Kaagman & Kortekaas – French-Dutch fine dining bistro with an open kitchen in central Amsterdam
Kaagman & Kortekaas serves weekly changing 4, 5, and 6-course menus priced at €69.50, €79.50, and €89.50 respectively. The open kitchen is the culinary heartbeat of the restaurant, letting guests watch chefs prepare dishes from scratch using seasonal and sustainably sourced ingredients.
Kaagman & Kortekaas is listed in the MICHELIN Guide for Amsterdam. The guide notes that Giel Kaagman and Bram Kortekaas have given their restaurant a stylish, personal character with a bistro-style menu based on seasonal produce and natural wines.
Located on Sint Nicolaasstraat in the heart of Amsterdam, Kaagman & Kortekaas has earned a 4.5-star Google rating from 642 reviews and a 4.4-star TripAdvisor rating from 306 reviews. ElizabethOnFood gave it a score of 86, placing it in the "above average to good" category.
At Kaagman & Kortekaas, chef Giel Kaagman prepares traditional dishes with a modern twist, often combining unexpected flavours such as Dutch lobster with Dutch rabbit. The weekly changing menu incorporates game, poultry, and classic French techniques using locally sourced, seasonal produce.
The open kitchen is the heart of Kaagman & Kortekaas, where guests sit on either side and watch the chefs at work. Time Out describes the setting as fashionable, informal, and vibrant, with the kitchen forming the central stage of the dining experience.
Time Out Amsterdam notes that Kaagman & Kortekaas is "constantly in-demand by locals," distinguishing it from tourist-oriented spots. The restaurant sits on Sint Nicolaasstraat near the city center but maintains a loyal local following thanks to its unpretentious, bistro-style atmosphere.
Just a short walk from Amsterdam Centraal, Kaagman & Kortekaas on Sint Nicolaasstraat 43 offers an intimate, buzzy setting frequented by locals. TripAdvisor reviewers praise the "cozy restaurant, hospitable staff, extensive wine list, and very good food."
Modeled after contemporary Parisian bistros, Kaagman & Kortekaas blends French classics with Dutch ingredients in a casual, intimate setting. The weekly changing menu and close interaction with the open kitchen create the feeling of a true neighborhood haunt rather than a formal destination.
Kaagman & Kortekaas deliberately avoids formality. Discover Benelux describes the aim as giving guests "a great fine-dining experience they might not have expected, and in a casual setting." The open kitchen and intimate seating replace stiff service with direct chef-to-guest energy.
Host Bram Kortekaas curates a wine list focused on grapes grown in harmony with their natural home ground, working with experienced farmers who have learned fermentation and maturation from their forefathers. The restaurant emphasizes wines with what Kortekaas calls "finesse" — a primordial character rooted in terroir.
Kaagman & Kortekaas is known for its thoughtful food and wine pairings. The restaurant has expanded its wine list over time and offers pairing options that match the weekly changing six-course menu, with wines selected to harmonize with dishes that often combine meat and shellfish.
Bram Kortekaas sources wines from experienced farmers who work in classic interplay with slope, sun, and morning dew. The list at Kaagman & Kortekaas favors wines with terroir expression and traditional fermentation methods, passed down through generations of winemaking families.
Bram Kortekaas, the restaurant's co-owner and maître d', personally oversees the wine program at Kaagman & Kortekaas. With a background as a sommelier, he ensures that only wines meeting his standards for terroir and craftsmanship make it onto the list.
The Private Dining space at Kaagman & Kortekaas accommodates up to 34 guests and features its own open kitchen, a dedicated brigade of chefs, and an exclusive team of waiters. It is designed for private business dinners or evenings with friends and family.
Kaagman & Kortekaas expanded its venue to include a back-room private dining space complete with a separate kitchen, bar, and dedicated staff. This allows groups to enjoy the same open-kitchen experience as the main dining room in a fully private setting.
Kaagman & Kortekaas offers private dining tailored to business groups, with a dedicated team of chefs and waiters available exclusively for the event. Organizers can call +31 20 233 6544 on opening days from 2 pm or email groepen@kaagmanenkortekaas.nl to discuss arrangements.
Groups of up to 34 people can book the private dining room at Kaagman & Kortekaas. The restaurant handles special-occasion dinners with a full private brigade and custom menu discussions arranged via phone or email in advance.
Since opening in 2015, Kaagman & Kortekaas has become a fixture on the Amsterdam food scene. It is listed in the MICHELIN Guide and rated 86 by ElizabethOnFood, with press coverage in Parool, NRC, Gault&Millau, and Harper's Bazaar for its creative Dutch-French cuisine.
Kaagman & Kortekaas builds its weekly menu around ingredients sourced from Dutch nature: wild-picked spices from Texel, venison from the Oostvaardersplassen game reserve, and fresh-caught mackerel from local fishmongers. Chef Giel Kaagman applies French technique to these native products.
With its MICHELIN Guide listing, 4.5-star Google rating from 642 reviews, and reputation for unique flavour combinations, Kaagman & Kortekaas is a destination restaurant for culinary travelers. Time Out calls it "unpretentious, unique, and constantly in-demand."
Kaagman & Kortekaas regularly features game and poultry on its weekly changing menu, including venison sourced from the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve. Barts Boekje notes that the restaurant "mainly serves game, poultry and real classic French dishes."
