Health store with an attached raw food cafe, also known as Centrum voor Energieregie. Serves breakfast, wraps, salads, raw vegan ice cream, sorbet, tea and coffee. Retail area sells organic and raw products including snacks, chocos-macrones, take-away food, smoothies and juices, dried berries, and more Open Mon 10:00-22:00, Tue-Thu 10:00-19:00, Fri 10:00-22:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-19:00.
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Overtoom 409 (at Schoolstraat corner), Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1054 JP
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
- Free Wi-Fi
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Last update on 16 Feb 2024 by DennisLaursen
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68 Reviews
First Review by Poliartes
OanaPSch
Points +11
The raw truth - Edit
Since I have been working in this place, I can regretfully confirm that this place has nothing to do with a community but rather a cafe/shop where you can indeed get accommodation and food in exchange for work but the there is a catch. First, the owner avoids paying employees in order to avoid paying for tax and registration purposes. I if you dare to stay in the accommodation, you’ll be exploited again, like a servant and don’t even think of getting your deposit money back, it’s been almost a year and all the excuses in the world, even if we signed a contract!
Read moreSecond, what seems to be a healthy approach on food, it’s actually a health hazard.Often times we were instructed to”pimp” the food and scrape mold of expired dishes , under the “no waste ” approach.
If customers complain, the excuse is always guilt free and rather an experience in the world of “ experimental “and in “the name of alchemy” that we, the commoners, are not able to understand.
Everything is a way to scam people and exploit youngsters that wish to be a part of a community..You’ll hear a lot of trigger words my favorites being :abundance, space holding and unconditional ! You’ll soon learn , once you collaborate, that they are just words.
My advice is to watch your dish being prepared, ask for the date the food was produced , pay by card and keep the receipt in case of food poisoning in case you need to contact the health authorities
I take this as an eye-opening experience that helped me grow, despite the harsh lesson of being very careful who I give my trust to.
Here is some proof I gathered along the way
Noellec
Thanks for sharing Oana, also on Google Maps (with the pictures). Could you also share information on the accommodation situation? Is there possibly something illegal happening here?
Read moreOanaPSch
All i can say, Noelle, is that people accept any place in any condition and owners know this. It became the norm in Amsterdam due to real estate market’s supply and demand
Read moreGuest
londoncapricorn
Points +82
Really great vegan spot - Edit
I stopped off here on a whim and I'm so glad that I did! The food is gorgeous - I had the raw lasagne, a chai latte with plant milk and delicious coconut and chocolate power balls for dessert. Really friendly staff, great location by Vondelpark and my meal was very reasonable in price. Highly recommended!
Read moreGuest
LudwigBremberg
Points +16
Slow, expensive and not enough - Edit
We came by to have a quick lunch. Several things were missing that were on the menu. The food took a long time to come, and it was not enough to satisfy our hunger.
Read moreWe also ordered smoothies. We waited 45 minutes for smoothies but had to tell him we had to go. He still expected us to pay full price, and we had to haggle our way to a better price.
I do not recommend it.
Updated from previous review on 2024-05-06
Guest
DennisLaursen
Points +2280
Unhygienic and slow - Edit
I came at Alchemist Garden with a couple of friends the 13th February to eat some breakfast. And to be honest: we where all disappointed.
Read moreFirst of all, we arrived a few minutes before 10:00 (it opens 10:00 AM), and it seems very closed. Well, we gave it a couple of minutes, and the employee arrived 5 minutes too late and opened the cafe at 10:05. Well, it can happen, we think, and gave the café the benefit of the doubt.
When we where about to order, we saw that they serve honey in spite of being labeled as a vegan eatery. That lead to a strange conversation where the employee (maybe also the owner) claim to guarantee that it was ethical honey, says that veganism tend to be dogmatic, and starts to talk about that we should stop killing carrots and root vegetables, and should only eat fruits...
The honey thing did that two of my friends leaves, but the rest of us stayed. That make the owner/employee refer to them as dogmatic, but I said that they rather were consistent.
Well, the rest of us ordered the food. And in spite of being the only three in the café, it took an hour to prepare the food. So do not visit Alchemist Garden if you are busy.
