors and the ceiling… everything is lovely! And when you peak into the speakeasy bar Henry’s…wow! Amazingly awesome. But I’ll have to make an other review for that place sometime when I’ve been there ’cause it’s like a whole other bar(the waiter told me). So, I was very exited to go the Bukowski today, on my day off. Because the weather was so lovely I wanted to sit outside to enjoy the weather. I like this spot next to Oosterpark, it is a busy place but that also makes it more interesting and it is great for people watching. The staff at the place is super friendly, cool and also in for a little chat. I loved the drinks they offered. All sorts of coffee, very interesting teas(also fresh teas: mint, vervain or ginger), fruit juices, smoothies, milkshakes, hot chocolate or chai tea and a few cool sodas like Fritz Kola, Wostok, Bionade and Club-mate. You can have various kinds of breakfast dishes until 11. After 11, it’s time for lunch: poached eggs(benedict, Florentine etc), a Moroccan omelette maybe? There is also French toast with blueberries! Gotta try those next time. Of course they also have sandwiches, and many of them. I’ve tried a bite of the egg-salad with truffle and it was nice! They also have warm dishes like soup, a burger or ravioli. But I had the to order the flammkuchen! There are four different ones and I had the Capresse. It was delicious! Yum! Try one! So this place is awesome for breakfast, lunch or drinks! And it is very beautiful with friendly staff! What more could I wish for? Great cocktails maybe, but wait. yes, they do that as well! Every Friday and Saturday at Henry’s. Will check that place out as soon as possible!