Please note that since writing this blog post, Bar Spek has closed down
Please note that since writing this blog post, Tapas de Arroyo has closed down
Bar Spek
Since the end of last year, I’ve been organising a regular “freelancer borrel” for fellow entrepreneurs who are without colleagues on a Friday night; and last month’s after-work drinks location was Bar Spek. Over a couple of seizoensbieren (seasonal beers), we tried the flat bread with shaved pumpkin, goat’s cheese, chilli, sage pesto and a sort of courgette tzatziki. I liked the bite from the pumpkin (it wasn’t mushy as you might expect), the fragrance from the sage and the freshness of the courgette cream. Surprisingly good, as well as easy to share!
Bar Spek’s falafel were rather bitter – I wasn’t sure if it was because they were made with broad beans (according to the menu) or just served with too much tahini. We also tried a sort of sweet ‘n savoury baklava filled with cheese, walnuts and dried fruit, and drizzled with honey. A single bite tasted good, but it was too sweet to eat a lot of it. Still, hats off to Bar Spek for serving shareable bites that are different from the usual…
Tapas de Arroyo
Ticking the traditional tapas box is Tapas de Arroyo on the Amstel River, complete with rustic wooden interior and legs of jamón hanging from the ceiling. They make a tasty jug of Sangria, fresh and moist tortilla, and garlic-laden smoky shrimp with hot butter and smoked paprika. Arroyo’s albondigas (meatballs) also have a nice loose texture and a rich tomato sauce. Pork cheeks were a good effort, but not a patch on those I ate in San Sebastian (to be fair, I was spoiled for life by being taken to the best tapas bar for pork cheeks in the city by a local foodie). I was looking forward to chorizo with pimientos de Padrón, but cooking them in the same oil in the same pan didn’t work – the chorizo fared well, but the peppers ended up greasy and flaccid. They’d have been better served separately. For tapas in Amsterdam, however, Arroyo is not a bad choice overall.