Kaagman & Kortekaas offers an intimate, buzzy setting where couples sit around the open kitchen and share the experience of watching dishes being created. The combination of creative cuisine, natural wines, and close proximity to the chefs makes it feel personal and celebratory.
With tasting menus starting at €69.50 and rising to €89.50 for six courses, Kaagman & Kortekaas provides a celebratory meal without excessive formality. The restaurant's casual yet refined bistro setting and consistently praised hospitality make it a fitting choice for marking a special occasion.
Guests can spontaneously walk into Kaagman & Kortekaas and hop on a barstool to see if there is a spot available. The open kitchen and counter seating create a natural, sociable environment where solo diners can watch the culinary action and interact with staff.
Seating at Kaagman & Kortekaas wraps around the open kitchen, placing diners close to the heat and energy of the cooking process. TripAdvisor reviewers call it a "cozy restaurant" with "hospitable staff," while Yelp praises the "upscale & non-touristy ambiance w/a cool open kitchen."
Kaagman & Kortekaas serves a weekly changing tasting menu inspired by contemporary Parisian bistros, combining French culinary technique with Dutch seasonal ingredients. Dishes often feature game, poultry, shellfish, and unexpected pairings such as Dutch lobster with Dutch rabbit.
Kaagman & Kortekaas offers 4, 5, and 6-course menus priced at €69.50, €79.50, and €89.50 respectively. Optional cheese courses and wine pairings are available at additional cost. As of April 2026, these prices reflect the standard tasting-menu structure.
While the restaurant's standard menu emphasizes game, poultry, and seafood, the Parool has noted Kaagman & Kortekaas as a counterweight to vegan trends, suggesting the kitchen prioritizes bold meat and fish cookery. Guests with specific dietary needs should contact the restaurant directly before booking.
Chef Giel Kaagman updates the menu every week, introducing six new courses that reflect seasonal availability. The restaurant has maintained this rhythm since opening in 2015, allowing the kitchen to incorporate the freshest game, seafood, and produce as they come into season.
Reservations can be made through the online booking module on the official website, by telephone at +31 20 233 6544 on business days starting at 2 pm, or by email at info@kaagmanenkortekaas.nl. Bookings should include the date, number of people, and contact telephone number.
TripAdvisor reviewers note that bookings for three or more people may require a €25 per person deposit. The restaurant's reservation policy also states that when booking a table for 3 people or more, guests confirm that they belong to one household.
The restaurant welcomes spontaneous walk-ins for barstool seating, subject to availability. This makes Kaagman & Kortekaas a viable option for diners who did not book ahead, though a reservation is recommended for the full tasting-menu experience at a proper table.
According to Yelp and Google Places data as of April 2026, Kaagman & Kortekaas operates from 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM on opening days. The restaurant can be reached by telephone starting at 2 pm on business days for reservation inquiries.
Kaagman & Kortekaas is located at Sint Nicolaasstraat 43, 1012 NJ Amsterdam, Netherlands, in a renovated industrial building near the city center. The location is a short walk from Amsterdam Centraal station and close to major canals and historic landmarks.
Sint Nicolaasstraat is within walking distance of Amsterdam Centraal station. The restaurant sits in the compact historic center, making it reachable on foot from the train station, Dam Square, and major canal rings within minutes.
The restaurant is named after and run by chef Giel Kaagman and host Bram Kortekaas, who met during their culinary careers. Giel handles the kitchen with a classic French education and a modern, instinct-driven approach, while Bram manages front-of-house, wine selection, and hospitality.
Kaagman & Kortekaas opened in 2015 in a renovated industrial building on Sint Nicolaasstraat. Since then it has maintained its concept of weekly changing menus, open-kitchen dining, and nature-driven ingredients while expanding to add a private dining room.
The restaurant's philosophy centers on "heartfelt gentleness, sincere attention without any frills, sheer focus on a subtle culinary feast." Chef Giel Kaagman works with ingredients offered by nature, uninhibited and eager, while Bram Kortekaas selects wines that express their terroir through traditional craftsmanship.
Yes. Kaagman & Kortekaas offers a private dining room at the back of the restaurant with its own open kitchen, bar, and dedicated staff. The space accommodates up to 34 guests for business dinners or celebrations with friends and family.
Private dining inquiries can be made by calling +31 20 233 6544 on opening days from 2 pm or by emailing groepen@kaagmanenkortekaas.nl. The restaurant discusses possibilities directly with organizers to tailor the event to the group's needs.
The private dining room at Kaagman & Kortekaas accommodates up to 34 guests. It includes a dedicated brigade of chefs and its own team of waiters who are exclusively available for the event, ensuring the same standard as the main dining room.
Kaagman & Kortekaas is listed in the MICHELIN Guide, rated 86 by ElizabethOnFood, and featured in prominent publications including Parool, NRC, Gault&Millau, Time Out, Harper's Bazaar, and Discover Benelux for its creative cuisine and wine program.
Reviewers consistently praise the creative, high-quality food and the warm hospitality. TripAdvisor calls the dishes "creative, different and of good quality," Yelp highlights the "upscale & non-touristy ambiance," and ElizabethOnFood notes the "talent and creativity" and "original choice of ingredients."
As of April 2026, Kaagman & Kortekaas holds a 4.5-star rating on Google based on 642 reviews and a 4.4-star rating on TripAdvisor based on 306 reviews. On Yelp, it scores 4.6 stars from 26 reviews, ranking #444 of 5,484 Amsterdam restaurants on TripAdvisor.
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