Well, I can accept and understand that if you are the only one in the café, it will take some time to prepare the food. But if you arrive 5 minutes after opening, you could help yourself to arrive 15 before opening in stead, and prepare the café.
When our food arrived, some of the items was actually pretty good. I had a breakfast platte , and the yoghurt with berries and granola was pretty good, the banana bread was meh, but the smoothie was poor.
The hygiene does not seems good either. For example, the blender was not cleaned before our smoothies was prepared.
So my final verdict is that I cannot recommend Alchemist Garden. They can improve by doing the following:
- Better hygiene
- Don't sell honey (at least when they call themselves a vegan cafe)
- Improve service, for example that the café should be ready to serve at the opening time
Cons: Unhygienic, Serves honey, Slow serving
Guest
small_trees
Points +453
Authentic raw vegan - Edit
This is an authentic raw restaurant and if that’s your thing you will love it here. If you’re expecting a normal restaurant experience you will not find it here but that’s all for the good in my opinion. They take things easy and natural here, so expect them to take time to make your food perfectly and to sometimes maybe not the most organised, but that’s ok. The warm, authentic and honest philosophy of the place is what’s important here. Like every organic place it’s on the pricey side but I don’t think that’s their fault. The food is good but for me not outstanding but I do love their smoothies and raw, sugarless pies which are delicious. If this is how you like to eat, then you’ve found your spot
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-10-01
Guest
Rawvegantim
Points +117
This is a magical place - Edit
Alchemist garden offers organic raw vegan food - from breakfast to sweet cakes to savoury meals - and green smoothies as well as several herbs, mushrooms, algae and homemade potions with different positive effects on your health an wellbeing.
Read moreIt’s located near the beautiful Vondelpark and definitely worth the walk from the city centre. There are seats outside in front and inside this lovingly furnished treasure house.
People who love high quality healthy food will instantly fall in love with this place.
The owner is very likeable and regularly gives presentations about the importance of eating „alive“ raw food and the implications for our health and mother earth.
Because as we cook food, we destroy essential parts of the very food, that provides us with life energy and it takes a lot of effort for nature to rebuild these vital ingredients.
Pros: 100% organic, raw, wild, fresh, healthy, Super nice people, Positive vibrations fill the house
Guest
itzi
Points +4239
I was in the garden - Edit
Bring time with, because it is not a normal restaurant. They are not so busy and hectic, as most of us are known. I enjoyed this calm down experience and the room, what’s very unusual for a restaurant. I had a tea and a raw dog, made of veggies. It was good and the money worth, but it wasn’t extraordinary. You will love or hate it, come and try!
Read morePros: All vegan , All raw, Cheap
Cons: You need time
Guest
mockingbird
Points +3028
Attention raw lovers - Edit
Visited this place yesterday and had a gorgeous lunch. Difficult to find a health vegan place in the city and this one shines out. The space is a community cafe, so the service was friendly and relaxed, it was quiet on this lunchtime but i enjoyed watching the staff work on their small garden space where they grow and use the produce in their recipes. I went for the raw lasagna - absolutely delicious. Finished with a peppermint tea and energy ball.
Read moreGuest
CraigSinclair
Points +69
A must visit - Edit
Tasty and fresh options and friendly staff
Read moreGuest
ChloéSchwizgebel
Points +1258
Raw haven - Edit
Loved the originality of the place, the recipes and the chilled vibes of the owner. The raw Quiche lorraine was amazing as well as the raw lasagne.
Read moreGot to try a delicious Pumpkin seeds latte with plenty ginger.
Only small negative aspect, we waited a long time to be served but it was okay given the nice ambiance (and owner gave us free dessert to apologize) but maybe to keep in mind if you are in a rush.
Pros: Stunning recipes, Vibe
Cons: Waited a bit long
Guest
PhilomijnSinke
Points +88
Lekker eten - Edit
Het eten was lekker, maar we hebben wel erg lang moeten wachten op het eten.
