The Avocado Show in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

When we first heard about an avocado restaurant opening in Amsterdam, I knew I had to check it out when it finally opened. It’s been billed by some as the first avocado restaurant in the world, while others refer to it as Europe’s first avocado bar. It’s located in the hip De Pijp neighborhood, a pretty popular area, especially for foodies.

We made our first attempt to eat at The Avocado Show back in March. However, we arrived around 3:30pm and they weren’t taking any more names as the line was pretty long (they close at 5pm), so we made the drive up from Eindhoven again recently. We got to the restaurant around 2pm and were told the wait was 1.5 hours. Sounds long, but given all the hype and publicity, I expected the line to be worse. We wandered around for an hour and came back and were called almost instantly!

Exterior of The Avocado Show and part of the line waiting the day we were there.

The interior is cute and cozy. Given how small the restaurant is, I’m surprised the lines aren’t much longer. The menu is limited, but provides a good selection of options for avocado lovers to get their fix. The avocado bar is the brainchild of founders Rom Simpson, Julien Zaal, and chef Jaimie van Heije, who owns another restaurant in Holland.

Before we get talking about the delicious eats, I want to point out a very important note about The Avocado Show. They ONLY take credit cards — you cannot pay by cash! Payment terms are something I typically mention at the end of a post, but we saw several people have to leave — after waiting in line for an hour — as they were told cards only as they were about to be seated. It does say it right on the menu, which is also posted in the restaurant window, but obviously some people missed that.

Now, back to the most important details — the food itself!

The Bun Burger (15 Euros)

We started off with this interesting dish — a small “burger” made with Dutch smoked ‘ossenworst,’ or raw beef sausage from Holland. Instead of a traditional bun, the avocado takes its place. The Bun Burger also has bacon, tomato, red onions, and sauce. On the side is a small portion of nachos and salsa. This is a great option for an appetizer for two as you get to try some of the nachos as well (which seem to be one of the most ordered items by checking out tables around us).

The Avo Rose (9.50 Euros)

For one of our mains, we opted for the Instagram-popular Avo Rose. An avocado rose is served either on toast or a rice cake, and then topped with either wasabi avo, filet americain, or hummus. I opted for toast and wasabi avo. Bright edible flowers don the top, making it almost too pretty to eat. The wasabi avo has a bit of a bite, but is not overly strong so don’t worry about it being too hot in most cases.

The CAT Sandwich (12.50 Euros)

This was probably my favorite. Move over BLT, we’ve got the CAT, or Chicken Avocado Truffle, sandwich. Topped with lots of greens and a thick slice of bread, it’s delicious. The first bite is filled with lots of truffle, which is one of my favorite ingredients in, well, anything. My recommendation is if you’re going with someone, see about splitting a couple of these. It was perfect as we both had half of the Avo Rose and half of the CAT Sandwich.

The Latest Scoop (7 Euros)

We went for the full experience and had to try a couple of their desserts as well. First up was two scoops of avocado ice cream and sorbet. Subtle flavor differences with the ice cream having a richer and more dense flavor obviously. The sorbet was really light and refreshing.

This is The Avocado Show’s signature dessert. It’s made with dates, avocado, citrus, and anise seeds. It loosely looks like a regular halved avocado, as it’s served in the skins, but digging in, it’s citrusy and sweet — quite a nice surprise.

Drinks at The Avocado Show

Be sure to order a coffee so you get to try their delicious avocado brownies as well. I’ve been debating on making brownies with avocado and I can now see why it’s a popular addition. The brownies were incredibly smooth and more rich than standard brownies I am used to. I didn’t see an actual drinks menu, but they have a selection of alcoholic beverages as we saw people ordering beer and there were wine bottles on the shelf.

Tips for Visiting The Avocado Show

As the word continues to spread, I expect the lines/waiting times to increase, so don’t plan to get there any later than 3pm to be safe, otherwise you might get turned away depending on how long the line is. They open at 8:30 am, so it’s easy to make it an early stop if you’re traveling through Amsterdam.

They serve coffee in to-go cups, and do have lids so you can take them to go and keep exploring Amsterdam. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, ask as they can make alterations/substitutions.

Keep an eye on the kitchen if you can from your seat. Impressive to watch them slice all the avocados and prepare dishes — which come out extremely quick despite the level of presentation.

Using credit cards in Holland can be a challenge at times, and at most places I’ve ever been since moving here from Taiwan in 2012, you have to use a credit card with a chip. If you have any concerns about your credit card since they don’t take cash, ask ahead of time before you put your name in. And, when you do put your name in, don’t stray for the full time they estimate as we got in well over 30 minutes ahead of the projected wait time.