San Blas
Year-round Panama-inspired strandhuis with Holtkamp croquettes and a fireplace for winter walks.
The owners of San Blas spent years around Panama's San Blas islands and came home to build a permanent beach house at the bottom of the Zeeweg, open 365 days a year. Summer means the glass walls slide away and the whole place becomes terrace; in January you thaw out by the fireplace after a dune walk, which is exactly when you will have it to yourself. The kitchen is more careful than the palm-frond styling suggests: croquettes and bitterballen come from Holtkamp, the Amsterdam benchmark, gambas al ajillo arrive still hissing, and the all-green salad of asparagus, peas and chickpea-lemon cream is real cooking rather than token vegetables. Tacos come in vegan and pulled chicken form, cakes come from Holtkamp too, and families, kitesurfers and hungover Haarlemmers all get treated the same.
Gambas al ajillo with bread for the garlic oil, and a Holtkamp veal croquette on the side.
What to order
Full menu- Gambas al ajillo€19.50
Prawns in garlic oil and chili, bread for dunking
- Everything green salad€18.50
Green asparagus, peas, romanesco, chickpea-lemon cream, pistachio
- Holtkamp croquettes on bread€12.50
Veal or vegan, from Amsterdam's croquette royalty
- Breakfast platter for two€24.50
Croissant, bread, cheese, granola, fruit and fresh juice
More in The Beach
The whole chapter
Thalassa
Seven generations of fishing family running the most serious fish kitchen on this coast.
Berg Vis
Arlan Berg's red-white-blue fish cart, the true first stop of any Zandvoort beach day.
Republiek
Permanent architect-built pavilion where dry-aged beef and wood-oven fish outclass the postcode.