Steakhuis Piet de Leeuw

Steak in its own jus with white bread since 1949, served in a brown cafe that has outlived every food trend twice.

Since 1949 this has been where Amsterdam goes when it wants steak without ceremony: a low-lit brown cafe of dark wood, jenever jugs, chalkboards and oil paintings, where the biefstuk arrives in its own jus with white bread for mopping and fried onions if you have any sense. The menu has grown, ribeye off the grill, carpaccio, even eel on toast, but ordering anything other than steak on a first visit is showing off. There was a small scandal years back about horse meat quietly served as beef; the horse tenderloin is now honestly on the menu and, whisper it, it is excellent. Prices stay fair for the centre, mains under 33 euros, and the waiters have the timing of people who have done this for decades. It hides in a plain side street off the Vijzelgracht, which is exactly how it kept the tourists out and the regulars in.

Come on a weekday between 12:00 and 17:00 when the full menu runs and tables are easy; add the gebakken uien for 3.50, non-negotiable.

Photo: Steakhuis Piet de Leeuw