When In Amsterdam, Squat

I don't know much about squatting, but it's big here, and many of them have their own restaurants. They're run by volunteers so you call up on the day to say you're coming and they know how much food to prepare. The reviews were good, the NY Times included, so it was time to check one out. We chose De Peper, probably the most well-known of the 10 or so out there, easy to get to near Vondelpark.

De Peper is 100% organic and vegan, and for 6E you get soup and a main, and if you want dessert it's an extra 1.50E. Drinks are also 1.50E, and the biological beer I had was fine. There's no menu. You pick up your dinner from the counter and bring the plates back. Easy. The space is pretty cosy, complete with chilled-out dog on the couch. Our soup was bean, onion and something like seaweed, and was a delicious, hearty clean soup. The main was a plate of different things - beetroot and sesame salad, couscous with vegies, grated carrot salad and a wholemeal pie with...crab. Now, I have no problem with vegan, as long as they don't fake food to make it taste like something else. The pastry was nice but let's leave the faux crab.

So overall not a bad meal out, something different and good value - even with the Burger King burger afterwards.