Our first group meal was tonight at THT, across the IJ waterway from Amsterdam Centraal and next to the A'DAM Lookout (the building with a swing on the roof!) and the Eye Film Museum.
The ferries to and from Amsterdam Noord are free. Our trip took just a few minutes and we were joined by dozens of locals (many with bikes) for a standing-room-only crossing.
The restaurant was ready for us and we had a dedicated server who explained all the dishes that had been pre-arranged. We were told there would be a large amount of food, but we were unprepared for just how much was brought out!
I gave up photographing the plates after a few courses -- I had to conserve my energy so I could taste it all!
I had researched some Dutch customs before traveling but I hadn't looked into the appropriateness of requesting "doggy bags." I threw caution to the wind and asked our server if it would be alright to take home some of the abundant leftovers. She seemed delighted to help and pretty soon I had a pile of boxed and wrapped leftovers in front of me. I guess we'll eat in for lunch tomorrow!
But the feature that really stood out was the restaurant's attentiveness to the dietary needs of our group. One person had a serious gluten intolerance and allergy to avocado, another was allergic to mushrooms, and another was a strict vegetarian. Almost as soon as we sat down our server came to conduct personal discussions with each of these people, to confirm their restrictions, to explain what food was scheduled to be shared, and to give each person options appropriate to their dietary needs during each course. The server followed up as each course was presented to point out the shared-dish elements to avoid and to confirm that alternatives were on the table. Well done, THT!