Have a nice lunch at the Ouderkerkerplas

Sun, sea, beach and something delicious to eat and drink. What more could you want? Life at the beach always makes you feel good. Even when the sun isn’t shining for a while. Because when it is bleak outside, how nice is it to sit in a cozy and warm environment with a cup of coffee in your hand looking out over the water and letting your thoughts drift away?

Pavilion a/d PLAS

You can at Paviljoen a/d PLAS in Ouderkerk a/d Amstel. We recently visited here ourselves to sample the atmosphere of life at the lake in the fall and enjoy a delicious lunch.

A/d PLAS is located right on the only real beach of Amsterdam and surroundings, at the Ouderkerker Plas. In summer the place to enjoy sun, ‘sea’ and beach. But not only sun worshipers use this beautiful recreational lake. Because the lake is up to 30 meters deep, there is a lot of diving here. People surf, hike, play and swim. But day campers also like to come to the Ouderkerker Plas, where Paviljoen a/d PLAS has been pampering visitors with tasty drinks, snacks, delicious meals and a lot of fun for two years now.

Warm up on an autumnal day

On the day we visited a/d PLAS, it was unfortunately gray and dreary. But we were warmly welcomed by the attending team and were able to warm up with a cup of coffee in hand in the cozy restaurant area overlooking the lake.

The very first catering facility at the lake

Owner Ingomar joined us to get acquainted and tell about the creation of pavilion a/d PLAS two years ago when there was no catering facility at all in the recreational area. The start was still full of Corona problems, but once they could really open it turned out that there was a huge need for such a catering facility. After all, not only can one eat and drink but also enjoy a day at the beach. In the summer there is an outlet where recreationists can get snacks and ice cream, it is a popular place for parties, and there are regular events such as a comedy night or a pub quiz. Residents of the surrounding villages know to find a/d PLAS with great regularity, but concertgoers also like to come for a bite to eat before their visit to the Arena, Ziggo Dome and AFAS live. It is therefore only a few minutes’ drive from a/d PLAS to Arena Boulevard.

During our visit, a birthday party was present in the segregated area where a walking lunch was provided. Soup was served and tasty-looking flatbread. And from the sound of it, the party was having a good time.

Delicious and varied lunch in an atmospheric setting with beautiful views

We were allowed a peek into the kitchen and meet the chef as he prepared the flatbread. In the meantime, Ingomar did our lunch order. We had the choice of an extensive menu of sandwiches, salads, flatbread and hot dishes. Sonja chose a ceasar salad and I chose a club sandwich. We let the chef get back to his work and took our seats at our little table. Nice to see that on a calm and wet day like this one, nature immediately reclaimed the beach and lake.

Open all year round

A/d PLAS is open all year round. In summer, guests are mostly visitors to the recreation area and the lake to enjoy the beautiful weather. In the fall, they mainly get many hikers visiting. From mid-October to mid-April, dogs are again allowed to run free in the recreation area, which are also welcome in the pavilion. This too, according to Ingomar, is a pleasant affair, with sometimes more dogs inside than people.

By now our lunch has been served and Ingomar has to turn his attention back to the birthday party guests. It is a hefty lunch and very tasty. Thank goodness, because I had skipped my breakfast this morning. It is very nice to get to know the team at a/d PLAS and to see their passion and enthusiasm reflected in the atmosphere of the pavilion, the friendliness and hospitality of the staff and the quality of the food.

We would love to come back here again soon!

Credits photo: OpstapmetLisa