Vegan food cafe near Dam square. Menu combines Caribbean and Japanese tastes and ingredients. Sample dishes like the house-made vegan burger, quinoa salad, fresh spring rolls, udon noodle, hijiki seaweed salad, and changing vegan cheesecakes and desserts. Beverages offered include fruit shakes, tea, and coffee. Hosts special events. Reported to close an hour earlier than stated times. Open Mon 13:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00, Wed 12:00-15:00, Wed-Sun 17:00-22:00, Thu 13:00-15:00, Fri 12:00-15:00, Sat-Sun 13:00-15:00. Closed Tue.
-
19 hs Sint Jacobstraat, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1012 NC
-
Loading...
-
- Accepts credit cards
-
-
Last update on 09 Sep 2024 by koortje
Update business info -
Added by The Veggie Cook on 08 Nov 2011
-
-
674 Reviews
First Review by ChakaKamaNath
veganino
Points +36
needs improvement.. - Edit
Not a very good memory of this place. We will never go here again.
Read moreWe ordered two different dishes from the menu - the meal looked the same.
The meals didn't have a lot of taste.
If you like shabby living room informal, with a touch of spirituality (wellness etc), this might be something for you. Had to sit eating on a bench, without place to put our plates. Later we had to share a table. Again, if you like that sort of thing, go ahead. No privacy. I think we even made a reservation...!
The man seemed nice though, and I hope the restaurant will improve.
Cons: shabby, not a lot of taste in meals, reservation; no place to sit
Guest
julesmonkey
Points +116
best! jah rasta! - Edit
best vegan restauarant in amsterdam! I dont care what the stupid reviews below say, I think alot of the vegans commenting are very judgemental and quite hypocritcal in their standpoint on things! This restauarant is humble, honest and real. Its run by an amazing rastafarian jamaican chef who lived over 20 years in japan, so he makes an amazingly unique combination of rasta and japanese vegan food that tastes like nothing else! amazing food cooked by an amazing soul! This is one of my top 5 vegan places in the world! best food and best energy! JAH!
Read morePros: vegan, ital, rasta
Cons: run down
Guest
kathyv181
Points +196
way to expensive for what you get - Edit
The food is tasty, but you have to like that place and the prices to enjoy it.
Read moreIt is dirty, crammed and highly priced for the tiny little portions (with a lot of rice, which is actually a very cheap ingredient).
There is only one small table (for couples) and one large table for about 8-10 people, if you sit close. There were nice people, you have to like that a few single guys - as nice as they are - are hanging out there and try chewing of your ear or getting you into a conversation (if you like it or not). If you like the other parties at the table is another big influence on how good of time you have in there.
So think about it.
But you'll see what I mean, when you go there.
Pros: good food, nice people, a toilet to use
Cons: overpriced for food and location, dirty, 1 table to share with almost all guests
Guest
spacecat
Points +58
Vegan Soul Food - Edit
Its nice to eat in a real vegan restaurant. one can enjoy the nice food without worries. our whole family enjoyed our meal. nice peiple nice vibes. very laid back atmosphere.
Read moreGuest
fogue
Points +28
what the noodles!! - Edit
at terra zen there are not so many places to sit but is easy to share a table with other person. the kitchen and the dining room are not separeted so its easy to smell like a fried potato. despite that, noodles are delicious and the rest is nothing special. we took sushi, crispy chicken and spring rolls but their taste was covered by a creamy souce that hidden their natural flavour. the cheese cake was good but it leaves a bubbly feeling in your mouth.
Read morePros: all vegan and different options avaiable, fast delivery, good music and not touristic
Cons: too spicy , use of too much sauces, clothes smell of chips and fried
Guest
bope
Points +25
The noodles - Edit
Probably the best noodles and spring rolls I've ever had in my life. The berry cheesecake was pretty insane too.
Read morePros: all vegan, lots of interesting choices.
Guest
AndreiaCapelo
Points +45
Good Food - Edit
This is not a typical restaurant.
