The 4 best places for a healthy lunch

Tucked away in an alley between the busy Kalverstraat and Rokin, Gartine serves delicious breakfast and lunch in their cosy restaurant. They grow fruit and veg in their own cottage garden outside Amsterdam. Their selection of pies is mouth-watering, with surprising combinations and strong flavours, changing with the seasons. 

Every morning, the Instock ‘food rescue team’ visits nearby supermarkets to collect food that is close to its expiration date. They use these products which would otherwise be thrown away to prepare tasty dishes and meals. Brown bananas are turned into banana ice-cream, old bread into French toast or grilled cheese. Can you think of a more creative way to fight food waste?

Old-fashioned wooden crates are filled with vegetables that all seem to have won a beauty contest. At Venkel local products are turned into salads on demand, and hearty soups. Try their rhubarb lemonade or a fresh ginger tea to wash down the organic veggies. 

Lavinia serves three types of veggie cocktails (green, orange and red), and big sourdough sandwiches for lunch, with mashed avocado, tuna or grilled pepper, or spelt pizzettas with lamb or salmon. If you’re lucky, there might be a space on the comfy leather sofa. A second location opened at Amstelveenseweg 192.