Enoteca de Olyphant

A bistro-enoteca from three Amsterdam Oost regulars, built around a serious Italian-leaning wine list and food that doesn't overreach.

Three people who understood Amsterdam Oost needed a proper evening address opened De Olyphant in January 2026 inside the old Pepe Nero space on Eerste Oosterparkstraat: Bas Scheffer, Idske Dries and Erik van der Kooij, with chef Maarten van Westrop, formerly of Zoldering, running the kitchen. The name nods to Herberg de Olyphant, the inn that once stood here, and to Hansken, the elephant who passed through the neighborhood centuries ago. What they built is a bistro-enoteca that keeps its ambitions in check: vitello tonnato done properly, a burrata and roasted grape salad that earns its spot, pappardelle with oxtail ragout for the nights that call for something heavier. The wine list is the real draw, close to two hundred bottles with more than twenty by the glass and a sommelier happy to talk you through the Italian end of it; Star Wine List gave it a White Star for the trouble. Sixty-six seats split between an aperitivo counter and the dining room, and half the tables are held for people who just walk in.

Half the tables are kept for walk-ins, so a spontaneous Wednesday works fine. Open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 17:30, Friday from 16:00, Saturday and Sunday from 12:30, closed Tuesday.

Photo: Enoteca de Olyphant