Read moreI was very surprised when I saw the space and made me think twice about eating there... but the food is amazing. Their burger is awsome, really, you have to try it really.
The crew is very nice and helpful also :)
Guest
Giuly999
Points +118
not what I expected - Edit
i honestly do not know how this restaurant got so many positive feedbacks...it is dirty everywhere, the food is too expensive for what it is and there is only one small table and a big one to be shared with the other customers. i am sorry to say this but this place should be closed for not meeting the hygienic standards...
Read morePros: food is tasty
Guest
Chrisarnold
Points +250
Friendly crew, good food - Edit
Good 100% vegan food.
Read morePros: Only vegan. Tasty
Cons: A bit expensive
Guest
NievesR
Points +330
Really nice food - Edit
Small restaurant where you will have to share table with other people. There was just one person to attend the tables and cook so we had to wait a bit but it worth it. We ordered the vegan plate and the vegan chicken wrap and they were delicious!
Read morePros: Really nice food
Guest
cocainemoustache
Points +16
Friendliest restaurant I've been to - Edit
Amazing food, relaxing athmosphere and friendly people. Definitely will visit again!
Read morePros: Everything is vegan!
Cons: A bit pricey but support local and small ;)
Guest
marturey
Points +213
One of the worst restaurants we've ever been to. - Edit
We made our decision to go to this restaurant because the reviews seemed generally decent on most sites (HappyCow, TripAdvisor). The location is easily accessible. The inside of the restaurant is very casual and not very inviting. There are two tables, one larger table for communal seating and another with four seats.
Read moreWe sat down as no one acknowledged us when we were waiting to be seated. There were two unfriendly teenage girls working. I went up to the cash to ask about the menu on the blackboard. One of the main menu items was the vegan special (15 euro) and the other was a Jamaican plate. I couldn't really get a sense of what the difference was from the server except that one was crispier. We also ordered a side order of spring rolls. During this time, no water was brought to the table nor any cutlery. When the food was brought to the table, the plates were literally flung at us. We already felt unwelcome. I had to ask for some cutlery. One napkin for two people with wet cutlery inside was brought over.
I can't express how awful the food was. Overly salty and greasy. It's really difficult to make spring rolls taste bad, but this restaurant succeeded. The spring rolls lacked many veggies inside. They were more like a dough.
If you read through the reviews on many sites, you'll find many are full of praise for this spot, but then many other reviews that reflect our experience with nasty staff (I don't how or why the owner allows these teenagers to work there). They obviously don't want to be there. They were far more interested in being on their mobile and hanging outside the restaurant than making people feel welcome and actually offering a smile).
I've been vegan for over 10 years. I've been to great restaurants, bad restaurants, and most that are in between. This is truly one of the worst. The restaurant was also quite expensive. It was 40 euro for the two "vegan specials", two bottles of water, and one order of spring rolls. This restaurant doesn't even deserve one happy cow, but two is the lowest that the system will allow me to award. Perhaps if the food was good it could make up for the terrible service. In this case both were horrible.
Guest
LauraVerbich
Points +82
DELICIOUS & quaint~ - Edit
I love this cute little oasis in the middle of the city, on a very small street. It was super eclectic and had a nice hippy vibe, very relaxing, very causal. I had a big plate of food for 15EURO which wasn't so bad in my opinion! My friend had an onion soup for 3EURO! All in all, tasty food, fairly quick service, almost all the food is organic - I would def go back! Could be spicier, though ;) but thats just me
Read moreGuest
Eepie
Points +1079
Fantastic food - foreign ambience - weird staff - Edit
The food was really really good!! And we didn't pay much at all.
Read moreI would not go there with a big group or when going for something ''chic''.
We were attented by a young boy and girl. The boy was cute, but not so social and the girl didn't seem the care at all. We got the feeling they were the kids of the owner ''forced'' to help with the family business.
Either way, I would definitely return.
Owh, and they didn't have sugar for in the coffee... don't know if that's something standard or they just ran out of sugar XD
Pros: Food is really good, Funny/authentic ambience, Close to the city center
Cons: Waiters are not so social or helpfull, Small place
Guest
RespectKitchen
Points +287
Great cafe - Edit
A lovely small cafe tucked down an alley way.
