Café De Dijk

Volendam is as touristy as it gets. It is scenic, it has a great history and there are all these little stores and cafes to grab you by your digital camera and lure you in for a little bit of this and that. Well, this café is perfectly situated at the old port, overlooking a collection of fishing vessels and a few pleasure yachts. The interior is rustic and full of interesting tidbits on the walls. I have to admit my experience with Café de Disj is very limited as we went in to take cover from the freezing cold and grab something warm to drink. So I am not a good source of information on their foods but I liked the location and the warm coco they served us.

Since Pavilion Smit Bokum was closed, we walked half a mile up the road and found this place — it had a previous 5-​star review on Unilocal and after eating here, can see why (and thank you Unilocal reviewers! You guys are always pretty much spot on).
We got here at tail end of lunch, but the kitchen was still open however by the time we left, (around 3:30ish) they were getting ready for dinner service and I saw the wait staff turn away simply tons of people who didn’t have reservation. So first tip — if you plan to come here for dinner– make a reservation! I also felt like this restaurant was very much a local one because only at our table was English being spoken and every other table had Dutch being spoken.
I was super happy with my choice of smoked eel, salmon and local gray shrimp salad. There was a delightful array of greens including watercress that was just lightly sprinkled with a spot-​on dressing which totally complemented the seafood. Loved the entrée of different breads baked in a flower shape and 3 different dips — the tomato was a star standout! My mum also really enjoyed her hot cheese croquettes and chips (she ordered this from the Kids Menu as there were limited vegetarian choices and she wanted something hot). The cheese coquettes were super delicious and tasted oven baked rather than fried, so eating them felt it was healthy too.
For our party of 3, including drinks and a takeaway sandwich, the total cost was € 52 and change, so really walked away feeling like had found a place with great value for both money and food. Yeah, definitely a crowd pleaser and I would totally recommend and absolutely come back when in the area again.
PS — this is my 500 review! Woot, glad its a place where i enjoyed such delicious food!

I have fond memories of Volendam, so it annoys me to do this but I have to give this business a thumbs down. The servers are rude and arrogant. Some basics:
1. You don’t throw a menu.
2. You don’t act weird because you only have Heineken. It’s not my fault your business has a weak agreement that doesn’t allow for other beers. Amstel is owned by Heineken and that’s what I wanted– and its more popular with the Dutch (non tourists).
3. If two people ask for a menu, maybe bring two menus?
4. If you are on the rag, and can’t deal, stay home. Our server was particularly grumpy and chose to repeatedly take it out on two people who were in a good mood.
5. Pissed off. Unbelievably rude service. Drinks were left on the table untouched. If I want basic bar food cooked mediocrity (we saw other tables) we can go anywhere else. So I did, because I’m not letting anyone #BringMeDown #SuicidalTendences
(partial lyrics from ST song, «And if I offended you, oh I’m sorry
But maybe you need to be offended
But here’s my apology
And one more thing,…»)
If you want a Heineken and no other beer, and basic bar food, welcome in. It’s big but regularly gets crowded because of its strategic location and aesthetics. I remember this place being this way since I was a KID! And if they’re this pissy in December and January (the last two times I’ve been here), I’d hate to be there when the tourist crowds are keep.

Excellent food, friendly service, great location and excellent value!!!