The Amsterdam Seafood Restaurant That’s Far Too Cool to Be This Good With Kids
The Lowdown
We all know that Barracuda is where Amsterdam’s effortlessly cool crowd come to break crab claws and guzzle Albariño. But guess what? Parents are joining in too — and the kids are having just as much fun. Big groups, small groups, bubbles floating in the air, a dessert-delivering robot and plenty of seafood to crack, dip and devour with your hands. Barracuda is one of those rare restaurants that manages to feel seriously buzzing …without making you feel like you’ve gatecrashed the cool kids’ party with your toddlers and colouring pads.
The Vibe
Forget the idea of a swanky fish restaurant with champagne flutes and towering seafood platters. Set in a large, eclectically decorated warehouse, Barracuda is a much more convivial affair.
It’s lively and completely unfussy, the sort of place where big groups pile around a table, bibs go on and everyone gets stuck into the feast. It’s fun, kitsch and so deliberately informal that it’s hardly a surprise to find an early weekend sitting has no shortage of families with children.
What are we Eating?
The menu here has one job and does it very well: let genuinely good seafood do the talking. No fuss, no clutter. Think sweet, plump prawns you tear into with your fingers, lemon and mayo standing by for dipping duty, and a changing cast of in-season fish and seafood to crack, pick, share and — let's be honest — make a small mess over. The menu has all the vibes of a beach shack somewhere on the Med, with the obligatory Dutch favourites thrown in. Hello, garnalenkroketten.
Kids are clearly not an afterthought here — even the apple juice arrives dressed up, in little glasses with tinsel-decorated straws. If the sight of a crab claw sends your children sprinting for the door, don't panic — kibbeling and a generous pile of fries will keep them very happily occupied. Then there's the ice-lolly freezer, which small diners are given free rein to browse and choose their own multicoloured treat from, no grown-up input required.
As for dessert, it’s highly advisable to order the chocolate mousse. It arrives, rather magnificently, via a sparkler-toting robot, theatrically gliding through the restaurant like this is all completely normal. Expect immediate demands for a second dessert, purely for the encore.
Worth the Hype?
At first glance, Barracuda looks tailor made for Amsterdam’s coolest twenty-somethings, but don't be deterred: this is also one of the best restaurants in the city for parents who refuse to downgrade their food just because they've got kids in tow. It's rare to find a spot that takes its seafood seriously and still treats a five-year-old like an honoured guest. Bring the children. Go to town with the menu. Don't forget the kibbeling. Everybody wins.