Read moreFriendly staff and a great list of Japanese and Caribbean dishes to choose from.
Pros: Lots of choices
Cons: On the expensive side
Guest
VickyMan
Points +176
Wonderful! - Edit
The chef is outstanding, he's so down to earth and friendly and cooks amazing food.
Read moretried their burger and curry- both very delicious, cooked so well!, very unique flavours, not mild and not strong- just perfect.
only wish the staff who were serving would be friendlier, the looked sad (esp the girl)
Guest
Qamfu
Points +23
awesome food - Edit
food was great, but waiting time and service were a bit off, especially considering the upper average prices.
Read moreGuest
Myvegandreams
Points +23
nice - Edit
The food taste very nice and the staff is very nice as well! I would definitely recommend you visit this place if you're in Amsterdam!
Read moreGuest
Kulitahu
Points +34
Different, Spicy, Expensive - Edit
Ambiente
Read moreDas TerraZen befindet sich sehr zentral in Amsterdam und ist sehr gut zu erreichen und leicht zu finden in einer charmanten Seitengasse. Der Eingang in das Etablissement ist äußerst ungewöhnlich — lose, in Erde eingelassene Steinplatten zieren das Entree. Ansonsten ist das Interieur bunt gemischt. Die Ausstattung beinhaltet in die Jahre gekommenes retro-modisches Mobiliar, das nicht jedermanns Fall sein dürfte. Auch die Gerüche erinnern nicht unbedingt an ein Restaurant, sondern an die eines Headshops. Pflanzen runden das Arrangement ab.
Bedienung
Hinter der Theke begrüßte uns sehr freundlich und herzlich der Chef. Nach kurzem Smalltalk erläuterte er uns die heutige Menükarte und sprach Empfehlungen aus, welche nicht einleuchtend verständlich waren.
Essen
Wir entschieden uns für Spring Rolls, Sushi mit Avokado und die Vegan Plate. Auf Nachfrage des Chefs, ob die Speisen "spicy" gewünscht seien, drückten wir unmissverständlich aus, dass es auf keinen Fall ("not spicy, please!") erwünscht ist.
Nach kurzer Zeit (ca. 10 Minuten) wurden die Spring Rolls serviert. Die Rolls waren paniert, interessant gefüllt und schmeckten bis auf die Tatsache, dass die dazugehörige Sauce spicy war, sehr empfehlenswert. Wenige Minuten später wurden Sushi und die Plate serviert. Bei den sieben Sushis wurde zwar der Wunsch nach Avokadofüllung missachtet, jedoch schmeckten auch diese anders-interessant. Man sollte allerdings beachten, dass sie mit herkömmlichen Sushi nichts gemein haben (allein die Tatsache, dass sie nicht mit normalem Reis, sondern mit braunem Reis hergestellt wurden). Auch hier wurde an Schärfe nicht gespart. Die Vegan Plate sollte aber noch einmal in Sachen Schärfe einen drauf setzen... die auf der Platte befindlichen Sachen waren ausnahmslos frittiert und aufgrund der Schärfe beinahe ungenießbar.
Preis
Die drei Speisen kosteten insgesamt 36 Euro (ohne Getränke) und waren in unseren Augen nicht gerechtfertigt.
Fazit
- für hygienisch-penible Leute nicht zu empfehlen
- Portionen zu klein
- Essen entweder zu fettig oder zu scharf
Pros: friendly chef, short wait
Cons: price
Guest
aenkelkind
Points +265
delicious - Edit
Indeed, you easily walk past the TerraZen Centre, but once you stepped into this tiny restaurant through a tiny garden (!), you will find some delicious food! Everything looks a bit crappy, but it's very cozy. The chef is nearly always singing to reggae music, and everybody is very friendly. The first day I had the "Vegan Plate" with lots of fake meat (usually not my cup of tea), but it was tasty and crispy. The bread that comes with it was far beyond anything I've ever tasted--so yummy! The next day I was not that hungry, and took the Samosas, very delicious, too, but nothing else comes with it, it's a side dish. My wife ate the TZ Burger, which was not a burger in the commom sense, but very good! The TZ Jamaican Plate was an explosion of taste.
