Love Avocados? 2017 was a particularly good year for the fatty little fruits, working their way into becoming a vegan staple, and an Instagram trend that just won’t quit.
Hands up if, like me, you still get a little too excited when you see a picture of an avocado based meal on social media. The Avocado Show’s pictures were so impressive, that I had to go visit the Amsterdam restaurant myself.
Around Xmas time last year, I stumbled upon the 3rd or 4th post of a new avocado Instagram account (yup, that’s a thing!). They were advertising the upcoming launch of a new avocado-themed restaurant in Amsterdam’s hipster-tastic neighbourhood, De Pijp. Teased with prospect of a new vegan friendly haunt (and lots of snaps of avocados arranged like flowers), I eagerly hit the ‘follow’ button.
Four months on, and I’m in Amsterdam for the second week of opening. A little queue had already formed when we arrived just before 12 o’clock. This was to be expected; The Avocado Show posted video feed of customers queuing in dark, early hours of morning for their opening day!
Seated inside, the small restaurant carried the buzz of a popular new location, customers all pouring over their menus, excited by the promise of elaborately carved food. Flanked by rough open walls on one side, palm leaf-print wallpapered walls on the other, the room feels cool, but not too try hard.
Vegan food at the Avocado Show
The Avocado Show’s menu is split into a number of different categories, giving you the option to choose from smaller appetiser style dishes, to larger, more substantial ones. I went for the latter (a girl’s gotta eat!). I ordered the avocado toast with humus and shared a vegan nacho plate with a friend. Be warned/delighted, the nacho plates are HUGE!! The toast was the most well presented piece of toast that I’d ever received in my life, a pretty circular floral arrangement topped with edible flowers. Don’t be fooled by some of the small(ish) looking portions, they’re a lot more filling than they appear to be.
Throughout, staff were friendly, knowledgeable and (despite the growing lunchtime queue outside) never rushed us.
Prices may, at first glance, look a little bit steeper than some of the surrounding brunch locations. However, can you remember the last time you cut an avocado out of its skin? Despite your best efforts, was it a bit brown on one side, where you had let it ripen for that extra five minutes longer than it wanted? And, (DESPITE YOUR BEST EFFORTS) did your nicely cut slices collapse into a big sorry mess when you tried to lay them neatly onto your toast? Mine too! Imagine the work going into avoiding all that, and then following it all up by making it into a flower! I presume that’s where my extra 3/4 Euros were going, and I’m OK with that.
Overall, I loved The Avocado Show. The food and service were enjoyable enough that I’d happily go back repeatedly without the avocado novelty wearing off. Get yourself along to this place before the queues get longer, or before so many people have been along for photographs that you look like you’re a step behind the cool kids.
Looking for other vegan/healthy cafes and restaurants in Amsterdam? Head over to my Vegan and Veggie Amsterdam post.
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