Read moreGuest
Haga72
Points +29
Excellent raw food - Edit
Very delicious raw food and smoothies
Read moreGuest
vandeVegtable
Points +1585
Cozy & wholesome - Edit
We were looking for dessert after our Ethiopian dinner at Addis Abbaba at Overtoom (highly recommend as well!) and stumbled onto this lovely place. They were closing up but the friendly owner still let us eat a piece of pie, which was yummy & filling. Perfect sweetness (not overly sweet) and great texture.
Read moreIt was already dark outside and with all the fairy lights in the cafe it really felt like a magical place. I loved the interior, especially the bananas just ripening in front of the windows and the huge spice/herb cabinet that was on display!
Pros: Everything is healthy, Aka my dream place, Great vibe
Guest
JuliaB108
Points +87
Amazing! - Edit
The food was phenomenal and the staff was so friendly. Absolutely delicious smoothie and pasta pesto. I’ll be sure to visit every time I come to Amsterdam!
Read morePros: Many delicious options, A number of outdoor seats, Very friendly
Guest
dbader13
Points +2386
Best raw food in Amsterdam - Edit
Amazing, healthy food. Try the rainbow plate and raw lasagna!! We also had a piece of mango-blueberry raw pie, and it was so good, we had a second piece! Very friendly staff and service. Highly recommend!!
Read moreGuest
alexeym
Points +317
Nice place - Edit
Amazing mango smoothie and nice cake.
Read morePros: Lot’s of vegan options
Guest
SquirrelDi
Points +5760
Raw and wonderful !! - Edit
Authentic raw cuisine, friendly staff, delicious and wholesome food :). I had a lovely experience here, would definitely come back.
Read moreGuest
Nikos
Points +95
Best Raw Vegan Place in Amsterdam. - Edit
Besides the friendly stuff and well knowledged owner, the coconut yoghurt freshly made or chocolat tart and rainbow plate are few of the things you must try...the whole menu is so good you'd better arrange to come here for few days to discover all.
Read morePros: Coconut yoghurt, Chocolat Cake, Hamburger
Cons: Nothing to dislike :)
Guest
digitalmimi
Points +1906
Raw vegan - Edit
I guess I’m just not into the sort of hippy vibes. The portion sizes are small and its not cheap.
Read moreGuest
MariaD
Points +3010
Cosy restaurant with great raw vegan options! - Edit
Tried their chocolate pie and loved it! Really liked how they have raw vegan, gluten free and sugar free dishes.
Read morePros: All vegan!, Cosy ambience
Guest
TobiasPolenz
Points +30
Perfect for a short visit - Edit
Cozy restaurant & lots of tasty raw vegan foods
Read moreGuest
greenvalley
Points +23
Lovely place with nice desserts - Edit
I'm in love with the atmosphere for some unknown reason. Maybe it's because of the ice-cream?
Read moreFood is tasty, portions are small but filling. Love smoothies, desserts are delicious.
So I must admit that the menu is on a pricey side (that's why I can't say it's 5/5).
Still, service is super helpful and polite.
Pros: Tasty food, Great atmosphere, Friendly staff
Cons: Price
Guest
AdrianaMatsufuji
Points +220
Food is ok, dessert is good! - Edit
Food is ok, I thought it was a little bit expensive for the quantity served. They also didn't have many options on the day i was there, so I was still hungry when i left. Dessert was really good though!
Read moreGuest
Miroya
Points +54
Love this place! - Edit
First of all the atmosphere was so nice and cozy and the people that worked there very helpful when I had a few questions. Second I looooved the food it tasted amazing, and it looks small but really fills you up so you won't leave hungry😉I had to wait on my order for a bit, but that's allright because preparing good food takes time! All in all I'm very happy that I stopped by🌿
Read morePros: Such delicious food, very healthy food, And the food is very fresh!
Guest
EfiB
Points +996
Not 100% vegan - Edit
They offer honey so it's not 100% vegan.
Read moreThe food was okay, nothing more than that. Portions are small and I think it's a bit over-priced.
Guest
DidierM
Points +51
Raw vegan cafe - Edit
Laid back atmosphere. Had an excellently prepared zucchini lasagne.
Read moreGuest
JuliaGeorge
Points +28
Cool atmosphere - Edit
Service is super friendly and helpful. Healthy drink options are great and I wanted to come back for the vegan lasagna but I ran out of time.
Read moreGuest
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