Read moreTo make it short, visit this place, even if the looks may deter you.
Pros: taste, staff, limited seating (if you want to chat)
Cons: expensive, the look of the place, limited seating (if you want to be alone
Guest
Kvein564
Points +28
Best place in Amsterdam for vegan food - Edit
We had to go there twice to try the rest of the menu. First day vegan plate, spring rolls, sushi and chocolate cake. Second day, Jamaican plate, noodles, spring rolls(again), chicken rott wrap. We wanted to try samosa and burger but was so full.
Read moreVery nice relaxing atmosphere, cosy small place. A little hard to find the first time. But the next day, easy. Nice couple running the place. Good service and no stress.
You HAVE to go there!!!
Pros: fantastic food, close to city centre
Cons: a little hard to find
Guest
shutingn
Points +11
lack of service - Edit
Our group of 4 arrived at TerraZen, hoping for good food as reported on Happy Cow. However, we could not bear to stay to order after the service (or lack thereof) at this restaurant. We sat down at a table, and two young ladies came up to our table and asked us what we wanted to order. The menu was written on the blackboard in front of the cashier. We started off by asking them what was in the 'Vegan Plate', as it was not indicated on the blackboard. One of the young ladies explained it in a tone like talking to my teenage spoilt cousin. My friend then asked about the 'Jamaican Plate', and it was like talking to a spoilt teenage princess and repeated the contents of the 'Vegan Plate'. I explained that we wanted to know the contents of the 'JAMAICAN PLATE', and the two waitresses giggled along with the man behind the counter. There was no language barriers, as we all spoke English. The food may be good, but we didn't think the attitude would come with it.
Read moreGuest
roguesby
Points +236
AMAZING - Edit
Everything here was completely delicious!!!
Read moreGuest
KellyJayneJones
Points +36
DELICIOUS!!! went back 3 times in 4 days - Edit
Really friendly and chatty couple (if you want to have a natter). EXCELLENT food, sugar free desserts. Very unassuming little place that was a gem to find! Can't recommend enough.
Read morePros: food top quality, service v good - quick & friendly, funny decor inc. mini zen garden inside!
Cons: perhaps difficult to find
Guest
Nad
Points +26
WOHOOOO That was AMAZING - Edit
Seriously the food is incredible!!! And the staff is super kind and friendly. BEST restaurant ever!!!!
Read moreWe had the spring rolls, the sushi rolls, the curry and the ginger tea. And all the people reading this you have to try the food there. It is simply AMAZING...
Pros: EVERYTHING , FOOD, STAFF
Cons: Nothing!
Guest
melarish
Points +706
Very interesting food! - Edit
I had a bowl of something called "natto", which is a Japanese dish of fermented soybeans. Something I'd never heard of but loved a lot!
Read moreIt's a bit pricey though (~€12-15 per dish) so wouldn't eat there every day.
Also, they can sometimes be closed when it's supposed to be opening hours, so you might want to ring in advance.
Great atmosphere with wall paintings, reggae music and vegan "propaganda" :)
Guest
Franky1985
Points +16
Excellent food with a comfortable atmosphere - Edit
I ate here the last two nights. The food is excellent and the atmosphere is great. The owners are a man from the Caribbean and a women from Japan. We had two combination plates, which were great. We also had spring rolls which were breaded and with a very good sauce. It is a bit expensive, but I think it is worth it. After dinner, the chef even gave us a free drink to enjoy for our walk home. Overall this is a great find, it is a little tricky to find as it is tucked away in an alley but it is worth the extra trouble of finding it.
Read morePros: Great Food, Great Atmosphere, Great Service
Cons: Hard to Find, limited menu, Prices are not clearly displayed
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business
See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 0 times.