Food writer and photographer Ingrid Hofstra grew up playing on her grandparents’ dairy farm, hiding in the haystacks, picking berries and drinking raw milk straight from the cows. Each week, her grandad would come over with the latest harvest from his vegetable garden. “This was just a way of life for me,” says Ingrid. “It didn’t feel like something special back then, but as I grow older, I’ve started to realize how lucky I was.”
Ingrid eventually became a news journalist, but when irregular work hours prompted her to focus on what she was eating and drinking, she rediscovered a love for food. She bought a camera and started snapping.
Ingrid’s name now regularly appears in the pages of ELLE Eten, Harper’s Bazaar and SUITCASE Magazine. Her love of food has taken her around the world, from dining with local coconut farmers in Sri Lanka to foraging with a Michelin-rated chef in the Faroe Islands.
Here, she shares a few of her recent favourites found in Amsterdam.
Breakfast – Coffee Sometime
My entire Instagram feed is raving about this café – located conveniently close to the Vondelpark – and rightfully so. I met Yulia Nenadic, the lovely owner, and we started chatting over a delicious French toast with pear, cream and chopped nuts.
Lunch – 101 Gowrie
One of the benefits of being a food photographer is that you’ve got friends in the business. Last winter, my friend Alex Haupt opened his own restaurant, 101 Gowrie. It’s beautiful and the food is so good. He’s the former chef of Hoofdstad Brasserie and you can admire his cooking in Netflix’s The Final Table. I went in for an elaborate lunch and loved his twist on tosti ham-kaas, the Dutch toastie. The dessert – red grape and shiso shaved ice – was also a standout.
Snack Time – Public Space
Public Space makes me feel like I’m in Copenhagen or New York. It’s become my go-to for coffee, its tight menu of seasonal dishes and amazing homemade donuts (only on Wednesdays)! The staff are from all over the world and love sharing their knowledge on coffee and tea with you. You really feel taken care of. I ordered a flat white and a piece of banana bread with a dollop of espresso butter. (And yes, I’ve already tried recreating it at home.)
Dinner – Jacobsz
Date night with my boyfriend was spent at one of my all-time favourites, Jacobsz. To me, it’s one of the first places in Amsterdam to have taken modern Dutch cooking up a notch, introducing local produce in a sophisticated yet non-nonsense fashion. Also, their plating is beautiful. My favourite dishes of the night were the roasted cauliflower and the pumpkin dessert.
Night Spot – Wijncafé Worst
This place is a neighbourhood gem. The old wooden tables and the red and white tiles are reminiscent of an old Dutch farmer’s kitchen. And during fall and winter, the entire cafe is lit by candles. Enjoy a few glasses of wine and, if you’re hungry like me, a delicious bruschetta with cavolo nero and Parmesan.
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