Please note that since writing this blog post, Olive 63 has closed down
Last week I met up with London friends and purveyors of Spice Mountain (no prizes for guessing what they sell). If you’re ever at Borough market of a weekend, drop by and see them – they are lovely and spicy 🙂
They were staying in Oud Zuid, so I thought it was a good opportunity to lead them away from the touristy Museumplein area to Amstelveenseweg – a street that grows more culinary every time I’m there. I’d been recommended Greek restaurant Olive 63, so we headed inside its blue-white-and-orange interior (which looked more primary-school classroom than Greek taverna) for some mezze.
We ordered a selection of the various things to spread on bread, and a couple of hot nibbles. I wasn’t impressed by the taramasalata – more salt and food colouring than fish eggs – but the humus and tzatziki were fine, and the aubergine dip better than fine. The vine leaves were warm and didn’t fall victim to the sticky, gloopy rice issue that often seems to happen. And there was something meaty in pastry that could probably have benefited from some more ingredients from Spice Mountain.
We all ordered lamb for main, but in three different guises. I was looking for kleftiko on the menu, and couldn’t find it; the waiter told me that the klimataria was very similar so I ordered that. It came in thick slices with a sauce the thickness of gravy. I didn’t taste any of the cinnamon or lemon I was expecting, and the result was closer to an over-cooked Sunday roast.
I experienced significant food envy, however. One of my friends had a lamb shank that had plenty of the full-of-flavour jelly surrounding the joint, served with a sauce that was chocolatey and winey and umami at the same time. It might have been a little overwhelming after a whole plateful, but two mouthfuls were perfect. Her boyfriend had lamb cutlets, cooked pink and well seasoned with thyme and garlic. Simple but spot-hitting.
I don’t think I’d had Greek red wine before, but this was much better than its white Retsina cousin, and a relative bargain at around €18 a bottle. Dinner totalled about €45 each, including a digestif. I don’t think I’ve ever had fabulous Greek food in Amsterdam, so by that token I might go back if I was feeling the need for Greek. But in the meantime, I think I’ll learn to cook kleftiko myself…
