Primo Pasta – new all vegan Italian pasta place!

primo pasta amsterdam

They are two Italian cousins, who grew up in Germany. Being vegan/vegetarian and passionate about food, Marco and Moris developed an idea to start a vegan restaurant together. “We want to modernise Italian cuisine, and show that you can make delicious things completely vegan,” says Marco. Initially he went vegan just to try it after his girlfriend started eating that way. It made him feel better and he realised: “This is the way forward, not just for me, but for the whole world.”

So they veganised Italian classics, but also created completely new dishes with their own shapes and fillings. All the pasta they use is made by themselves in a production kitchen elsewhere. They opened the restaurant in November 2023. Read more

The year 2023 in review

For various reasons the first half of the year saw quite a few vegan restaurants closing! The aftermath of corona, staff shortage as well as increased costs of energy and supplies took its toll, and perhaps vegan restaurants are more vulnerable for that. But still eleven new vegan places opened up. Happy Cow currently lists 574 vegan and vegan-friendly locations in Amsterdam, of which 67 are fully vegan.

Furthermore we see an ongoing presence of vegan products in the supermarket. Attention for the interests of animals in media and exhibitions. Dedicated activists allover the country continuously spending their time for the freedom of other animals. Still relatively small in numbers, but veganism and animal rights are no longer a fringe issue. Read more

This vegan bakery specialises in cinnamon rolls!

have a roll amsterdam

It was the time of corona lockdowns back in 2020, when Antwerp-based fashion influencer Dennis van Peel first started baking cinnamon rolls. His friends liked them a lot, and then also friends of friends.

He opened a Have A Roll pop-up shop in Antwerp a year later. Soon after more shops followed in Belgium: in Ghent and Brussels. Eventually they crossed the border by opening a store in Amsterdam, October 2023. Read more

New – all vegan chocolaterie Lait de Choco

lait de choco

She was working as a pastry chef but then corona hit. During lockdown Amalia Taleï started experimenting with making chocolates, initially learning from YouTube. She was disappointed in the vegan treats that were available at coffee places in Amsterdam – usually uninspiring bliss balls or banana bread – and was determined to come up with something better.

At first Amalia started selling the chocolates in the restaurant she worked. From then on it picked up gradually, being available at various cafes and coffee places in town and also online. She opened the store late 2023, as it makes it easier for people to find and connect with her products. Read more

Lowlander Restaurant – vegan food options, botanical beer pairing and great location

lowlander amsterdam

The story of Lowlander beer starts when Frederik Kampman is working for a gin distiller in England. Traditionally gin producers are using so called botanicals to give flavour to their gins – deriving from herbs, spices, fruits and plants. He is wondering how the use of botanicals would influence the flavour of beer, and discovers there used to be a rich tradition of using botanicals in beer brewing in the Netherlands. This finally leads him to start Lowlander brewery in 2015.

Throughout the years they also experiment with how beer and food can reinforce eachother. In April 2023 Lowlander Botanical Bar & Restaurant opens as the next step in this! Read more